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First Farmers: The Origins of Agricultural Societies
A wide-ranging and accessible introduction to the origins and histories of the first agricultural populations in many different parts of the world
This fully revised and updated second edition of First Farmers examines the origins of food production across the world and documents the expansions of agricultural populations from source regions during the past 12,000 years. It commences with the archaeological records from the multiple homelands of agriculture, and extends into discussions that draw on linguistic and genomic information about the human past, featuring new findings from the last ten years of research.
Through twelve chapters, the text examines the latest evidence and leading theories surrounding the early development of agricultural practices through data drawn from across the anthropological discipline--primarily archaeology, comparative linguistics, and biological anthropology--to present a cohesive history of early farmer migration. Founded on the author's insights from his research into the agricultural prehistory of East and Southeast Asia--one of the best focus areas for the teaching of prehistoric archaeology--this book offers an engaging account of how prehistoric humans settled new landscapes.
The second edition has been thoroughly updated with many new maps and illustrations that reflect the multidisciplinary knowledge of the present day. Authored by a leading scholar with wide-ranging experience across the fields of anthropology and archaeology, First Farmers, Second Edition includes information on:
The early farming dispersal hypothesis in current perspective, plus operational considerations regarding the origins and dispersals of agriculture The archaeological evidence for the origins and spreads of agriculture in the Eurasian, African and American continents The histories of the language families that spread with the first farming populations, and the evidence from biological anthropology and ancient DNA that underpins our modern knowledge of these migrations
Drawing evidence from across the sub-disciplines of anthropology to present a cohesive and exciting analysis of an important subject in the study of human population history, Farmers First, Second Edition is an important work of scholarship and an excellent introduction to multiple methods of anthropological and archaeological inquiry for the beginner student in prehistoric anthropology and archaeology, human migration, archaeology of East and Southeast Asia, agricultural history, comparative anthropology, and more disciplines across the anthropology curriculum.
This fully revised and updated second edition of First Farmers examines the origins of food production across the world and documents the expansions of agricultural populations from source regions during the past 12,000 years. It commences with the archaeological records from the multiple homelands of agriculture, and extends into discussions that draw on linguistic and genomic information about the human past, featuring new findings from the last ten years of research.
Through twelve chapters, the text examines the latest evidence and leading theories surrounding the early development of agricultural practices through data drawn from across the anthropological discipline--primarily archaeology, comparative linguistics, and biological anthropology--to present a cohesive history of early farmer migration. Founded on the author's insights from his research into the agricultural prehistory of East and Southeast Asia--one of the best focus areas for the teaching of prehistoric archaeology--this book offers an engaging account of how prehistoric humans settled new landscapes.
The second edition has been thoroughly updated with many new maps and illustrations that reflect the multidisciplinary knowledge of the present day. Authored by a leading scholar with wide-ranging experience across the fields of anthropology and archaeology, First Farmers, Second Edition includes information on:
The early farming dispersal hypothesis in current perspective, plus operational considerations regarding the origins and dispersals of agriculture The archaeological evidence for the origins and spreads of agriculture in the Eurasian, African and American continents The histories of the language families that spread with the first farming populations, and the evidence from biological anthropology and ancient DNA that underpins our modern knowledge of these migrations
Drawing evidence from across the sub-disciplines of anthropology to present a cohesive and exciting analysis of an important subject in the study of human population history, Farmers First, Second Edition is an important work of scholarship and an excellent introduction to multiple methods of anthropological and archaeological inquiry for the beginner student in prehistoric anthropology and archaeology, human migration, archaeology of East and Southeast Asia, agricultural history, comparative anthropology, and more disciplines across the anthropology curriculum.
352 pages, Paperback
First published November 16, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 16, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which is packed with an amazing amount of information. I would say, though, that it's geared toward those who are already fairly well-versed in archaeology to some degree. I didn't find it dry or boring, but rather it was incredibly well-researched and the author's arguments well-supported. It is rather encyclopedic in delivery, which is surprising given the book's length, but that is illustrative of the Bellwood's knowledge on the subject. On any given page, you can find at least 2 or 3 topics worthy of extensive further reading, yet this book proves self-sufficient in how it presents ancient civilization's spread across the earth; and he compares/contrasts the conditions, characters, and consequences related to the 5 main independent agricultural geneses.
One thing I appreciated about the book is that Bellwood has an Asian/Pacific island-view on history, and so I found it much more informative on those areas than the usual western emphasis on the Fertile Crescent. Some conclusions are controversial, such as his regarding the population of Madagascar's ancestry, but are nonetheless firmly planted in a sea of research and supporting data/opinions.
If you want an in-depth look at the origins of human civilization, this is a terrific choice. If you have no previous exposure to the subject, I wouldn't consider it a good introduction. That's not to say you have to be a PhD to understand it, because I'm not one and I got it just fine. But you have be kind of interested in the topic to begin with in order for the book not to seem "dry".
One thing I appreciated about the book is that Bellwood has an Asian/Pacific island-view on history, and so I found it much more informative on those areas than the usual western emphasis on the Fertile Crescent. Some conclusions are controversial, such as his regarding the population of Madagascar's ancestry, but are nonetheless firmly planted in a sea of research and supporting data/opinions.
If you want an in-depth look at the origins of human civilization, this is a terrific choice. If you have no previous exposure to the subject, I wouldn't consider it a good introduction. That's not to say you have to be a PhD to understand it, because I'm not one and I got it just fine. But you have be kind of interested in the topic to begin with in order for the book not to seem "dry".
February 3, 2018
Rất nhiều chi tiết chuyên môn, viết theo kiểu sách giáo khoa nên nếu người đọc không có giấy bút và kiến thức nền về khảo cổ và ngôn ngữ học so sánh thì đọc sẽ khó mà theo được. Đây là chủ đề yêu thích của mình nên hẳn là rất enjoy rồi. Khảo cổ và ngôn ngữ học so sánh là những bộ môn mà theo mình sẽ khá khiên cưỡng nếu áp dụng phương pháp luận khoa học, vì các dữ liệu luôn có sự không rõ ràng của nó và cũng có quá nhiều các tham số để mạnh dạn tin tưởng vào các công thức toán được phịa ra, tuy nhiên các quan điểm của tác giả thường trùng khớp với quan điểm của mình nên mình đánh giá rất cao LOL. Vì lượng thông tin quá nhiều và khá chi tiết nên đây không thể là cuốn sách mà người ta ngồi đọc một lèo được, mà cách tiếp cận nên là đọc một lèo cho biết rồi khi nào cần thì mở ra tham khảo lại. Nhìn chung là Bảo Thư đấy, nhất là khi bản dịch tiếng Việt in chỉ 500 bản. hehe.
December 17, 2014
Important and interesting, but ultimately this is a very difficult academic read. Which is a shame as the subject matter, and particularly the early chapters are fascinating.
Full review: http://resolutereader.blogspot.co.uk/...
Full review: http://resolutereader.blogspot.co.uk/...
November 24, 2013
Very technical, dry. Lots of interesting things but overly academic for my taste.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews