Agriculture and Trade: Seeds for Society Human society in the time before 11,000 BCE looked much the same regardless of location. All human’s shared the same never ending desire to satiate their hunger in the quest for food. Within the constraints of a hunter-gatherer lifestyle humanities penchant for diversity and ingenuity had little room for flourishment. With no permanent refuge and no place for storage besides your own person, only the essentials to life could be taken with you. Because of this, material possession was almost unheard; a person’s merit was judged by how well they hunted, not by how much they had. (Cole, 5) For civilization to develop, and for humanity to unleash the true power of the developed mind, radical change was
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The specialization that developed played a key role in shaping civilization. (Standage, 24) Craftsmen created pottery to store grain, giving birth to art. Religious leaders became needed to please the gods, assuring a good harvest. Administrators oversaw farming for the first leaders, who themselves came to power through the accumulation of wealth once impossible. Specialization led to another milestone in human development: trade. The marketplace became the hub of trade networks which allowed for the flow of ideas and culture between settlements. Soon, villages aligned with each other for security, forming cities and political structure. Political desire for an expansion of wealth and power through warfare gave way to the first city-states in Mesopotamia and …show more content…
Grain became a symbol of social status, a religious offering, and a sign of power. People flocked to cities such as Urek, which had flourished over smaller communities due to innovative farming techniques. (Cole, 8) Settlement’s that could produce more grain by means of innovation came into vast wealth, rising in building capability and infrastructure. In Sumer, bronze metalworking produced better weaponry, and the wheel allowed for plowing and transport. (Cole, 12) Monuments such as Urek’s great White Temple became a symbol of its wealth and power as a religious center attracting more immigrants. As population rose, the economic system became more complex, creating a need for a system to keep track of trade and events. The first writing systems were developed as a solution. From writing, the first historical records were written, and for the first time common law systems were written down. The first law systems showed these societies complexity and value of wealth, and the need to punish those who unjustly took it. Hammurabi’s Code gives us a glimpse at how serious even attempted theft was treated: “If any one break a hole into a house (break in to steal), he shall be put to death before that hole and be buried.” (Hammurabi’s Code, Law 21) Over the next millennium civilizations such as the Egyptians and Phoenicians would rise to become empires, influencing the foundation of
The specialization that developed played a key role in shaping civilization. (Standage, 24) Craftsmen created pottery to store grain, giving birth to art. Religious leaders became needed to please the gods, assuring a good harvest. Administrators oversaw farming for the first leaders, who themselves came to power through the accumulation of wealth once impossible. Specialization led to another milestone in human development: trade. The marketplace became the hub of trade networks which allowed for the flow of ideas and culture between settlements. Soon, villages aligned with each other for security, forming cities and political structure. Political desire for an expansion of wealth and power through warfare gave way to the first city-states in Mesopotamia and …show more content…
Grain became a symbol of social status, a religious offering, and a sign of power. People flocked to cities such as Urek, which had flourished over smaller communities due to innovative farming techniques. (Cole, 8) Settlement’s that could produce more grain by means of innovation came into vast wealth, rising in building capability and infrastructure. In Sumer, bronze metalworking produced better weaponry, and the wheel allowed for plowing and transport. (Cole, 12) Monuments such as Urek’s great White Temple became a symbol of its wealth and power as a religious center attracting more immigrants. As population rose, the economic system became more complex, creating a need for a system to keep track of trade and events. The first writing systems were developed as a solution. From writing, the first historical records were written, and for the first time common law systems were written down. The first law systems showed these societies complexity and value of wealth, and the need to punish those who unjustly took it. Hammurabi’s Code gives us a glimpse at how serious even attempted theft was treated: “If any one break a hole into a house (break in to steal), he shall be put to death before that hole and be buried.” (Hammurabi’s Code, Law 21) Over the next millennium civilizations such as the Egyptians and Phoenicians would rise to become empires, influencing the foundation of