INTRODUCTION

Hunters and gatherers is a society which exists between 12000 – 10000 BC. They use one primary subsistence method which is experimenting with tools, hunting and travelling in search for edible animals and plants. Some of their characteristics are:

-       They are able to adapt to changes occur in environment, resources, and climate.

-       They hunt, gather, and use many resources in a small amount rather than exploit few resources in a huge amount.

-       They travel or move seasonally to find more available resources or food.

Agriculture is a practice to gain benefits from the environment, employing more effective and efficient manner of cultivation by using some tools or technology invented by human. It domesticates both the animals and plants. In the end, it forms the basis of new life which is called civilization.

There are some arguments between archaeologists for the reason behind the transition from hunters and gatherers to horti-agricultural.  Some say that the development of agriculture may have been triggered by the climate change which is also followed by the retreating of glaciers. Some others argue that it is because of population growth and changes in exploitation of local resources. Plant domestication is brought because human are constantly in contact and consume plant or even specific plant. Agriculture provides a stable and large quantity of produce, therefore human population is growing even more.

THE EVIDENCE

Legend:

a. Horti-agricultural economics took root in the Near Eastern (Fertile Crescent)

b. Goat domestication in Zagros Mountains

c. Sheep cluster

d. Cattle and pig as domesticated animals in Abu Hureyra

The first agricultural sites were found in the Near East. It is in the Nile Valley and Western Asia, in Anatolia (modern Turkey, shown above), in northern Syria, in valleys of the Zagros Mountains in Iran, and along the Jordan River Valley [2].

North China mainly plants Foxtail Millet and Rice. In 6000BCE there was a fowl as domesticated animal. It is believed that it is derived from the red jungle fowl of Southeast Asia [1].The other evidence of agricultural era is founded in Mesoamerica. They planted beans, chilies, and maize. The yielded carbonized specimen is founded in Tehuacan Valley between 5500 – 4500 BCE. It is appeared to be the earliest maize’s cobs [1].

AGRICULTURAL’S INFLUENCES

There are also some challenges in agricultural age they have to face and solve.

1. They need to develop elaborate cultural practices for disposing of wastes and maintaining a hygienic environment such as their corpse, their food wastes of their livestock. Otherwise, it will cause a problem such as polluting one’s living place.  Compare with the foragers, they can stay clean and healthy just by moving seasonally or constantly.
2. The increase of population growth. There is a tendency to have more children in agriculturalist family to help them in processing the farm. It is contrary with the forager’s mindset; they have to limit the number of children to be taken care of in order to make their life simpler.
3. The emergence of infectious disease. It is mainly related to difficulty of maintaining hygienic living space and population growth.

The transition from domestication of plants and animals does not mean that it transform to fully completed agricultural societies. It introduces the whole new block of considerations, where each consideration might trigger new consequences. Below are the consequences that occurred in agricultural societies.

1. The rise of social elite or social hierarchies which lead to different means of decision making and governmental organization.
2. The emergence of wealth’s hierarchy, status, and power which is caused by the developing of specialization in social and economy
3. The emergence of “private” and “public” life influences the way people perceived their existence.
4. Lower life expectancy due to diseases.
5. The high possibility of increasing number of erosion. Agriculture has a tendency to degrade the soil. There is a tendency to grow a certain plant on the same area of land for certain of time due to the demand. It can deplete even very rich soil.

SOCIETY COMPLEXITY in MESOAMERICA and MESOPOTAMIA

Agricultural societies require the human to take initiatives, consideration, and action to overcome those challenges, consequences, and the negative values of having the agricultural system. It made them to organize or build up such a system that can accommodate all of those issues which is in the end creating the hierarchically differentiated society. Therefore, we can say that the existence of agriculture triggers the emergence of social, economic, and political complexity. In the other word, it builds up a complex society. Let’s explore in detail the Mesoamerica and Mesopotamia using the table below.

Base on the definition given in the table above, we are able to conclude that the society structure does exist in both Mesopotamia and Mesoamerica. It includes also the emergence of social organization, leadership, managing organism, specialization division, and other things that need extra consideration, knowledge, and specialization.

References

[1] Bogucki, Peter (1999): The Origins of Human Society, Oxford UK: Blackwell Publisher Ltd

[2] http://www.wsu.edu/gened/learn-modules/top_agrev/4-Agriculture/agriculture2.html

[3] http://www2.fiu.edu

[4] http://www.wsu.edu/gened/learn-modules/top_agrev/agrev-index.html

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