The Negative Effects Of The Neolithic Revolution

Throughout time individuals have encountered numerous tribulations as a result of the lifestyle they pursued and ultimately accepted. During the Neolithic Revolution, individuals progressed and benefitted the society they developed. As they regressed from the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, in which they followed during the Paleolithic era. Initially, many individuals during the Neolithic era adopted agriculture, as they were able to plant a myriad of crops in order to promote the health of the people within their civilization. Many other individuals, however, remained as hunter-gatherers as they believed they were truly receiving the necessary requirements for maintaining one’s health. Though, in our contemporary day, many individuals are aware of the necessities required in fulfilling a maintained

diet.

As they possess this knowledge, it is considered that the Neolithic revolution actually negatively impacted their civilization in terms of health, rather than benefitting it. Although, the diet of the farmers during the Neolithic era implicitly impeded the growth of their civilization, the hunter-gatherers still encountered numerous obstacles that negatively impacted their well-being as well. Nonetheless, the farmers during the Neolithic Revolution ultimately have the advantage over the hunter-gatherer lifestyle.

Agriculture promoted the individuals within a civilization, as there were numerous crops that grew food, therefore enabling farmers to feed a large population. For example, “Farming could support many more people than hunting, albeit with a poorer quality of life…a field planted entirely in edible crops lets one feed far more mouths than a forest with

scattered edible plants.” (Diamond). Here, the reader is able to identify that by growing an immense quantity of crops enabled one to feed a large population of people, therefore leading to the division of labor, as there would be many more people to pursue diverse occupations. Additionally, the large amount of edible plants would allow farmers to store a surplus of food in order to feed their civilization during arduous environmental conditions. Hunter-gatherers, however, encountered difficult situations, when regarding the storage of food, as they possessed no permanent settlement. As seen here, “Hunter-gatherers have little or no stored food, and no concentrated food sources…they live off the wild plants and animals they obtain each day.” (Diamond). Therefore, one is able to see that hunter-gatherers were required to struggle in order to survive. After all, it was essential for them to continuously follow wild animals and search for wild plants in order to obtain a source of food. Although, under any circumstances if the hunter-gatherers were unable to accomplish their task in searching for a food source, it would ultimately lead to their death. Thus, farmers were able to feed a large population by only allowing their crops to grow and by storing their food, which the hunter-gatherers were incapable of doing.

Although, the farmers were able to possess a surplus of food where they were able to supply their large population within their civilization, the diet maintained by these individuals resulted in significant impacts towards their overall health. For instance, “Life expectancy at birth in the pre-agricultural community was about twenty-six years…but in the post-agricultural community it was nineteen years.” (Diamond). Here, the reader is demonstrated the negative impacts towards the health of the farmers, as they had not received the necessary amount of protein required for the body to function. The health of the farmers impeded them from living a long life causing their civilization to gradually diminish indirectly. Therefore, causing individuals comprehend that the farmers during the Neolithic revolution “traded quality for quantity” (Diamond). After all, the hunter-gatherers maintained their diet by the various food sources they discovered while searching. As seen here, “The mix of wild plants and animals in the diets of surviving hunter-gatherers provides more protein and a better balance of other nutrients.” (Diamond). Though, the hunter-gatherers fulfilled the requirements of their health through various food sources, the farmers were obligated in exchanging the quality of their food to obtain a large quantity of it in order to maintain and develop a civilization. Furthermore, in order to progress a society one requires a large population of people, where all of these individuals must be fed to ultimately accomplish their task as their size is constantly increasing. For example, “Took up farming not by choice but from necessity in order to feed their constantly growing numbers.” (Diamond). Therefore, hunter-gatherers are not required to produce large quantities of food, as they do not have a civilization to develop in a permanent settlement. Thus, even though hunter-gathers are promoting their well-being through their diverse diet, farmers are enabling their society to progress, which will ultimately benefit them even greatly.

During the Neolithic era, the farmers encountered many obstacles throughout their lifestyle. Women particularly, struggled in maintaining their health. For instance, “Farming women tended to have more frequent pregnancies than their hunter-gatherer counterparts – with consequent drains of health.” (Diamond). Here, one is portrayed that farming women struggled in maintaining their health not only from their diet, but pregnancy as well. After all, they were possibly obligated in frequent occasions of childbirth in order to increase their civilizations population and overall development. Hunter-gatherers, however, were not required to possess a large population, as they had not developed a civilization. Although, hunter-gatherers confronted significant struggles within their lives without a permanent settlement because they were required to constantly migrate with their child as well. As seen here, “nomadic hunter-gatherers have to keep their children spaced at four-year intervals by infanticide…a mother must carry her toddler until it’s old enough to keep with the adults…farm women don’t have that burden, they can and often do bear a child every two years.” (Diamond). Therefore, hunter-gatherer women were required to always be concerned about their children, however, farmer women had more leisure time where they would develop upon numerous other aspects in their civilization. Nevertheless, the hunter-gatherers also possessed leisure time. For example, “It turns out that these people have plenty of leisure time, sleep a good deal, and work less hard than their farming neighbors.” (Diamond). Here, one is able to identify that the hunter-gatherers also had leisure time, however, they were still required to apply more effort compared to the farmers. After all, the farmers had a permanent settlement where they would allow their crops to get irrigated and grow, as they developed their civilization. Though, the hunter-gatherers were required to constantly move around and search for food, as they had no permanent settlement, which is why they could develop a society. Thus, ultimately the hunter-gatherer lifestyle involved numerous more tribulations compared to the agricultural lifestyle.

Hence, although the hunter-gatherer lifestyle involved numerous health benefits for an individual, the agricultural lifestyle ultimately resulted in having the most positive advantages in terms of a developing civilization. Agriculture enabled farmers to feed a large population within their civilization, as they possessed a surplus of food, which lead to individuals to pursue in developing different aspects. Hunter-gatherers, however, did not have a permanent settlement where they could store their food sources; they were required to struggle as they constantly migrated in order to obtain a food source. Though, the diet of the farmers was quite ineffective in fulfilling the necessary requirements for maintaining the health of an individual; farmers were required to exchange the quality of their food for quantity in order to feed their large population and progress their civilization. Moreover, the health of farmer women was negatively impacted because they were required to possibly give childbirth in order to increase their population and ultimately benefit their civilization. Additionally, hunter-gatherer women were required to constantly migrate with their child because they did not possess a permanent settlement. Even though the farmer women did have leisure time, the hunter- gatherers also possessed leisure time. Regardless of this, the hunter-gathers were ultimately required to apply more effort in order to survive compared to the farmers in terms of their well-being and development. Thus, ultimately there are complications involved for both the farmers and hunter-gatherers; nonetheless, in the end the rise of agriculture leads to a sufficient and prosperous civilization.