BIG HISTORY 2

THRESHOLD SUMMARY

Collective Learning and Agriculture

Collective learning is a remarkable ability that distinguishes humans from other existent beings.
It is the ability to hand over information from one generation to the next. Interestingly, one may
own a smart dog; smart in the sense that this dog knows various tricks. But as the dog matures,
ages, and dies, the tricks which make him smart die with him. This human power paved the way
for progress to transpire. Take a close look at how agriculture allowed collective learning to
flourish; the same way collective learning contributed to many feats in agriculture, civilization,
human development, and the modern revolution. It led to what David Christian calls “energy
bonanza.” Here is a quick preview of this interesting threshold: Threshold 7 – Agriculture I Big
History Project Available via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwJ3CoeUKnQ

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BIG HISTORY 2
In the Paleolithic Period (roughly 2.5 million
years ago to 10,000 B.C.), early humans lived
in caves or simple huts or tepees and were
hunters and gatherers. They used basic
stone and bone tools, as well as crude stone
axes, for hunting birds and wild animals.
They relied heavily on what the environment
could give them. Therefore, once the
resources became scarce for a population
that was ever-increasing, they would decide
to move to another area where their needs
would be met. This lifestyle is basically
referred to as nomadic for it involves
continually searching for “greener pastures”
for them to survive. In the process, humans
were able to observe, predict, and analyze
the environment.
The Neolithic Age began around 12,000
years ago and ended as civilizations started
to rise around 3500 BCE. This time period is
sometimes referred to as the New Stone
Age. In this period, people worked in
agriculture, cultivating crops and
domesticating animals. Some people lived in
villages prior to the Neolithic Age, but this
age saw a widespread establishment of
cities. There was a shift from a nomadic
lifestyle to sedentary living.
Through this shift, families developed from
small groups or villages to as big as
communities and more complex societies.
The denser the population, the greater is the
need to sustain their needs. There is even a
greater need to learn, transmit, and develop
new ideas and methods.
Collective learning played a major role in this
development. Slowly, man emerged from
being manipulated by the environment
(extensification) to manipulating the
environment (intensification).
WORD RECALL:
Paleolithic Age
Neolithic Age
Nomadic
Sedentary
Extensification
Intensification
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BIG HISTORY 2
WHAT IS AGRICULTURE?
Agriculture is a combination of many things.
It can be associated with farming, planting,
livestock, crops, fishery, food, even source of
living. It is the science, art, and practice of
farming which includes, but is not limited to:
✓ Soil cultivation
✓ Crop production
✓ Animal or livestock rearing
✓ Marketing of resulting products
What is agriculture for Big History? Why is it
needed? How did it emerge? Agriculture for
Big History is not a single activity. It is
intended to allow man to “look for ways to
extract sources of energy in a given place”
rather than “to merely discover new sources
of energy from new environments.” It
discouraged constant migration for hunter-
gatherers instead, it allowed maximizing the
benefits in a given space. It is a series of
methods aimed to increase the resources
and energy to be used by humans.
Early humans survived by foraging for food,
moving from one place to another as the
seasons changed or resources were used up.
Then, in several locations at the same time
about 11,000 years ago, humans began to
farm. People stayed in one place to tend
crops. Populations exploded. Civilizations
formed and became diverse. Collective
learning accelerated. What was the
goldilocks condition for agriculture to
emerge? The warmer climate after the last
Ice Age which allowed plants and animal
species to adapt, grow, and reproduce. But
as population increased, this scenario also
entails human beings to compete with other
resources.
Neolithic Revolution
This important era is mainly characterized by
the following:
✓ Holocene epoch: increase in rainfall
which led to thick vegetation
✓ Agriculture as maximization of the
Sun’s energy
✓ Self-sufficiency amidst growing
population
✓ Collective learning and knowledge
As our ancestors relied on agriculture as a
way of life, they learned how to manipulate
the environment and develop more skills.
An important question to ask then is, How
did farming or agriculture contribute
towards the emergence and increase of
civilizations?
WORD RECALL:
Agriculture
Neolithic Age
Holocene Epoch
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