From Roaming to Residency—Part 1 of Big History

[I recently took an online course from the University of Amsterdam, titled “Big History, from the Big Bang to Today.” In this and the next three postings I will summarize a section of that course; looking at (1) the origin of humans settling down, (2) the rise of religion, (3) the creation of writing, and (4) the emergence of states.]

For something in excess of 95% of our existence as the species Homo sapiens we were hunter-gatherers. We lived in small bands of about a couple dozen individuals. Everybody was closely connected to everyone else—they had to be, in order to survive in a world in which they were far from the apex species. 

They had few possessions, which fit appropriately with a lifestyle that saw them roaming from one place to another, as seasonal changes brought variations in food supplies. When resources periodically dwindled, a hunter-gatherer band would migrate to new environs—quite likely to return when food and water once again were at hand. This is how our ancestors lived, for 200-300 thousand years.

Just some 12-15 thousand years ago humans began to cultivate crops and practice animal husbandry. As they gradually settled into sedentary communities, they morphed from roamers to residents. This transition brought about a profound change in human groups, as they grew in size from small bands into larger and more complex societies.

They needed to remain near their food sources, to protect them and their livestock from intruders. In their new residential lifestyle, with more reliable food sources, their group sizes continued to grow. Hamlets and villages of several dozen people were formed around their cultivated plots. They also began to acquire more possessions.

As the size of groups continued to grow, people no longer were as closely connected as before. Societies morphed from simple to complex—calling for new ways to establish order and trust within them. Another change was an increasing growth of specialization. Whereas before, each person was a generalist—either a hunter or a gatherer—there were now a growing number of specialty vocations: planters, harvesters, craftsmen, animal tenders, social leaders, etc. It was natural for a chain of command to develop, as some individuals took on leadership positions. Eventually, leadership evolved into seeking positions of power. 

Being wedded to their lands, the early agriculturists found their property became attractive targets for others. Hamlets and towns became fortified, for protection of their property. In the previous hunter-gatherer culture, there was less to fight over, and a small band would be more inclined to move elsewhere when threatened with aggression. For agriculturists, however, their societies transformed into a condition of ongoing warfare to protect their property—interrupted by occasional periods of peace. Conflict had become the default human condition.

Next time: this transition from roamers to residents will be considered from the standpoint of the rise of religion and hierarchy in human societies…