The Importance of Agriculture in Northwestern Lýthia

Civilization and Its Key Components

Civilization

The term civilization designates a complex of cultural elements that first appeared in human history between 8,000 and 6,000 years ago (Earth history). At that time, on the basis of agriculture, stock-raising, and metallurgy, intensive occupational specialization began to appear in the river valleys of SW Asia, commonly known as the fertile crescent. Writing appeared, as well as urban centers that accommodated administrators, traders, and other specialists. The specific characteristics of civilization are: food production (plant and animal domestication), metallurgy, a high degree of occupational specialization, writing, and the growth of cities. Such characteristics originally emerged in several different parts of the prehistoric world: Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, India, the central Andes, and Meso- America. However, some civilizations did not have all of these characteristics (e.g., the Classic Maya had no metallurgy, and true writing apparently never emerged in central Mexico or the central Andes). Many anthropologists now focus on a political factor-the development of hierarchical administrative bureaucracies-as the critical characteristic of all civilizations. -Answers.com

Domestication

The adaptation of an animal or plant through breeding in captivity to a life intimately associated with and advantageous to humans. -Answers.com

Transhumance

Transferring livestock from one region to another according to the season of the year so that two complementary ecozones are exploited. Typically, transhumance systems utilize areas of lowland during the winter months and nearby uplands during the summer. Some or all of the population will move with the livestock, especially in the case of long-distance transhumance where the regions are perhaps 50km or more apart. -Answers.com

Pastoralism

A social and economic system based on the raising and herding of livestock. -Answers.com

Metallurgy

The science that deals with procedures used in extracting metals from their ores, purifying and alloying metals, and creating useful objects from metals. -Answers.com

Bureaucracies

Management or administration marked by hierarchical authority among numerous offices and by fixed procedures. -Answers.com

The Development of Agriculture

Hunter-Gathers - The First Step to Civilization - per Venârivè by Kelestia, page 49

Hunter-gatherer societies are based on the direct procurement of edible plants and animals from the wild, foraging and hunting without significant recourse to the domestication of either. They were the norm prior to the adaptation to an agrarian society. Hunter-gatherer societies are still found on the fringes of the settled and pastoral regions of Venârivè.

Bands of hunter-gatherers tend to be small, nomadic populations that move seasonally to optimize different sources of food as they become available. As a result, a fairly large range is required for this mode of life.

As time past, hunter-gatherers began to adapt a form of transhumant lifestyle. Instead of moving herds, hunters would move with the game and the remainder of the group would remain and practice primitive farming; especially if game was plentiful in one location on a seasonal basis; such as along a migratory route. For example, a band may have a base along the migration route of reindeer. Although this is a rich source of food, for most of the year the tribe must send out hunting parties the few months prior to the migration to replenish food supplies before the next major hunt. In some case the whole band may move but in others only the hunting parties may go out to gather game. In the meantime those staying at the base camp may be practicing a crude form of agriculture called horticultural gardening. This means that they manage and gather wild grains and herbs and may even grow small plots of the planted grain, tubers, and root crops using crude agricultural tools.

The Emergence of an Agrarian Society

At some point during the later period of the hunter-gatherer society, and as they began to adapt to horticultural gardening, these people were selecting the wild grains, tubers, roots and other vegetable food sources that were best adapted to the climate they lived in. During this process they began to select the grains with the larger heads and tubers and roots that grew larger, thus begriming the process of selective breeding of their food source. At the same time they began growing these selected food crops in small cleared plots of land instead of harvesting them from the wild. Thus one of the steps towards developing an agrarian society was begun with the domestication of crops.

Around the same time these bands were domesticating their crops they also began the process of domesticating livestock. Instead of hunters moving about looking for game they began to round up small groups of easily herded animals they could use as a food source. These animals were either held in pens or pastured on local grasslands, moving them about to ensure the animal's food source was not depleted and thus causing them to wander off in search of new grazing lands. This was another step towards an agrarian society and in some cases the sole means by which some bands survived. Thus the pastoralism was born.

Being able to grow crops and raise livestock was enough to allow populations to grow and small settlements to become villages. However, it was not till these early societies developed a means to safely store their surplus that populations could really expand. The ability to store surplus food being one of the final steps towards a true agrarian society.

The Emergence of Civilizations

Diversification of Occupational Specialties

With a surplus of food on hand occupational specialization began to take place. This was in the form of individuals who were skilled at weaving, pottery making, woodwork, etc, who could begin to focus on their specialty and did not need to work in the fields. They were able to do this because they could trade their handicrafts for the food they needed to support themselves and their families. Specialization would continue to grow as new industries were developed to meet the needs of a growing society.

The Emergence of an Elite Class

As always happens in any society, individuals begin to segregate themselves into separate groups or classes. At the top are those individuals who control most of the food surplus and thus the predominant source of wealth within a community. In turn they are often looked upon as the leaders of the community due to the resources they have at hand and the manpower they control to manage their wealth (land, crops, herds, etc) and project their power over the community. In time these individuals would be recognized as the rulers of their community.

The Projection of Power and the Development of Central Governments

As a village grows into a small town and out grows its resources it begins to expand into unclaimed lands or attempts to subjugate weaker communities within the region. In the first case using surplus population to settle the new lands as a colony of the home community. This colony being responsible to provide its home community with some of its surplus as tribute for its protection and support the home community with soldiers when danger threatens it. In return the home community provides trade goods and support while the colony establishes itself and soldiers to defend it if threatened. This process continues until their is no new lands to settle.

In the later case the community marshals its men into a military force of conquest and attacks an unrelated community in order to take over its lands and subjugate its people to their will. If they succeed, the home community installs their own leader for the subjugated community and establishes a garrison to maintain order. The inhabitants may be replaced with settlers from the home city, and then reduced to servitude. Otherwise, they may be allowed to retain their holding with stiffer control over their activities; such as high tribute, conscripts for military service, etc.

One other option for expansion is the voluntary incorporation of communities that come to the home community looking for protection from other parties. In this case the leadership of the community being incorporated could be replaced or more likely have to swear allegiance and provide assurances of their loyalty (e.g. hostages). In return the home community agrees to provide security in return for tribute and trade concessions.

It is quite possible for all three methods to be employed by a powerful ruler. In the process the community grows to become what will be known as a city state and eventually a kingdom. As a resuly of this growth, the society at hand begins to develop governmental hierarchies that will allow them to better control their territories, people, and resources (especially agricultural resources). The end result being the development of a civilization based on the agrarian society that was at the heart of the initial movement towards expansion. None of this would have been possible without agriculture providing the means to feed an expanding population.

It is quite possible for all three methods to be employed by a powerful ruler. In the process the community grows to become what will be known as a city state and eventually a kingdom.

Civilizations are Born

As a result of the above mentioned growth, the society at hand begins to develop governmental hierarchies that will allow them to better control their territories, people, and resources (especially agricultural resources). The end result being the development of a civilization based on the agrarian society that was at the heart of the initial movement towards expansion. None of this would have been possible without agriculture providing the means to feed an expanding population.