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Theories about the Commencement of Agriculture in Prehistoric Societies: A Critical Evaluation

Author

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  • Serge Svizzero

    (CEMOI - Centre d'Économie et de Management de l'Océan Indien - UR - Université de La Réunion)

  • Clement Allan Tisdell

    (UQ [All campuses : Brisbane, Dutton Park Gatton, Herston, St Lucia and other locations] - The University of Queensland)

Abstract

The commencement of agriculture in the Holocene era is usually seen as heralding the beginning of a chain of events that eventually resulted in the Industrial Revolution and in modern economic development. The purpose of this paper is to outline and critically review theories about why and how agriculture first began. It also classifies these theories according to whether they are based on agriculture's development as a response to food deprivation, to a food surplus, or neither of these factors. Because agriculture began independently in several different geographical centres, it seems unlikely that the switch of early societies from hunting and gathering to agriculture was the result of the same cause in all of these locations. Moreover, the paper provides some new suggestions as to why hunters and gatherers were motivated to commence or increase their dependence on agriculture in some locations. Views about the role of natural resources and institutions in the development of agriculture are also discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Serge Svizzero & Clement Allan Tisdell, 2014. "Theories about the Commencement of Agriculture in Prehistoric Societies: A Critical Evaluation," Working Papers hal-02152052, HAL.
  • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-02152052
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-02152052
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    7. Tisdell, Clement A. & Lapar, Ma. Lucila A. & Staal, Steven J. & Que, Nguyen Ngoc, 2009. "Natural Protection from International Competition in the Livestock Industry: Analysis, Examples and Vietnam's Pork Market as a Case," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90628, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
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    18. Tisdell, Clement A. & Alauddin, Mohammad, 2002. "Market-Oriented Reforms in Bangladesh and their Impact on Poverty?," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90521, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    19. Tisdell, Clement A., 2005. "An Overview and Assessment of The Economics of Leisure," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90540, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
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    22. Tisdell, Clement A., 2001. "Globalisation, the Environment and Sustainability: EKC, Neo-Malthusian Concerns and the WTO," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90502, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    23. Tisdell, Clem & Seidl, Irmi, 2004. "Niches and economic competition: implications for economic efficiency, growth and diversity," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 119-135, June.
    24. Tisdell, Clement A., 2008. "Trust and its Implications for Economic Activity, Welfare and Globalisation," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90617, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    25. Tisdell, Clement A. & Svizzero, Serge, 2003. "Globalization, Social Welfare and Labor Market Inequalities," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90525, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    26. Tisdell, Clement A., 2006. "Economic and Business Relations Between Australia and China: An Overview and an Assessment," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90543, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    27. Darrian Collins & Clem Tisdell, 2004. "Outbound Business Travel Depends on Business Returns: Australian Evidence," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(2), pages 192-207, June.
    28. Tisdell, Clement A., 2004. "Tourism Development as a Dimension of Globalisation: Experiences and Policies of China and Australia," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90535, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    29. Easterly, William & Levine, Ross, 2003. "Tropics, germs, and crops: how endowments influence economic development," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 3-39, January.
    30. Adam, Latif & Tisdell, Clement A., 2008. "Interfirm Networks in the Indonesian Garment Industry: Trust and Other Factors in their Formation and Duration and their Marketing Consequences," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90616, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    31. Gao, Zhicun & Tisdell, Clement A., 2004. "Television Production: Its Changing Global Location, the Product Cycle and China," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90530, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    32. Tisdell, Clement A., 2001. "Externalities, Thresholds and the Marketing of New Aquacultural Products: Theory and Examples," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90468, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    33. Tisdell, Clement A., 2008. "Economics, Corporate Sustainability and Social Responsibility," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90618, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    34. Serge Svizzero & Clem Tisdell, 2002. "Reconciling globalisation and technological change: Growing income inequalities and remedial policies," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 37(3), pages 162-171, May.
    35. Tisdell, Clement A., 2002. "Economics and Tourism Development: Structural Features of Tourism and Economic Influences on its Vulnerability," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90522, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    36. Alauddin, Mohammad & Tisdell, Clement A., 2009. "Quantitative Impacts of Teaching Attributes on University TEVAL Scores and their Implications," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90621, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    37. Gregory Dow & Clyde Reed & Nancy Olewiler, 2009. "Climate reversals and the transition to agriculture," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 27-53, March.
    38. Tisdell, Clement A., 2007. "The Evolution and Classification of the Published Books of Clem Tisdell: A Brief Overview," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90548, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    39. Tisdell, Clement A., 2010. "Animal Health Economics. What Can It Do? What Are the Big Questions?," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 97472, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    40. Tisdell, Clement A., 2002. "Tourism as a Contributor to the Economic Diversification and Development of Small States: Its Strengths, Weaknesses and Potential for Brunei," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90514, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    41. Tisdell, Clement A., 2004. "Can Globalisation Result in Less Efficient and More Vulnerable Industries?," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90536, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
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    43. Tisdell, Clement A., 2004. "Economics of Business Learning: The Need for Broader Perspectives in Managerial Economics," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90532, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    44. Tisdell, Clement A., 2005. "Globalisation and the Economic Future of Small Isolated Nations Particularly in the Pacific," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90541, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    45. Tisdell, Clement A., 2008. "Economic Benefits and Drawbacks of Cities and their Growth," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90615, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    46. Tisdell, Clement A., 2010. "An Economic Study of Small Pigholders in Vietnam: Some Insights Gained and the Scope for Further Research," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90630, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    47. Tisdell, Clement A., 2006. "Economic Prospects for Small Island Economies, Particularly in the South Pacific, in a Globalising World," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90547, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
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    50. Tisdell, Clement A., 2008. "Structural Transformation in the Pig Sector in an Adjusting Vietnam Market: A Preliminary Investigation of Supply-side Changes," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90619, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    51. Tisdell, Clement A., 2005. "Economic Globalisation: The Process and its Potential, Social, Economic and Environmental Impacts," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90539, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    52. Tisdell, Clement A., 2001. "Competition and Evolution in Economics and Ecology Compared," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90506, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    53. Tisdell, Clement A., 2005. "Business Partnerships in a Globalising World: Economic Considerations," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90542, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    54. Tisdell, Clement A., 2004. "Transaction Costs and Bounded Rationality - Implications for Public Administration and Economic Policy," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90531, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
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    56. Tisdell, Clement A., 2010. "Agricultural Development in Traditional Asian Economies: Observations Prompted by a Livestock Study in Vietnam," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 90629, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
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    Cited by:

    1. Clement Allan Tisdell & Serge Svizzero, 2016. "Different Behavioral Explanations of the Neolithic Transition from Foraging to Agriculture: A Review," Working Papers hal-02147758, HAL.
    2. Cesaratto, Sergio, 2023. "Surplus Approach and Institutions: Where Sraffa Meets Polanyi," Centro Sraffa Working Papers CSWP61, Centro di Ricerche e Documentazione "Piero Sraffa", revised 02 May 2023.
    3. Svizzero, Serge & Tisdell, Clement, 2019. "Barter and the Origin of Money and Some Insights from the Ancient Palatial Economies of Mesopotamia and Egypt," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 291788, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    4. Svizzero, Serge & Tisdell, Clem, 2014. "Inequality and Wealth Creation in Ancient History: Malthus' Theory Reconsidered," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 183285, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    5. Serge Svizzero, 2016. "Foraging Wild Resources: Evolving Goals of an Ubiquitous Human Behavior," Post-Print hal-02147756, HAL.
    6. Clement Allan Tisdell & Serge Svizzero, 2015. "Rent Extraction, Population Growth and Economic Development: Development Despite Malthus’ Theory and Precursors to the Industrial Revolution," Working Papers hal-02150103, HAL.
    7. Serge Svizzero, 2016. "Foraging Wild Resources and Sustainable Economic Development," Post-Print hal-02146473, HAL.
    8. Svizzero, Serge & Tisdell, Clem, 2015. "The Role of Palatial Economic Organization in Creating Wealth in Minoan and Mycenaean States," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 206552, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    9. Serge Svizzero & Clement Allan Tisdell, 2016. "Economic evolution, diversity of societies and stages of economic development: A critique of theories applied to hunters and gatherers and their successors," Post-Print hal-02147753, HAL.
    10. Clement Allan Tisdell & Serge Svizzero, 2017. "Optimization Theories of the Transition from Foraging to Agriculture: A Critical Assessment and Proposed Alternatives," Post-Print hal-02145490, HAL.
    11. Sergio Cesaratto, 2019. "Heterodox economics and Economic Anthropology: reflections prompted by two books," Department of Economics University of Siena 807, Department of Economics, University of Siena.
    12. Tisdell, Clement A. & Svizzero, Serge, 2019. "Economic Theory, Phoenician Pre-coinage External Trade, Changes in the Economic Surplus and its Appropriation - An Initial Perspective," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 291441, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    13. Tisdell, Clem & Svizzero, Serge, 2015. "The Failure of Neoclassical Economics Modelling and Human Behavioural Ecology to Satisfactorily Explain the Evolution of Neolithic Society," Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Papers 197550, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    14. Serge Svizzero, 2017. "Persistent Controversies about the Neolithic Revolution," Post-Print hal-02145483, HAL.
    15. Serge Svizzero & Clement A. Tisdell & Duncan Watson, 2016. "Economic evolution, diversity of societies and stages of economic development: A critique of theories applied to hunters and gatherers and their successors," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 1161322-116, December.
    16. Clement Allan Tisdell & Serge Svizzero, 2015. "The Collapse of Some Ancient Societies Due to Unsustainable Mining Development," Working Papers hal-02152043, HAL.
    17. Serge Svizzero, 2015. "Trade, immiserising growth and the long-term neolithisation process of the Pitted Ware Culture," Post-Print hal-02148984, HAL.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Agricultural commencement; Domestication; Institutions; Natural endowments; Neolithic transition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • N00 - Economic History - - General - - - General
    • P00 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - General - - - General
    • P52 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Comparative Economic Systems - - - Comparative Studies of Particular Economies

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