Nimrods, piscators, pluckers, and planters: The emergence of food production

Abstract

The central thesis of this article is that Mesolithic/Archaic technological innovations enabled some hunter/gatherers to create an abundant and stable resource base which could not be adversely affected by socioeconomic competition using food resources. In contrast to earlier hunter/gatherers, highly competitive individuals with accumulative personalities emerged in the new resource-rich communities, and they used the competitive feast as a means of developing, extending, and consolidating their power. It is in the context of these “accumulators” and the feasting complex that the first domesticates generally appear and diffuse most readily. This view stands in contrast to many models that posit domestication occurring in marginal hunting/gathering groups experiencing severe resource stress. The view of the first domesticates as prestige items used by accumulators to outclass their rivals explains the otherwise mystifying nature of many of the first domesticates, including dogs, gourds, chili peppers, and avocados.