A Companion to Ancient Agriculture (Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World)

The first book-length overview of agricultural development in the ancient world A Companion to Ancient Agriculture is an authoritative overview of the history and development of agriculture in the ancient world. Focusing primarily on the Near East and Mediterranean regions, this unique text explores the cultivation of the soil and rearing of animals through centuries of human civilization—from the Neolithic beginnings of agriculture to Late Antiquity. Chapters written by the leading scholars in their fields present a multidisciplinary examination of the agricultural methods and influences that have enabled humans to survive and prosper. Consisting of thirty-one chapters, the Companion presents essays on a range of topics that include economic-political, anthropological, zooarchaeological, ethnobotanical, and archaeobotanical investigation of ancient agriculture. Chronologically-organized chapters offer in-depth discussions of agriculture in Bronze Age Egypt and Mesopotamia, Hellenistic Greece and Imperial Rome, Iran and Central Asia, and other regions. Sections on comparative agricultural history discuss agriculture in the Indian subcontinent and prehistoric China while an insightful concluding section helps readers understand ancient agriculture from a modern perspective. Fills the need for a full-length biophysical and social overview of ancient agriculture Provides clear accounts of the current state of research written by experts in their respective areas Places ancient Mediterranean agriculture in conversation with contemporary practice in Eastern and Southern Asia Includes coverage of analysis of stable isotopes in ancient agricultural cultivation Offers plentiful illustrations, references, case studies, and further reading suggestions A Companion to Ancient Agriculture is a much-needed resource for advanced students, instructors, scholars, and researchers in fields such as agricultural history, ancient economics, and in broader disciplines including classics, archaeology, and ancient history. Cover Title Page Copyright Page Contents Acknowledgments Contributor Biographies CHAPTER ONE Introduction Structure of the Volume The Trajectory of Ancient Agricultural History References Part I Plants & Animals CHAPTER TWO Paleoethnobotany and Ancient Agriculture Introduction A Brief History of the Paleoethnobotanical Investigation of Ancient Agriculture Major Varieties of Paleoethnobotanical Data Related to Agriculture The Collection of Archaeological Plant Remains Putting Paleoethnobotanical Data to Work Conclusions and Future Directions Further Reading References CHAPTER THREE Zooarchaeology Introduction Zooarchaeological Methods Zooarchaeological Applications Conclusions Further Reading References CHAPTER FOUR Stable Isotopes in Ancient Agriculture Introduction Stable Isotopes Relevant to the Investigation of Ancient Agriculture Natural and Anthropogenic Determinants in Ancient Agriculture Conclusions Suggested Reading References CHAPTER FIVE Agricultural Plants in the Ancient Mediterranean The Importance of Agricultural Plants to the Greeks and Romans Sources of Information and Related Questions Geography, Climate‚ and Soil in the Mediterranean Grain Grapevines Olive Trees Other Important Plants Plants with Specialized Uses Plants Used for Fiber and Oil Animal Fodder Religious Practices Associated with Fertility or the Agricultural Calendar Conclusion Acknowledgments Further Reading References CHAPTER SIX Animals: The Major Domesticates Sources of Evidence Near East Ancient Egypt Bronze and Iron Age Europe Bronze Age Aegean world Greek and Roman Antiquity Conclusion Guide to Further Reading References Part II The Neolithic CHAPTER SEVEN The Beginnings of Agriculture Introduction Historiographical Review of Theory Archaeological Data Conclusions Further Reading References Part III The Bronze Age CHAPTER EIGHT Agriculture in Bronze Age Mesopotamia Geography and Climate Sources Crops Animal Husbandry Cultivation Techniques and the Agricultural Calendar Agriculture and Society The Development of the Agrarian Regime in Southern Mesopotamia The Development of the Agrarian Regime in Northern Mesopotamia Open Questions and Future Avenues of Research Further Reading References CHAPTER NINE Egyptian Agriculture in the Bronze Age: Peasants, Landlords‚ and Institutions Introduction Environmental Conditions and Physical Setting Crops and the Agricultural Cycle Technical Aspects and Animal Use The Transformations of Institutional Agriculture Over Time Current Debates and Avenues for Future Investigation Further Reading References CHAPTER TEN Agriculture in the Bronze Age Levant Archaeological and Textual Evidence Geography and Climate The Major Crop and Animal Species Agricultural Calendar Development of Agriculture Throughout the Bronze Age Perspectives for Future Research GUIDE TO Further Reading References CHAPTER ELEVEN Agriculture in the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age of Asia Minor Introduction The Cultural Sequence Geography, Climate‚ and Vegetation Cultivated Plants Animals Husbanded Wild Plant and Animal Exploitation Tools and Technology The Agricultural Calendar Organization, Scale‚ and Management of Agropastoral Systems Future Research Further Reading References CHAPTER TWELVE Bronze Age Europe: Revolutions in Agricultural Adaptation Aegean Greece Mediterranean Southwestern Europe Eastern Europe Continental Lowlands and Alpine Europe Atlantic Europe Scandinavia Conclusions Suggestions for Further Reading References Part IV From the Early Iron Age to Late Antiquity (300s ce) CHAPTER THIRTEEN Greece and Anatolia, 1200–500 bce Introduction The Technological System Territories and the Environment Economic and Social Perspectives Further Reading References CHAPTER FOURTEEN Agriculture in Greece and Coastal Anatolia, 500–100 bce* Introduction Agriculture and Landscapes From Landscape to Parcel, from Parcel to Settlement Agriculture in Context: Socioeconomic Aspects The Polis and Agriculture The Dynamics of Agriculture Conclusion Abbreviations Further Reading References CHAPTER FIFTEEN Agriculture in Magna Graecia (Iron Age to Hellenistic Period) Introduction Region, Geography, and Climate Textual and Material Sources Plants Cultivated Animal Husbandry Agricultural Practices Rural Settlement Patterns Cultural, Economic, and Political Expressions Conclusion Avenues for Further Investigation Acknowledgments Further Reading References CHAPTER SIXTEEN Agriculture in the Hellenistic Kingdoms Ptolemaic Egypt The Seleukid Kingdom Land Management Tools and Equipment Animal Husbandry Guide to Further Reading References CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Adapting to a Diverse Landscape: Agriculture in Hellenistic and Roman Anatolia The Geography of Anatolia Agrarian Land Use Land Management Agricultural Tools and Equipment Divine Protection Concluding Comments Guide to Further Reading References CHAPTER EIGHTEEN Agriculture on the Shores of the Black Sea Introduction Geography and Climate Archaeological, Textual, Epigraphical, and Numismatic Evidence Crops Cultivated Animal Husbandry Agricultural Practices Land Use and Settlement Patterns Pontus and the Roman World Acknowledgments Further Reading References CHAPTER NINETEEN Agriculture in Iron Age and Archaic Italy Introduction Agricultural Origins and Developments in Peninsular Italy from the Neolithic to the Iron Age Farming in Central Italy During the Iron Age and the Archaic Period Demographic Growth, Urbanization Processes‚ and Agriculture Important Debates and Avenues for Future Investigation Further Reading References CHAPTER TWENTY Agriculture in Republican Italy Introduction The Archaeological and Textual Evidence Geography and Climate Major Crops Livestock Breeding The Agricultural Calendar Tools and Technology Political, Social, and Cultural Aspects of Agriculture Changes in the Practice of Agriculture Avenues for Future Investigation Guide to Further Reading Bibliography CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE Agriculture in Imperial Italy Introduction The Textual Evidence The Archaeological Evidence The Crops of Italy and Animal Husbandry Agricultural Tools and Technological Innovation Landownership and Its Transformations Important Debates and Avenues for Future Investigations Acknowledgment Further Reading References CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO Agriculture in Roman Gaul* Infrastructure: Structuring the rural landscape, Settlement, Forms of Rural Building, and Field System Agrarian Techniques and Tools Land Improvement and Soil Amendment Plowing Techniques Sowing Harvesting Treatments after Harvest Storage and Preservation Mills and Milling Rural Production: Agriculture Rural Productions: Animal Husbandry Other Rural Activities? Conclusion: Integrated Agriculture Further Reading References CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE Agriculture in Roman Iberia Development of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry During the Neolithic New Species: The Impact of Colonial Contacts Restructuring of Rural Landscape in Second–First Centuries bce Conclusions Further Reading References CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR Agriculture in Roman North Africa Geographical Considerations Mediterranean Agriculture Irrigation Investment in Agriculture Agricultural Labor Conclusion Further Reading References CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE Agriculture in Roman Egypt Introduction: Preparing the Soil Environment and Landscape Evidence Population and the Cultivated Area Land Tenure and Taxation Crops and Diet Managing Nature Conclusion: Looking Ahead Further Reading References CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX Agriculture in Iron Age Mesopotamia Introduction Geography Archaeology Texts Flora Fauna The Agricultural Calendar Technology Major Aspects of Agriculture Changes in the Practice of Agriculture Debates and Trends Guide to Further Reading References CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN Iran and Central Asia in the Achaemenid and Hellenistic Periods Farming and Water Management in Central Asia Agriculture in the Bactrian Aramaic Documents Agriculture and Pastoralism in the Zagros The Macedonian Conquest Comparative Ethnographic Approaches Further Reading References Part V Comparative Agricultural History CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT Ancient Agriculture in the Indian Subcontinent: The Archaeobotanical Evidence Introduction Geography and Environment Neolithic/Chalcolithic Culture-Historic Divisions Archaeological and Archaeobotanical Profiles of the Food-Producing Cultures Early Holocene Culture-Historic Trajectories Mid- to Early Late Holocene Culture-Historic Trajectories Discussion: The Role of Water in Sedentation and Adoption of Agriculture Conclusion Acknowledgments Further Reading References CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE Trajectories of Agricultural Development in Prehistoric China: From the Beginning of Crop Cultivation to the Period of Agricultural Intensification (c. 10 000–3000 BP) Introduction Origins of and Transitions to Agriculture: Protracted Process and Remaining Mysteries Middle Neolithic Agricultural Villages: Yangshao and Majiabang Agricultural Intensification and Emergence of Early Complex Societies during the Late Neolithic Bronze Age Agriculture: A Short Summary Conclusions Further Reading References CHAPTER THIRTY Late Antique Farming Introduction Evidence Plants Cultivated Animals Agricultural Calendar Tools and Technology Social Changes and Agriculture Changes in the Practice of Agriculture During Late Antiquity Important Debates and Avenues for Future Investigation Further Reading References Part VI CONCLUSION CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE Common Ground: Understanding Ancient Agriculture from the Perspective of the Modern References Index EULA "In 1970, introducing his Roman Farming, K.D. White justly lamented the lack of attention being paid to Greco-Roman agriculture. Nearly fifty years later, he would presumably be quite pleased with how the field has developed. Beginning in the 1970s (and no doubt in part due to White's own work) there has been steady growth in the number of monographs and articles on aspects of Greek and Roman agriculture as well as new commentaries on, and translations of, the most important ancient texts. Furthermore, instead of a largely text-driven approach, ancient agricultural history now employs an array of archaeological evidence (e.g., botanical and faunal remains) and methodologies (e.g., field survey, isotopic analysis). Students of the agricultural history of ancient Italy, to cite one regional example, now have new editions, translations, and commentaries on the fundamental literary texts (e.g., Goujard 1975 for Cato's De agricultura and Heurgon 1978 on Varro's Res rusticae), monographs, edited volumes, and articles putting those writers' works and lives into the broader context of Republican history (e.g., Reay 2005 and many of the chapters in Becker and Terrenato 2012) and literature (e.g., Kronenberg 2009). Archaeologists have published the results of fields surveys, new excavations of rural sites (including exciting recent work on small, non-elite sites by the Roman Peasant Project, Ghisleni et al. 2011), a synthesis of the survey data (Laurano 2011), a catalogue of the villas in central Italy (Marzano 2007), and important overviews (e.g., Forni and Marcone 2002). In the Greek world, archaeological survey in particular has spawned a generation of multidiciplinary studies on the interactions between lanscape and people, between rural and urban (Halstead and Frederick 2000; Adam-Veleni, Poulaki and Tzanavari 2003; Alcock and Cherry 2004; Bresson 2016). What accounts for this astonishing development in what many outsiders probably regard as a fairly dry subject? Undoubtedly one cause is the increased interest in the ancient economy. Since ancient economies were overwhelmingly agricultural, the farming sector demands serious attention. Environmental and demographic research as well as growing interest in foodways have also prompted more work on rural life in antiquity. Efforts to better estimate the population of Roman Italy have led, for example, to interest in the land's carrying capacity and thus more attention to issues of agricultural yields (on modeling Roman production, see Goodchild 2013; for Seleukid Mesopotamia, see Jursa 2010). The need to take stock of all these developments inspired us to develop this Companion which we hope offers an entrée into a field now so rich in research as to be perhaps somewhat intimidating"-- Provided by publisher **The first book-length overview of agricultural development in the ancient world** __A Companion to Ancient Agriculture__ is an authoritative overview of the history and development of agriculture in the ancient world. Focusing primarily on the Near East and Mediterranean regions, this unique text explores the cultivation of the soil and rearing of animals through centuries of human civilization—from the Neolithic beginnings of agriculture to Late Antiquity. Chapters written by the leading scholars in their fields present a multidisciplinary examination of the agricultural methods and influences that have enabled humans to survive and prosper. Consisting of thirty-one chapters, the __Companion__ presents essays on a range of topics that include economic-political, anthropological, zooarchaeological, ethnobotanical, and archaeobotanical investigation of ancient agriculture. Chronologically-organized chapters offer in-depth discussions of agriculture in Bronze Age Egypt and Mesopotamia, Hellenistic Greece and Imperial Rome, Iran and Central Asia, and other regions. Sections on comparative agricultural history discuss agriculture in the Indian subcontinent and prehistoric China while an insightful concluding section helps readers understand ancient agriculture from a modern perspective. * Fills the need for a full-length biophysical and social overview of ancient agriculture * Provides clear accounts of the current state of research written by experts in their respective areas * Places ancient Mediterranean agriculture in conversation with contemporary practice in Eastern and Southern Asia * Includes coverage of analysis of stable isotopes in ancient agricultural cultivation * Offers plentiful illustrations, references, case studies, and further reading suggestions