The Neolithic, or Agricultural Revolution, is one of the four great turning points in human history (don't ask, we'll get to that next year!) Your knowledge of Jared Diamond's GG&S will serve you well. I look forward to reading your posts.
22 Comments
Eliza Pillsbury
8/5/2016 18:21:49
And so I have discovered Bingham's Place. Tomorrow is the reading check, but my question might apply more to the open-ended response so I will ask it anyway.
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Bingham
8/5/2016 19:18:21
I'm impressed, excellent answer. And you're right, this will be more help at the end of the week.
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Yasmeen Gaber
9/5/2016 07:53:59
I definitely agree with all of that, but progress is such a subjective term that social inequality (while not necessarily positive) could be considered progress because the inequality that was created through agricultural revolutions led to the very prominent trajectory of social inequality through the evolution of chiefdoms and kingdoms, and through Chinese hierarchical systems that relief on serfs to farm land for nobility. So I guess my question is, what sort of "progress" is asked in this question?
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Amy Vaughan
11/5/2016 23:03:16
I struggled with the defining "progress" as well, Yasmeen. I decided to define it as advancement/change (positive or negative in the eyes of the society it pertains to). Because of this, I would consider the content in both of Eliza's charts as progress. Hopefully this is fine, since the question doesn't necessarily call for a counter-argument to the included quote so much as an explanation.
Yasmeen Gaber
12/5/2016 13:09:45
Okay, so I guess it's not asking for as much of a T-chart comparison as just everything on either side listed together as change?
Eliza Pillsbury
8/5/2016 18:26:37
Also, out of curiosity, how did the people of the Andes region domesticate guinea pigs?
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Bingham
8/5/2016 19:21:30
I have no idea. I presume as all animals are domesticated, through selective breeding and exploring their willingness to eat vegetable mater and live communally with others of their species. Needless to say, Guinea pigs didn't prove to be very consequential. I'm mean, they ain't no horse!
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Amy Vaughan
12/5/2016 18:13:54
Okay, I am going to take a stab at BPQ#3: Was the Agricultural Revolution inevitable? Why did it occur so late in the story of humankind?
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Bingham
12/5/2016 18:57:19
Great answer. But check your "separate and independent" list carefully.
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Amy Vaughan
12/5/2016 19:54:25
I thought that Mesoamerica, the Fertile Crescent, and China (along with Saharan and Subsaharan Africa, Highland New Guinea, the Andes region, and the eastern woodlands of North America) all experienced their Agricultural breakthroughs independently/without influence from each other?
Yasmeen Gaber
12/5/2016 18:57:01
Alright, I'm still a little shaky on Big Picture Question #1, but I'll just dive in with my own interpretation, and if anyone sees this before the test, hopefully they can steer me in the right direction:
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Yasmeen Gaber
12/5/2016 19:00:12
I should also add that the Agricultural Revolution led the Secondary Products Revolution, which created more uses of animals and plants alike, with new inventions and the widespread industry of metallurgy rising, as evident in the early Chinese agricultural village of Banpo.
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Bingham
12/5/2016 19:19:41
Well, I'm a little choked up, in a proud parent sort of way.
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Yasmeen Gaber
12/5/2016 19:28:20
I guess that means my answer was sufficient??
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Amy Vaughan
12/5/2016 19:48:48
I agree with you completely about the first part of BPQ1. It also asks for evidence arguing against the agricultural revolution being considered a turning point in human history. I would argue that the transition from Paleolithic societies to agrarian societies was too spread out to be considered a turning point, and that there are still societies today who practice hunting and gathering (ex: Hadza and parts of New Guinea). Also, hunter gatherers were collecting knowledge on plants and animals that would eventually help with domestication long before the Agricultural Revolution began. What do you think???
Yasmeen Gaber
12/5/2016 19:58:18
I was mostly having a hard time coming up with arguments against it, considering that Strayer mostly offers evidence to support the claim. Thank you for reminding me of all of that information, I probably would not have recalled it myself. That all looks really thorough and complete, you should be fine for the test tomorrow with that level of information :)
Amy Vaughan
12/5/2016 20:20:28
I compiled all of the questions into a Google Doc if anyone wants to print them out and practice physically writing out your answers instead of just typing them. Hopefully the link works...
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Yasmeen Gaber
12/5/2016 20:25:56
Thanks Amy! This should be very helpful!
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Mad Chase
12/5/2016 21:34:50
This is a clarification for Margin Question #6 which poses the comparison question "How did Chiefdoms differ from Stateless Agricultural Village Societies?"
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Yasmeen Gaber
12/5/2016 22:39:21
This seems very thorough, although I would point out that lineage systems were also prominent (overlap) in stateless agricultural societies, such as that of çatalhüyük. Even though the lineage did not determine inherited power and/or wealth, it still provided a form of "structure" in the society e.g. elders from each lineage would convene to discuss the agricultural tactics of the next seasons.
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Mad Chase
12/5/2016 23:01:10
Thank You so much Yasmeen!
Eliza Pillsbury
12/5/2016 22:42:55
I'll leave one more thing before going to bed because I think BPQ2 is intriguing. "How did early agricultural societies differ from those of the Paleolithic Era? How does the example of settled gathering and hunting peoples such as the Chumash complicate this comparison?'
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BinghamWelcome class of 2019. Some years students collaborate in this space effectively, some years not so much. One thing I know, collaboration significantly enhances learning. If you want access to my thoughts, this is the collaboration space to use. Most people propose an answer to margin questions, big picture question, or anything else related to managing Strayer. Other people can then comment leading to a stronger answer. I'll keep an eye on these pages, and pop in when I think you need me. Archives
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