U1A5 – Original Affluent Society – pp. 41-48     1.       Identifies A.      Beringia 1.       Land Bridge joining Siberia to Alaska 2.       Existed about 30,000 yrs ago a.       May have been open as much as 90,000 yrs ago 3.       Formed because of the water locked up in the glaciers   B.      The Original Affluent Society 1.       Society living in an environment plentiful in food a.       Allows leisure time – only 2 of 7 days dedicated to food gathering 1.       Social and cultural pursuits 2.       Play 3.       Personal adornment 4.       Music 5.       Conversation 2.       Abhor agriculture C.      Pastoral Nomads 1.       Specialized Herders a.       Developed from mixed farming b.      Ranges from sole dependence on a single animal type to variety adjusted to local climates and grazing conditions c.       Solution to the H-G abhorrence to agriculture 1.       Produces a more consistence food supply   2.       For how much of our history have Human’s lived in Nomadic Bands? A.      99% B.      On a geological scale it is about 1 sec of a 365 day year 1.       During that time period we colonized  the world C.      Knowledge growth is exponential but it hasn’t been a smooth line   3.       Why were our ancestors such excellent botanists? A.      Completely at the mercy of the environment 1.       Less food and foods seasonal nature 2.       Plants used for Medicine, Poison, Clothing and Dyes, Homes, and Tools   4.       Where does most of our knowledge of hunter-gatherer people come from? A.      The study of modern H-G groups in Africa, SE Asia, Russian Steps 1.       We are making inferences based on what are seen as necessary adaptations to environmental demands   5.       Though hunter-gatherers must live in balance with nature, they have never the less had a significant impact on the environment. What are those impacts? A.      Large Mammal Extinctions 1.       Mammoths, Cave Bears, Saber-tooth Tigers 2.       New Zealand – 20 species of flightless birds 3.       America – Giant Buffalo B.      Changed Landscapes 1.       Australia – Woodlands transformed to grassland from slash and burn tactics to product new plant growth 2.       North Africa – Desertification do to wood harvests for kiln fired pottery   6.       What has been the most visible legacy of H-G society and what impact has that had on the world? A.      Fire 1.       Hunting 2.       Food preservation 3.       Protection 4.       Survival in cold climates 5.       Cleared forest for grasslands a.       Also caused semi arid deserts   7.       Why do most hunter-gatherer societies abhor agriculture? A.      Why would anyone wish to sacrifice a life of leisure and freedom for the demands of agriculture 1.       To arduous 2.       To time consuming 3.       To sedentary   8.       What are the three grasses that 90% of the world’s populations rely on for food? A.      Corn, Rice, & Wheat   9.       What effect does the type of food grown have on a cultures life style? A.      Cereals when eaten in combination contain a balance of protein, carbs., and fat 1.       These are basic to the rise of urban population B.      Roots and tubers lack protein 1.       Still must hunt and fish to supplement their protein 2.       Limits the number of people an area can support C.      One of the great benefits of the Columbian exchange was the influx of nutrition to the old world   10.   What are the theories as to why H-G peoples overcame their abhorrence of Agriculture and became farmers? A.      Necessity 1.       Population expansion and a loss of easily harvest foods because of drought (Ice Ages)   11.   List the advantages and disadvantages of the following A.      Shifting and Permanent Cultivation 1.       Shifting agriculture a.       Protects the soil and allows it to recover b.      Keeps land out of production B.      Terracing 1.       Allows the use of land generally unsuitable for farming because of erosion 2.       Is Labor intensive C.      Irrigation 1.       Allows for use of land normally to dry for farming 2.       Produces a more consistent crop 3.       Leaching and mineral deposits can ruin land productivity   12.   What are the profound, long term changes brought by agriculture? (The triumph of agriculture, major impacts on society and the environment) A.      World Domination / Population Expansion 1.       Rise of cities 2.       Division of Labor 3.       Writing 4.       Science B.      Environmental destruction 1.       Mass extinctions 2.       Altered Environments and landscapes 3.       Global warming   13.   Translate the last paragraph on page 48 into your own words. A.     Example:  Homo Sapiens-Sapiens ability to modify and control nature led us to be the dominant species on the planet. There may be problems associated with the agricultural revolution of 8,000bce but when life is free of the constant threat from nature and the quest for food than the growth of cities and the development of other human traits (art, science, culture) are possible.