Most archaeologists are at least agreed that farming (together with the rest of the Neolithic toolkit of polished stone axes, knapped stone tools and pottery) was in parts of western Europe by around 5000 BC. And early farming spread because it had to. The first child of a farmer stands to inherit the parent’s land. For second and subsequent children, however, there is often no option but to leave home in search of virgin woodland that can be tamed, cleared and cultivated.
