Lecture

Origins of Domestication: Transition to Farming

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In course

AR-502: The origins of domestic space

The course is part of a three-year trajectory dedicated to a comprehensive history of domestic space. This year the course will be devoted to the origins of domestic space, from hunter-gatherer forms of life to the rise of private property. ...

Description

This lecture explores the origins of domestication, focusing on the transition from foraging to farming. It delves into early examples of domestic architecture, such as circular to rectangular structures found in various ancient settlements like Catal Hüyük and Jericho. The lecture discusses the Neolithic cultures of the Near East, including Natufian, Sultanian, Halafian, Hassuna, Samarra, and Ubaid. It also covers the use of fire in agriculture, the wetland thesis proposed by James C. Scott, and the challenges faced by early farmers. The instructor analyzes the shift towards sedentism and agriculture, emphasizing the impact of crowding, epidemics, and the cultivation of founder crops. Additionally, the lecture examines the reluctance of some societies to fully embrace farming and the significance of house forms in early settlements.

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Instructor

Pier Vittorio Aureli

Expertise Architecture, political theory, urban history Pier Vittorio Aureli (Rome, 1973) is an architect and educator. He studied at the Istituto di Architettura di Venezia (IUAV) and later at the Berlage Institute and TU Delft where he earned his PhD. Aureli currently teaches at the école Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne where he direct the Laboratory Theory and Project of Domestic space and teaches courses on History and Theories of Architecture. He has taught at the Architectural Association in London

Official source

Related concepts (32)

History of agriculture

Agriculture began independently in different parts of the globe, and included a diverse range of taxa. At least eleven separate regions of the Old and New World were involved as independent centers of origin. The development of agriculture about 12,000 years ago changed the way humans lived. They switched from nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyles to permanent settlements and farming. Wild grains were collected and eaten from at least 105,000 years ago. However, domestication did not occur until much later.

Organic farming

Organic farming, also known as ecological farming or biological farming, is an agricultural system that uses fertilizers of organic origin such as compost manure, green manure, and bone meal and places emphasis on techniques such as crop rotation and companion planting. It originated early in the 20th century in reaction to rapidly changing farming practices. Certified organic agriculture accounts for globally, with over half of that total in Australia. Organic farming continues to be developed by various organizations today.

Founder crops

The founder crops or primary domesticates are a group of flowering plants that were domesticated by early farming communities in Southwest Asia and went on to form the basis of agricultural economies across Eurasia. As originally defined by Daniel Zohary and Maria Hopf, they consisted of three cereals (emmer wheat, einkorn wheat, and barley), four pulses (lentil, pea, chickpea, and bitter vetch), and flax. Subsequent research has indicated that many other species could be considered founder crops.

Dryland farming

Dryland farming and dry farming encompass specific agricultural techniques for the non-irrigated cultivation of crops. Dryland farming is associated with drylands, areas characterized by a cool wet season (which charges the soil with virtually all the moisture that the crops will receive prior to harvest) followed by a warm dry season. They are also associated with arid conditions, areas prone to drought and those having scarce water resources.

Sustainable agriculture

Sustainable agriculture is farming in sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs. It can be based on an understanding of ecosystem services. There are many methods to increase the sustainability of agriculture. When developing agriculture within sustainable food systems, it is important to develop flexible business process and farming practices.

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