Thursday, September 10, 2015

The first big value based discussion in AP World History is about the Neolithic Revolution, the transition to agriculture and animal husbandry from a hunter gatherer lifestyle.  The result was a more reliable and abundant food supply, but less varied and thus less healthy. The cost was harder work and the emergence of class and gender hierarchy.  Agriculture led to settlements (cities eventually) in which some people could accumulate more wealth.  It also led to more children that women tended to stay home to raise, and the field work was harder than hunting and gathering so men's upper body strength was useful. Voila!  patriarchy and class divisions.

It's hard to imagine a world of hunter/foraging, and there certainly wouldn't be 7 billion people.  But humanity got along just fine thank you for a couple hundred thousand years that way.  Less work, more free time, healthier diet, more equality...leaves and rabbit salad anyone?

When confronted with this choice, most students choose agriculture, but some actually say they'd prefer the hunter/gatherer lifestyle.  They like the freedom and the ability to travel around. And some opt for the "compromise" pastoral lifestyle.  Good luck to all of them!

Next:  Life in Persia or in Greece...which was better?