ANT 202 Human Origins And Prehistory WK4-D1

The Neolithic Revolution

Choose to answer one (and only one) of the prompts below:
A:  The Neolithic Revolution, also known as the Agricultural Revolution,  had a great impact on humanity. Jared Diamond (1987) said that  agriculture was the “worst mistake in the history of the human race.”  The food surpluses that resulted from the Neolithic Revolution set the  stage for social differentiation. What are some of the impacts that  resulted from the emergence of agriculture? How did agriculture  contribute to the rise of civilizations? What is the relationship  between agriculture and inequality?

B: Civilization and Rising Inequality. We can see  from the textbook that ancient civilizations had varying degrees of  social stratification, which gave some members of these cultures unequal  access to resources. In your discussion, discuss whether social  stratification is a natural consequence of civilization, or would it be  possible to have a civilization without stratification. What can we  learn about social stratification from the past that can shed light on  the problems of the present? Use concrete examples and evidence from the  assigned material.