FOOD, LAND AND PEOPLE AND WORLD CIVILIZATIONS

Debra Spielmaker Utah Agriculture in the Classroom FOOD, LAND AND PEOPLE AND WORLD CIVILIZATIONS

Which of the following was the most important advancement in early civilizations? • Toolmaking (technology) • Agriculture (farming, production & processing) • Writing (communication) Are these areas of development as important today? What is agriculture?

Hunters and Gatherers • Prior to 11,000 BC all peoples on all continents were hunter-gatherers. • 11,000 BC -1500 AD different rates of development on each continent. The spread of humans around the world. How do we know? Archaeology

Factors determining civilization • East / West Axis • Ease of species spreading • Many domesticated plant and animal species • Epidemic diseases • Food, transportation, work or horse power • Food surpluses, food storage • Large, dense sedentary stratified societies • Political organization, specialists, military, writing • Epidemic diseases • Technology • Guns, steel swords • Oceangoing ships

Major axes of the continents

Centers of origin of food production A question mark indicates this may be an origin or influenced by the spread of food production.

Why farm? • Decline in the availability of wild foods. • Depletion of wild game less rewarding, easier to gather grains. • Increased technology for collecting, processing, and storing wild foods. • Increasing population, increase food production, better diet. • Adopt food production or die at the hand of those who have. (soldiers & germs)

Walk on the wild side…to domestication • Gather plants that are mutant or don’t have specialized seed dispersal mechanisms, replant these (peas, lentils, flax, poppies). • Gather annuals, seeds that germinate each year. • Pick and plant trees that reproduce easily with desirable traits; large seed, sunflower; big fruit, squash; small seeds, bananas.

Major crop types around the ancient world

Fertile Crescent • Civilization; cities, writing, empires, and agriculture. • Mediterranean climate. • Easily domesticated plants. • Most of the plants pollinate themselves.

Mediterranean Climate

Worlds best soils for growing food

Domestic Mammals • Meat production plus! • milk • transportation • plowing • wool • hides • Evolution with humans • immunity to diseases (measles, tuberculosis, smallpox, flu, pertussis, malaria)

Mammalian Candidates for Domestication • Why some animals were not domesticated: • Diet, bad feed conversion or carnivores. • Growth rate too slow. • Problems with captive breeding. • Nasty disposition. • Tendency to panic.

Domestication of Animals

Seeds of Change, most influential plants • Quinine • Potato • Sugarcane • Cotton • Tea • Would the world have been without widespread black slavery if there had been no sugar and cotton plantations? • What would Africa and the United States be like now? • Would China have become a major world power in the 19th century if it had not been for the tea and opium trade? • Would John F. Kennedy have become a U.S. President?

Quinine, native South America • Quinine, drug that reduces fever in the treatment of malaria. Although quinine kills certain forms of the parasite that causes malaria, it cannot kill the parasite in all stages of its life cycle. • Other uses or connections • inks • fuel • Lubricant • Cold tar, dyes

Potato, native of Peru • Native to the Andes of Peru, the potato plant is now cultivated throughout the temperate regions of the world. It is grown for human consumption and for its starch. • Other uses or connections • manufacture alcohol • Adhesives • Underground, safe food for warring factions

Sugarcane, native to Polynesia • The common sugarcane is extensively cultivated in tropical and subtropical countries throughout the world for the sugar contained within its many-jointed stems. Sugarcane grows to about 8 to 20 feet high and has stems 1 to 2 inches thick. • Other uses or connections • rum • slavery • food additive

Cotton, native to Asia • Cotton, natural vegetable fiber of great economic importance as a raw material for cloth. Its widespread use is largely due to the ease with which its fibers are spun into yarns and it comfort. • Other uses or connections • textile • seed oil • papermaking • slavery

Tea, native to East Asia • Tea, is brewed from the dried leaves of this plant and has been drunk in China for centuries. It was first brought to Europe by the Dutch in the early 17th century AD. England became the only European country of tea drinkers rather than coffee drinkers. • Other uses or connections • Creation of cups with handles • China, Hong Kong, and India become part of the British empire

Tomatoes, Potatoes, Corn and Beans • Plants of the Americas • Tomato • Potato • Corn • Beans • Chocolate • Peppers • Corn

FOOD, LAND AND PEOPLE AND WORLD CIVILIZATIONS