Hunter and Gathering, Agriculture

 Identify the benefits of Hunter and Gather and Agriculture subsistence patterns   

   The hunter and gather life pattern had many benefits. The obvious advantage that hunter gather tribes had was that their food supply was richer with the nourishments that the human body needed. This in turn made hunter and gather tribes physically strong, less likely to become sick and because of hunting wild animals their senses were heightened. Until recently it was thought that hunter and gathering tribes were tirelessly looking for food and all their time was being spent in this. Now many studies prove that there was more leisure to their lifestyle. This allowed them much more time to pursue their cultural recreations.

       The benefits of an agricultural society laid the tracks to modern civilization. This type of society finally gave humans a chance to stay in one location. It allowed for a centralized food source, which if done right meant always having food. The population was given a chance to grow and multiply considerably. With this expansion it gave way for groups of people to better organize and to begin constructing the fundamental ideals that would give birth to civilizations. It allowed individuals to pursue other cultural endeavors that would benefit societies greatly.

 Identify the costs (or disadvantages) of both subsistence patterns

    The hunter gather life pattern however did have its draw backs. With the aggressive nature of acquiring food it led to many conflicts with other tribes who were also looking for the best game. They were not able to lay down roots in one location, because there food source relied heavily on migrating animals, they were forced to travel to find there food supply. This in turn did not allow them to grow in population and the constant moving made survival much more difficult.

 Like the hunter gather tribes an agriculture way of life also had its drawbacks. Because of the population increase with an agriculture society there was also a larger demand on food. With soil problems and some periods of droughts a whole centralized population would go into famine. Also, as this type of society progressed a need of personal ownership became more relevant to its cultural standard, and this seemed to individualize a once communal society.

   Which subsistence pattern provides a healthier diet?

  I think the healthier diet in the long run was more agriculture. I understand that hunter gathers had access to more complex nutrients through meat consumption but in the over all progress for society’s health, I think an agriculture way of life is much healthier. With the hunter gather life style, although physically more fit, the life style would be primitive. With a new society of agriculture it allowed for a more developing society that would late become healthier.

   Discuss why you think some human populations made the transition into agriculture?

  I believe the main reason why populations began to adopt a more agriculture way of life was that it finally gave people a general consistency that they never had. It allowed for groups to stop wandering and being at the will of their environment. It finally gave the people a chance to dictate their own futures and be able lay roots in one place. This would later lead to a growth in population and much later a better quality of life.

 There is a direct relationship between the availability of surplus and the ability to trade.

   The availability of surplus directly attaches its self to trade. Whenever in any society there is a surplus of anything it allows that society to exchange, barter, or sells that particular item for something they need. Surplus of a society will directly affect the cost of certain trade.

   Identify and describe two (2) social benefits of trade

Trade is not only beneficial for monetary purposes but also gives any social structure the ability to sustain itself and establish a progressive society. With trade, societies would not be at the will of any supporting government. In this they are allowed to keep their own customs and belief system. Also, with emerging markets it allows for new innovations, that otherwise would not have flourished.

  Identify and describe two (2) negative social results of the development of trade

Unfortunately, with any developing trade society came its drawbacks. The society becomes very competitive and the goals of the individual starts to out weigh the goals of the entire group. It also places people, who are not able to contribute to this trade, as useless.

    Given your answer in the question #1, explain the relationship between the development of agriculture and the development of trade.

The development of an agriculture society gave birth to an emerging trade market. Because of the consistency of an agriculture society, it made it much easier to establish a quantity of food that would be needed and a quantity that could be used in trade to obtain other necessities that a particular society could no produce. Through this initial trade, it developed into a wider market, where individuals were able to obtain luxuries that they weren't available to them before. It eventually spread to a worldwide market.