How did agriculture affect the earliest civilizations?
Agriculture had helped humans to become really humans. This lifted the human race from the undomesticated and brutal life of hunting animals for food; living in different caves and places, looking for food from morning until evening, running after beasts or the other way around and always hungry and worried regarding the next meal[1]. This help to change the environment where in the early people live. It is also considered as the one of the most ancient and most important source of living for much civilization. Agriculture is not only considered by the early civilization as their primary and most important source of living, but also the way that the gods upholds the life of the human[2]. That is the reason why agriculture can be considered as one of the basic concepts that relate gods with the human beings[3].
The most important impact of agriculture to the earliest civilization is that it had changed the environments where in those people live. The numbers of the human who become inactive cultivators and who cleared the lands around their settlements and managed the plants that grew, as well as the animals that grazed on them had grown[4]. The said situation had lead to greater numbers of settlements or houses and people who are living in a group or clan. The said situation had lead from one development or progress to another. Due to the growing population of people from different groups or clan, the trading system had become one of the most important activities that connect different people from different places. Due to the growing number of people that are flocking together, politics, together with the related aspects such as laws, leadership had implemented in all of civilization. Due to communal living, people had started to think regarding the benefits of the whole group or clan and not only for themselves of family. This had lead to the process of division of labor where in male and female are sharing different responsibilities in the process of farming, from planting to harvesting. Women play very important responsibilities in the aspect of agriculture, but men plays the most of the heavy tasks or labor[5]. People also started to learn to save foods and other resources for future needs.
Furthermore, due to the process of farming or because of agriculture, people had started to invent different things that will help them or will serve as an aid for their planting and harvesting. Another important thing is that ancient people had already developed different techniques that will help and protect the growth of their crops against the weather and other environmental risks. One of these examples is the Banawe Rice Terraces in the Philippines. It enables the people to become more familiar with the different aspects that are connected with the weather and other environmental aspects. Different activities with connection to the irrigation and water system had also been incorporated in the agriculture in order to make the tasks of the farmers easier.
Religion can also be considered as one of the most important impact of agriculture to the life of many early civilizations. This is because ancient people depend on the different supernatural forces in order to maintain their life. They truly believe that the process of planting and harvesting crops and different kinds of plants is the primary blessings of Gods. That is the reason why most of the ancient documentaries show that all of the early civilizations believe that they must offer to their deities and gods for good harvests. This also created different classes and beliefs regarding the different mysteries about the environment.
Due to the growing number of people who are living together, as well as rules that are governing them, together with enough food and water supply, the mortality rate had increased and this lead to another important aspect of human knowledge, the skills regarding healing or using different plants and crops that can cure different diseases.
Agriculture is considered as the foundation of civilization, it had helped many ancient people to live together, and make their lives easier. Every development and progress in the current living standard of the human race is due to the impact and influence of agriculture to the political, cultural and social aspects of the earliest civilizations in the world. People from the ancient civilizations and agricultures are the most important aspects that influence the current advancement and convenient living condition in the world.
References:
Bryn Mawr College. “The Origins of Agriculture: Rise of Civilization or Defying Evolution?”, Serendip (2000). http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/ f00/web3/partner3.html (accessed July 10, 2008).
Guisepi, R, “Agriculture And the Origins of Civilization: The Neolithic Revolution”, History World.org (n.d). http://history-world.org/agriculture.htm (accessed July 10, 2008).
Trigger., B Early Civilization: Ancient Egypt in Concept. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 1993.
[1] Bryn Mawr College. “The Origins of Agriculture: Rise of Civilization or Defying Evolution?”, (2000), http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f00/web3/partner3.html (accessed July 10, 2008).
[2] Burce G. Trigger. Early Civilization: Ancient Egypt in Concept (Cairo: American University in Cairo Press)
[3] Bryn Mawr College. “The Origins of Agriculture: Rise of Civilization or Defying Evolution?”, (2000), http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f00/web3/partner3.html (accessed July 10, 2008).
[4] Robert Guisepi, “Agriculture And the Origins of Civilization: The Neolithic Revolution”, n.d., http://history-world.org/agriculture.htm, (accessed July 10, 2008).
[5] Robert Guisepi, “Agriculture And the Origins of Civilization: The Neolithic Revolution”, n.d., http://history-world.org/agriculture.htm, (accessed July 10, 2008).
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