Book contents
- Plant Domestication and the Origins of Agriculture in the Ancient Near East
- Plant Domestication and the Origins of Agriculture in the Ancient Near East
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Tables
- Foreword
- Foreword
- Preface and Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 What Is the Agricultural Revolution?
- 2 From Hunter-Gatherers to Farmers in the Near East
- 3 Models That Describe and Explain the Agricultural Revolution, Including Plant Domestication
- 4 The Plant Formations of the Fertile Crescent and the Wild Progenitors of the Domesticated Founder Crops
- 5 The Difference between Wild and Domesticated Plants
- 6 Traditional versus Modern Agriculture – Stability vs Maximization
- 7 The Differences between Plant Domestication and Crop Evolution under Traditional and Modern Farming Systems
- 8 The Differences between Cereal and Legume Crops in the Near East
- 9 The Choice of Plant Species for Domestication
- 10 Where, When and How Did Near Eastern Plant Domestication Occur?
- 11 Domestication of Fruit Trees in the Near East
- 12 Plant Evolution under Domestication
- 13 A Global View of Plant Domestication in Other World Regions
- 14 Animal Domestication in the Near East
- 15 Plant Domestication and Early Near Eastern Agriculture
- Notes
- Further Reading
- References, Chapter 14
- Glossary: Basic Concepts in Genetics, Botany, Ecology, Agronomy and Zoology
- Index
3 - Models That Describe and Explain the Agricultural Revolution, Including Plant Domestication
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 March 2022
- Plant Domestication and the Origins of Agriculture in the Ancient Near East
- Plant Domestication and the Origins of Agriculture in the Ancient Near East
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Tables
- Foreword
- Foreword
- Preface and Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 What Is the Agricultural Revolution?
- 2 From Hunter-Gatherers to Farmers in the Near East
- 3 Models That Describe and Explain the Agricultural Revolution, Including Plant Domestication
- 4 The Plant Formations of the Fertile Crescent and the Wild Progenitors of the Domesticated Founder Crops
- 5 The Difference between Wild and Domesticated Plants
- 6 Traditional versus Modern Agriculture – Stability vs Maximization
- 7 The Differences between Plant Domestication and Crop Evolution under Traditional and Modern Farming Systems
- 8 The Differences between Cereal and Legume Crops in the Near East
- 9 The Choice of Plant Species for Domestication
- 10 Where, When and How Did Near Eastern Plant Domestication Occur?
- 11 Domestication of Fruit Trees in the Near East
- 12 Plant Evolution under Domestication
- 13 A Global View of Plant Domestication in Other World Regions
- 14 Animal Domestication in the Near East
- 15 Plant Domestication and Early Near Eastern Agriculture
- Notes
- Further Reading
- References, Chapter 14
- Glossary: Basic Concepts in Genetics, Botany, Ecology, Agronomy and Zoology
- Index
Summary
We introduce this chapter with a partial discussion of the conceptual framework that underlies the research on the Agricultural Revolution (Glossary, General Terms, Agricultural Revolution). We first explain how hunter-gatherers gained their knowledge and put it to use. We then present key ideas that have been offered throughout the years to explain the advent of the Agricultural Revolution. Many researchers have attempted to answer the question of why the Agricultural Revolution occurred. Some answers are broad, driven by a perception that human action is a reaction to some external force(s). Others emphasize the social dynamics that might have led to this revolution. Most of these explanations were formulated during the last half of the twentieth century. To facilitate a better understanding of these views, we will elaborate on prevalent research perceptions regarding plant domestication (Glossary, General Terms, Plant domestication), which was central to the Agricultural Revolution.
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- Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022