Correct Answer: hunting and gathering.
the question focuses on the common forms of food production among early human societies by around 12,000 b.c.e., a time when modern humans had dispersed across all inhabitable continents. the answer to this question is "hunting and gathering," which was universally practiced among early humans during this period. this form of subsistence involved foraging for wild plants and hunting wild animals, which was a practical approach to survival before the advent of agriculture.
hunting and gathering is considered the oldest form of human food production. by 12,000 b.c.e., all human societies, regardless of their location, relied on these methods for their daily sustenance. this was primarily because agriculture had not yet been developed, and resources were harvested directly from nature. being nomadic or semi-nomadic, these groups moved within their environment following the availability of food resources through different seasons.
in contrast, other forms of food production such as nomadic pastoralism and agriculture, including the cultivation of crops like rice, maize, and beans, emerged much later. for instance, rice farming began around 5000 b.c.e. in china, indicating a significant advance in agricultural practices but well after the era in question. similarly, maize and bean farming, which became prevalent in central and south america, also started around the same period as rice.
nomadic pastoralism, which involves the rearing and herding of domesticated animals such as cows, sheep, and goats, also developed post 5000 b.c.e. this form of food production depended on the domestication of animals, which was a result of gradual evolution in human societies towards settled agriculture.
therefore, during the period of 12,000 b.c.e., the only form of food production that was common across all human societies globally was hunting and gathering. this method not only provided a direct means to access food but also shaped the migratory patterns of groups, influencing their social structures and interactions with the environment. this foundational mode of subsistence set the stage for the later development of more complex food production techniques as human societies continued to evolve and adapt to their changing surroundings.
|