Agriculture, Climate Change, and Cultural Development in Ancient China

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of the development of agriculture in prehistoric China, focusing on the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs. It explores the significance of millet cultivation and its spread across various regions, highlighting the challenges in determining its exact origins. T...Read More

Running head: ANTHROPOLOGY
Anthropology
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ANTHROPOLOGY
Introduction
The agricultural origins are the most important factors to be discussed in this paper. The
growth of agriculture has been dated at various times for various cultures. However, it must be
said that the development of agriculture began at North China in the prehistoric period. The
growth of millet was the main element of the agricultural growth in China (Richerson, Boyd &
Bettinger, 2001). China was one of the foremost countries to have proceeded with agricultural
items in their country with all the needed things like supply of water and saving the products for
the future. Therefore, it has always been very important to keep the human civilization alive in
these sections of the country. On the other hand, the cultural transmissions with other sections of
the country have also been noted in this context as well. This essay will look to discuss on all the
perspectives related to agriculture and cultural issues in both the Pleistocene and Holocene
epoch.
End of Pleistocene epoch
Pleistocene epoch is one of the most crucial historical times in the history of China
relating to their agricultural developments (Bonsall et al., 2015). The Pleistocene epoch in the
world existed around 2.6 million years ago in the Neolithic times. The situations of that time are
completely different from the modern times since the technology was not there at all. Amidst all
these issues, people wanted to grow the agrarian products to live safely. Though this period
occurred around 26 million years, it stayed till 11,700 years ago. Therefore, this age has covered
a long time within history and many changes must have taken place during this time also
(Richerson, Boyd & Bettinger, 2001). The origins of agriculture and its apread across various
countries is probably one of the most essential things of this time. This growth of agriculture had
also spread to the western countries also.

2ANTHROPOLOGY
The two types of millet that were used in this time were common millet and foxtail
millet. These types of agricultural products had actually been in the urban China during the 4500
BCE to 3800 BCE (Warden et al., 2017). Basically, the growth and development of this
agricultural factor was in the areas like South Asia, est Asia and Russia. There are certain
arguments that can be discussed in this context. Some problems have been found during the
Pleistocene epoch is regarding the transferring process of the common millet through Wel basin
(Richerson, Boyd & Bettinger, 2001). Some views have also proposed the fact that common
millet had been domesticated in some parts of Northern China.
Thus, the situation becomes quite complicated to decide the actual origin of millet all
around the world. Amidst these issues, it can also be affirmed that the presence of millet has also
been found in the European countries also (Crawford, 2009). Therefore, it becomes more
complicated. The historians have suggested that this crop might have beeb domesticated more
than once. This is the most valid reason as to why this crop could be found in these countries. It
is hard to tell how this crop millet had evolved in the countries. According to some of the
historians, it has been found that common millet could be found in the Liao river basin of the
Northeast China (Richerson, Boyd & Bettinger, 2001). So, the production and evolution of this
crop is definite to be traced during the Pleistocene age.
End of Holocene epoch
The Holocene epoch is the age that began after the ending of the Pleistocene epoch
11,700 years ago and it is still continuing. The developments of this age regarding crop
production are indeed very crucial. The growth of millet and its origin is yet to be confirmed
because the available data from experts of archaeology has not been able to prove this issue.

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Various opinions have only confused this matter all the more. The first agricultural community
in China is yet to be found out properly.
It must be noted that China is regarded as one of the oldest civilizations in the world and
it has contributed lots of things for the development of the human beings. The Cishan site in the
northern part of China is one of the oldest regions in the world where most people believe millet
domestication had originated. This region is also marked as one of the parts of the world where
dry land agriculture had begun.
Apart from that, this region belongs to Early Holocene times. Some crops had been
recovered by the archaeologists but it was not documented properly (Richerson, Boyd &
Bettinger, 2001). The dating of the origin of these crops are still not known properly as well. The
place to be kept under focus is Cishan which is located at the western edge of the northern
sections of China. This place is said to be only 9 km away from the Nanming river that emerged
from the Taihang Mountains (Crawford, 2009).
This proves the issue that the water supply from the Nanming river helped to grow the
crops properly. Cishan is regarded as a village of the Neolithic times in China (Guo et al., 2018).
The village is known to be very much famous for the rich pottery, plant, stone and assembly of
animal bone. Some critics believe that domestication of millet took place in this region at the
similar period when charcoal was found. (Richerson, Boyd & Bettinger, 2001). The radiocarbon
found in the pits of this region proves that this region was very old indeed. The secure dating will
be needed so the archaeologists can trace it properly in that region.

4ANTHROPOLOGY
Development of agriculture and other factors
The development of the agriculture is always seen as one o the major factors behind the
successful growth of agriculture in the country of China. They are one of the oldest civilizations
in the world and the human contribution of China for the global growth has always been huge
enough (Marceau & Myers, 2006). The ecological consequences have made major changes in the
scenario but it has contributed to the overall changes in the society.
The climate changes have catered largely to the agricultural development. The
Pleistocene age was that of an ice age and it was definite that agricultural development would be
very rare during this time (Zhang et al., 2018). Rather, it was in the Holocene age when the entire
scenario began to change and more crops began to grow according to the food habits of Chinese
people who lived then. The developments of agriculture in the Holocene climate have been
found in the recent times. The changes in agricultural patters are almost proportionate with the
changes in climate.
Therefore, it has become very important to know that the society in China has also
developed to a wide degree as well. In order to understand the changes in the agricultural
patterns, one must be aware about the botanical study index so they can guess the timeline of the
various trees and crops that will help to understand the scenario better (Marceau & Myers, 2006).
The agricultural origin in the early times in China depends on the production of millet and other
similar dry food products. Therefore, it is quite definite that China was one of the earliest
products of this time (Zhao et al., 2016).

5ANTHROPOLOGY
Human contribution
The climate of the Holocene epoch has always been one of the most unsolved mysteries
in the Chinese history of agriculture (Ma et al., 2016). Still most people have understood the fact
that it was almost impossible to grow the agriculture in the region without the proper help of the
human beings who lived during that time. The influence of the ecosystem and environmental
factors should be taken care about in this issue. The human beings of that period adjusted with
the shift of climate from the previous age of the prehistory. After they developed their food
habits and focused on growing crops like millet (Marceau & Myers, 2006).
The increase of the temperature was the main issue regarding the contribution of human
beings since the previous age was the ice age. In the recent times, many research projects have
been going in China and these research projects have shown the contribution of common people
to grow crops with the help of the water supply from Nanming River (Jia et al., 2016). There was
no technology during that time so it was very difficult for them as well. The rapid climate change
had taken place but human beings continued with their efforts to make the situation under their
control (Wu et al., 2018).
Conclusion
The conclusion of the paper can be drawn by saying that the climate change and
agricultural development were two most important facts for the early China in the prehistoric
period. The shift from the ice age to the present times has always been a difficult thing for the
society and human beings within it. This has really been a very challenging thing for the Chinese
people but they showed their skill o develop various agricultural products during that time

6ANTHROPOLOGY
including millet. The contribution of the society was added to the water supply from the
Nanming River in northern part of China.

7ANTHROPOLOGY
References
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