What is a horticultural society? • (23 votes) Hi Tatjana! Horticultural is another way of saying an agricultural society. Horticulture is the practice of tending and cultivating plants. It's being compared along with a pastoral society, which involves herding animals, as more complex forms of social org. than hunger-forager societies. Hope this helps! (40 votes) The formation of political structures seems apparent with civilization, but how questioning around human existence may have lead to religious groups? • (14 votes) Religion is supposed to provide an answer to the meaning of life. Why was I born? Where will I go after I die. It may have been used by the "elite" as another person mentioned, but I do not believe that was the main reason that led to religious groups. (11 votes) Why the shape of the temples of Egypt, Mesopotamia and Mesoamerica was similar to a pyramid? • (11 votes) I think it is because it lets water drain easily. (4 votes) So, how do we determine what's writing and what isn't? For example, the Quipu in paragraph thirteen in the article. Would that be considered an ancient form of writing, or a way to calculate certain things? How do we know? • (11 votes) I think that writing is defined as a way of making words physical. I would count the Quipu as a type of writing. Some people could have a different interpretation but that is my two cents. Great question Kaylin! (6 votes) How could a civilization form like this in such a small period of time? • (3 votes) Agriculture made it possible for civilization to grow exponentially. Because food is not a challenge anymore (compared to hunter-gatherer societies), people have free time which could lead to specialization in crafts, the arts, and technology. Technology like irrigation and selective breeding of plants with high calories lead to more food, population boom, and more people to do jobs that the society requires. In short, more people means more brains and hands to do any type of work. A complex society becomes a civilization when they begin to establish social organization, religious practices, and begin political groups. • (5 votes) I think with social hierarchies it's a bit of an oversimplification to chalk everything up to 'life would be boring if we were all the same' or 'people should be paid more for doing tough jobs', hierarchies don't actually exist to benefit those who work harder but only those who are born in positions of power, imo social hierarchies exist to uphold class exploitation (6 votes) When did "marriage" i.e. monogamy come into being? • (6 votes) Some of the earliest instances that we know of a man and woman ceremoniously uniting are found in the Mesopotamia area. In the Talmud and the Bible, there are references to marriage, and we get the idea of the man providing from the woman from hebrew tradition and texts. There really isn't a conclusive answer as to exactly how marriage came into being, but it was probably the need for order and higher stability in early families. (4 votes) How did castes emerge? Was it the possessing the required qualities that enabled people to practice some kind of power over the others, or was it about who can make the others "kneel" for them? • (3 votes) Well it depends on what type of caste you're talking about. Hinduism has a caste system based on its religion, while castes like feudalism are most likely for socioeconomic order and 'balance' in a society. Castes do just that, order, and if you think about it, we informally have them today in our Western societies in the forms of socioeconomic classes. Considering that most social organisms, especially humans, start out as hierarchal social animals naturally, then I theorize that's where the concept of castes formed. (7 votes) how effective was their trading society? how big did there communities approximately reached/get to be? • (5 votes) please I would love to know what factors led to early civilization (1 vote) When people started agriculture,did people stop travelling because thre was no need to forage anymore? If yes, then how did diffrerent methods of agriculture spread around the world? • (1 vote) Agriculture did not spread. Rather, it emerged in the areas suitable to it. In very fertile regions around the Yellow or Indus rivers, for example, agriculture helped bring about a sedentary lifestyle which led to the need for specialization and later on the need for centralized rule. We see agriculture emerging around the world at similar time periods. However, that is just relative to us - agriculture may have arose in one region a couple thousand years before agriculture emerged in another region halfway across the world. In places not suitable for agriculture, like the Australian outback, the hunter-gatherer tradition was maintained because there was no incentive to become agrarian. The need to forage still remained in places such as these well after the period we refer to as the Agricultural Revolution occurred. (6 votes)Want to join the conversation?
It's mentioned where the spectrum of social organization is described.
Factors that were most important to establishing and maintaining a civilization was the gathering of people to do their different jobs. Establishment of cities and shared views.
I do think that social hierarchies are necessary for civilizations because life would be boring if we were all the same. Also, when people do tough jobs, they should be paid for them.
I do not think that all state-level political structures are necessary for civilization, I think independent cities with a shared culture can be a civilization.
As an enthusiast well-versed in the topic of horticultural societies and the evolution of civilizations, I'd like to provide insights into the concepts mentioned in the article.
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Horticultural Society:
- Horticulture refers to the practice of tending and cultivating plants, and a horticultural society is often used interchangeably with an agricultural society. Rosie Friedland points out that horticultural and pastoral societies are considered more complex forms of social organization compared to hunter-forager societies. This complexity arises from practices such as plant cultivation and animal herding.
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Political Structures and Religious Groups:
- Srishti Sethi raises the question of how the formation of political structures might be related to the existence of religious groups. While the development of political structures is often associated with civilization, the emergence of religious groups may be linked to questions about human existence.
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Religion and the Meaning of Life:
- Pianissimo and Dj discuss the role of religion, with pianissimo suggesting that it provides answers to the meaning of life. Dj questions how civilizations could form rapidly, prompting consideration of the factors contributing to this acceleration.
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Temple Shapes in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Mesoamerica:
- Martin Lupin inquires about the similarity in the shapes of temples in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Mesoamerica, specifically resembling pyramids. The question raises curiosity about the cultural and architectural influences that led to such similarities.
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Quipu as Writing:
- Kaylin167 and Natasha Sanchez engage in a discussion about ancient forms of writing, particularly referencing the Quipu. Kaylin questions whether the Quipu is a form of writing or a method for calculations, prompting interpretations of ancient communication methods.
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Agriculture and Civilization Growth:
- Paul G emphasizes the role of agriculture in exponential civilization growth. The availability of food, enabled by agriculture, leads to population growth, specialization in various fields, and the development of technologies like irrigation and selective breeding.
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Factors for Civilization:
- Rachel delves into the factors crucial for establishing and maintaining a civilization, including social organization, religious practices, political groups, and the gathering of people for diverse jobs. She also discusses the importance of social hierarchies in civilizations.
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Social Hierarchies and Castes:
- Niuniu critiques the oversimplification of attributing social hierarchies to the idea that life would be boring if everyone were the same. Nicole Ng expands on the concept of castes, discussing their existence in various forms and suggesting a link to socioeconomic classes.
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Marriage and Monogamy:
- Mary Johnson inquires about the origin of "marriage" or monogamy, prompting discussions about early instances of ceremonial unions, particularly in Mesopotamia.
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Trade and Effective Trading Societies:
- Heather Reser raises questions about the effectiveness of trading societies and the size of their communities. The effectiveness of early trading societies is likely influenced by factors such as geographical location and available resources.
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Spread of Agriculture:
- Bekzod Kimsanboev and baysim engage in a discussion about the spread of agriculture. Baysim argues that agriculture did not spread but emerged in areas suitable for it, leading to sedentary lifestyles, specialization, and centralized rule.
These discussions collectively highlight the multifaceted aspects of societal development, ranging from economic practices and political structures to cultural and religious influences.
