Pros And Cons Of Hunter Gathers

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The progression of civilization since the 900’s leaves archaeologists and historians with questions such as, why did societies decide to domesticate crops or why did society abandon the hunter gather lifestyle? There are many hypothesis for the origins of agriculture like the social hypothesis that claims the success of food production allowed individuals to create surplus which gave them the ability to trade for valuable goods. This surplus also provided individuals with power and the leaders could acquire a labor force that would help them gather and create more surplus. The hunter gather lifestyle had its advantages as well. Hunter gathers had a seasonal routine and did not have to rely on someone to provide them with food. Though forming a community has its advantages one could argue that the life style of a hunter gather was more sufficient in terms of freedom and spiritual inquiry. The independences that came along with a hunter gather lifestyle allowed individuals an opportunity to question the …show more content…

The manipulation of land has allowed civilizations to create intricate systems for the transportation of water and the production of agriculture. Different crops require specific landscapes in order to grow, and one of the most important forms of agriculture is terrace farming. Terrace farming is widely used to produce rice and wheat by creating a landscape creates steps within the landscape so the flow of soil nutrients are carried down from various levels. The Incas are credited the most for the development of terrace farming, and today it is still a popular method of farming. These innovative methods of agriculture help us create new ways to manipulate the environment without utterly demolishing it. The flow of nutrients within this type of system is more efficient than the methods of monoculture farming which uses crop rotations and diminishes top soil