Feb. 10, 2011- Essay Question

A. Describe the transition of hunter-gatherers to farmers.


        In ancient civilization there were no jobs such as doctors, lawyers, and teachers like we have today in the 21st century. Thousands of years ago there were significantly different jobs. The world was not as technologically advanced a thousand years ago like it is now. Now we have have computers and cell phones to communicate which is part of the reason why our country is so advanced and stable. Countries such as Papua New Guinea, how ever, do not use cell phones or computers, the residents of Papua New Guinea live their lives the way they did thousands of years ago.
        In order to obtain food thousands of years ago people did not have grocery stores, they had to find their food on their own by hunting and gathering or farming. In the middle east, around the area of The Fertile Crescent their soil and land used to be very plentiful and filled with great trees, plants, and animals that they could use as food. There was one huge problem with hunting and gathering though, the food would eventually run out over time. After all of the fruits from the trees and bushes were gathered and after the men had killed all of the animals it was time to move on and find a new places to live where there was food to eat. After time went on people in the middle eastern countries were able to adapt the concept of farming from other countries. All they had to do was plant food and take care of it until it grew and then you could harvest it and store it for longer periods of time. This concept was great for countries, they could use their animals to drag the plows, they could grow food to feed their families and it would be nutritious. Unfortunately for the people living in the fertile crescent one year a huge change in the climate occurred. The climate change took away all of the water and food that was once so plentiful. The fertile soil that produced amazing crops was ruined. Therefore, the people there had to migrate again.
        The transition from hunter-gatherers to farmers was a huge advancement in the world. Without the concept of farming there probably would not be as many people on earth as there are today, due to the lack of nutrition many people would have died. Farming is still used in the 21st century in many countries throughout the world. It is even still used in America, the most technologically advanced country in the world. The transition from hunting and gathering to farming was a very helpful idea that shaped the world to be the way it is to this day.