HOW AND WHEN WAS THE DISCOVERY OF AGRICULTURE? - HISTORY - 2025

The discovery of agriculture occurred 12,000 years before Christ, which allowed an evolution in society and in the daily life of human beings, since it consists of the complete supply of food.

In addition, the communities developed thanks to the crops, generating profits to meet the demands for food. In the Stone Age, humans engaged in hunting and gathering activities.

Food shortages forced them to fight to preserve their existence, although in the same period hunters and gatherers experimented with planting by accident, and seeing that it could be useful, they carefully selected seeds and scattered them near their caverns.

This is how they noticed the growth of plants, but they only did it eventually, since it was more laborious and they had to have knowledge to work the land.

The discovery of agriculture, occurred in the Neolithic Revolution and began between 9000 -8000 BC Although it developed independently in each of the continents on different dates, three territories stood out in agriculture: the Middle East, the northwest of China, central and southern America.

The agricultural development was based on experimentation, the first cultivated plants were wild seeds and tests were carried out on the cultivation of wheat cereals, barley, peas, lentils and legumes. 8,000 years later, part of the population made their living by farming.

The objective of agriculture was to cover the food needs of the farmer, the lands were cultivated through the specialized knowledge of planting and harvesting together with human and animal power.

Pioneer territories in the development of agriculture

1. Middle East

This region acquired agriculture as a science. Due to climatic changes, the migration of animals arose, leaving fewer and fewer humans in charge of some tasks, and from that moment the agricultural movement began.

The population settled in the valley and lived from agriculture, the ancient Egyptians cultivated cereals, barley, wheat and other types of grains that were used to make bread and beer.

Fruits and vegetables were grown in the gardens around the villages, and the vegetables harvested included garlic, squash, legumes, melon, as well as grapes to make wine.

As well as obtaining food for human consumption and sustenance, the Egyptians traded with sacks of grain, in a barter system that represented money.

2. China

It had its origins in traditional agriculture that focused on the cultivation of rice, which was discovered and used between 6,200 and 11,500 BC, and cultivated mainly to meet their most basic food needs.

Ancient rice fields reveal cultivation techniques such as pest control, fire, flooding, and irrigation systems. Rice cultivation spread throughout South and Southeast Asia.

Asians applied tools and procedures that other countries used, which helped them improve rice fields, allowing growers to harvest multiple crops in a single planting cycle.

3. Europe

Agriculture in Europe was based on the sowing of wheat. The priests spread throughout the continent, and dedicated themselves to growing corn crops and repopulating forests.

In the same way, they transported numerous loads of crops throughout Europe. In addition, they began to plant sugar cane through the slaves who worked as farmers.

As the Romans expanded their empire, they implemented better skills for farmers, drawing knowledge and planting methods from the peoples they invaded. They also wrote pointers on the agriculture they adopted in Africa and Asia.

The conquerors brought various vegetables and greens from China to Europe; They introduced coffee and tea from America, they took corn, peanuts, tobacco, tomatoes and potatoes, among other agricultural products. Notably, some of these foods became his daily dishes.

4. Africa

Agriculture in Africa was established in the Sahara desert in 5,200 BC, when there was more water and fewer people.

Some of the main crops found were: oil palm, sorghum grain, coffee, African rice, millet and cowpea, spreading throughout West Africa.

The immense lands made it possible to facilitate the work of the crops, but the lack of nutrients in the soil and the scarcity of water made agriculture impossible. The Portuguese were the main exporters of African products.

Europeans implemented methods to improve the quality of crops, adopting seed cultures such as peanuts, cotton, and watermelons.

They began to plant independently, achieving the cultivation of African yams, and at the same time, agriculture helped the economic strengthening of large cities and the trade of the villages.

The African farmer was elementary, he had no knowledge about compost, plowing and other farming methods. They grew sorghum, one of the most important grains in the world. This type of cultivation occurs in dry lands and the temperature of the African desert is appropriate.

5. America

In North America, the first corn plantations were made by Native Americans 6,000 years ago. They also planted various varieties of sunflowers, pumpkins, cocoa, tobacco, and vegetables.

At the same time, they grew strawberries and grapes; Likewise, Native Americans worked in forest gardening, medicinal plantations, and bean crops that generated nitrogen in the soil, benefiting other plantations.

The farmers of the American cornfields worked in all the seasons of the year; When there were no corn crops, they worked with the rest of the crops.

They used a tool with a steel edge, which they cut with precision, achieving a perfect size to achieve their purposes in planting.

Native Americans cultivated plots by hand, with the help of these iron axes to dig and prepare the land.

With the passing of time the indigenous people began to evolve in storage, creating clay containers to keep food fresh in times of scarcity.

References

1. The Development of Agriculture: genographic.nationalgeographic.com
2. George Ordish. Origins of Agriculture. Source: britannica.com
3. Rochelle Forrester. The Discovery of Agriculture. (2002). Source: homepages.paradise.net.nz
4. Beginnings of agriculture and livestock: mihistoriauniversal.com
5. Robert Guisepi. Agriculture And The Origins Of Civilization. Source: history-world.org