Edit Definition
Definition
Identifying an exact origin of agriculture remains problematic because the transition from hunter-gatherer societies began thousands of years before the invention of writing. It isn't until after 9,500 BCE that the eight so-called founder crops of agriculture appear: first emmer and einkorn wheat, then hulled barley, peas, lentils, bitter vetch, chick peas and flax. These eight crops occur more or less simultaneously on sites in the Levant, although the consensus is that wheat was the first to be sown and harvested on a significant scale.
By 7000 BCE, sowing and harvesting reached Mesopotamia and there, in the fertile soil just north of the Persian Gulf, Sumerians systematized it and scaled it up. By 6000 BCE farming was entrenched on the banks of the Nile River.
In Europe, there is evidence of emmer and einkorn wheat, barley, sheep, goats and pigs that suggest a food producing economy in Greece and the Aegean by 7000 BCE. Archaeological evidence from various sites on the Iberian peninsula suggest the domestication of plants and animals between 6000 and 4500 BCE. Céide Fields in Ireland, consisting of extensive tracts of land enclosed by stone walls, date to 5500 BCE and are the oldest known field systems in the world.
Donate and help us!
We're a non-profit organisation and we need your help! This website costs money and research material isn't cheap either. We are supported only by our donors. Please consider donating; even small amounts help. Thank you!
Bibliography
Peer Review
Are you qualified to peer review ancient history information? Apply now and help provide quality ancient history information on the web!
Articles
Article
Agriculture in Ancient Greece
|
by
no username published on 18 January 2012 |
Agriculture was the foundation of the Ancient Greek economy. Nearly 80% of the population was involved in this activity. Agriculture permeated the Greek world to such an extent that it gave birth to a way of life which persisted throughout Antiquity.During the early part of Greek history, as shown in the Odyssey, Greek agriculture - and diet - was based... [continue reading]
Article
Agriculture in the Fertile Crescent
|
|
by
Jan van der Crabben published on 23 February 2011 |
The ancient Near East, and the Fertile Crescent in particular, is generally seen as the birthplace of agriculture. In the fourth millennium BC this area was more temperate than it is today, and it was blessed with fertile soil, two great rivers (the Euphrates and the Tigris), as well as hills and mountains to the north. The region was highly diverse... [continue reading]
Article
New light on Neolithic revolution in south-west Asia
|
|
by
Trevor Watkins
published on 18 December 2012 |
Shortly after his retirement from a distinguished career in the Department of Archaeology at Edinburgh, the author gave the Rhind Lectures for 2009, bringing together his thoughts about the Neolithic revolution, and comparing Childe’s ideas with today’s. These lectures, summarised here, announced the modern vision to a wide audience. It... [continue reading]
Article
Roman Agricultural Magic
|
|
by
Britta K. Ager
published on 19 April 2012 |
In this dissertation, I examine the magical practices of Roman farmers, primarily through the Latin farming manuals; topics include the magical practices which the Roman agronomists recommend to farmers, the relationship of this material to other genres of magic such as curses and amulets, and how its inclusion in technical handbooks is part of the authors&rsquo... [continue reading]
Article
Meager Returns: Agricultural Wages in Roman Egypt
|
|
by
Edward Fox
published on 18 January 2012 |
In February 247A.D, Eirenaios the manager (phrontistes) of a unit of the large estate belonging to Aurelius Appianus in the Fayum part of Egypt recorded in his account book that for the month he had employed 500 days of labor from workers unaffiliated with the estate. He paid them 2 drachmae a day. Unlike payments made to permanent employees of the estate... [continue reading]
Interesting Pages
You might also find the following pages interesting...
Recommend Book
Agriculture Books
-
University Press of Florida (28 January 2007)Currently unavailable -
University of California Press (20 October 1998)Currently unavailable -
Routledge (08 August 2007)Price: $32.27 -
Oxford University Press, USA (25 March 2009)Price: $51.72 -
Shire (15 February 2011)Price: $12.42
Comments
|
|
|
Please log in or register to post comments. Sadly this is necessary to prevent comment spam. Alternatively, you can use the comments widget below.
Add Event
Timeline
Visual Timeline-
10000 BCEBeginnings of agriculture in the Middle East.
-
9000 BCEWild sheep flocks are managed in the Zagros mountains.
-
9000 BCECultivation of wild cereals in the Fertile Crescent.
-
7700 BCEFirst domesticated wheats in the Fertile Crescent.
-
7000 BCEDomestication of goats.
-
6700 BCEDomestication of sheep.
-
6500 BCEDomestication of pigs.
-
c. 6500 BCECultivation of peas in the Eastern Mediterranean.
-
c. 6000 BCEFirst irrigation.
-
6000 BCEDomestication of cattle.
-
5000 BCEIrrigation and agriculture begin in earnest in Mesopotamia.
-
c. 5000 BCECultivation of peas in Europe.
-
4500 BCEInvention of the plow.
-
4000 BCEUse of wool for textiles.
-
c. 2700 BCECorn is first cultivated in Mesoamerica.
-
2000 BCEDomesticated horses introduced in Mesopotamia.
-
1500 BCEPastoral farming spreads across Eurasian steppes.
-
1345 BCEThe world's first manual on training horses is written by the Mitanni horse trainer Kikkuli (found in Hattusa).
Sponsors
Many thanks to the companies who are kindly helping us:
Many thanks to the companies who are kindly helping us:
Follow us on Google Plus
Follow us on Facebook
Join us on LinkedInAncient History Group
Ancient History Encyclopedia Profile
Tweet
Follow us on TwitterWe're a non-profit company, and we need your help. For as little as 2 $/€/£ you can help us provide the best free ancient history information on the web. Thank you!
Donate now!