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| The Yanomami of Brazil and Venezuela are modern horticulturalists. (Image Source: Survival International) |
There are various types of modes of subsistence, or means of producing, procuring, and distributing food, that human groups can utilize. Yehudi Cohen identified five types, which include foraging, horticulture, pastoralism, agriculture, and industrialism. These were ranked by complexity, with foraging being considered the simplest and industrialism the most complex, but each mode of subsistence has its own levels of complexities. Today's blog post will discuss the second level on Cohen's typology: horticultural societies.
Horticulture is a non-intensive cultivation technique that requires the use of simple tools that developed around 12,000 years ago when domestication of plants and animals began. Horticulture is also referred to as slash-and-burn or swidden agriculture. It is considered the foundations of agricultural production, but it is not the same. There are key differences, including the cyclical and non-continuous use of crop land that characterizes horticulture. Land is typically cleared through burning the native vegetation to provide nutrients to the soil, and then the land is cultivated and harvested over a one to two year period before being abandoned due to the land no longer being usable. Horticultural practices are very labor intensive and produce small harvests. As such, there is a high likelihood of crop failure, which fuels inter-village and small-scale raiding. These initiatives are often led by a village head or big man, who acts as an informal leader of the group.
There are two types of horticulturalists: those who remain completely sedentary and those who are semi-mobile. For the former horticulturalists travel further and further each year to their horticultural fields, whereas the latter will move their villages closer and closer to the fields as they move. In either case horticulturalists are considered largely sedentary who live in small tribal societies. These groups are largely organized by descent-group membership, which is in part why no formal governments or social classes exist in these societies. There are the foundations for social stratification present in these societies as prestige is based on ability, age, gender, and personal traits or abilities, which define importance for certain individuals.
Bibliography
Gezon, L., & Kottak, C. (2014). Cultural Anthropology McGraw-Hill
Welsch, R.L. & L.A. Vivanco. (2015). Cultural Anthropology: Asking Questions About Humanity. Oxford University Press.
19 comments:
I had never heard of horticulturalists until reading this article, and that there are two types, one that basically travels closer and another that basically travels further away.
Aaliyah, we went over this information in class. This blog post is meant to be a supplement to the information you learned in class and your textbook.
I’m pretty sure your lecture went over all this and more unless I heard about this way farming before I read this article but I wonder why we can’t teach these guys a different way of farming to make it easier for them. Is it because we want them to keep their culture or something like that? We don’t have to force it onto them but just introduce it to them and if they like it then it can make their lives a lot easier for them.
Typically, the reason for why any culture does not change its mode of subsistence is due to environment. If the environment does not allow it then a different mode of subsistence cannot and will not be used.
I remember going over this in class and I remember you saying that they don't change their way because they feel comfortable doing this and they are doing what their surrounding environment allows them to do.
Still not quite sure whether or not I agree with Horticulture. I'm not sure why they continue to practice such if the labor required is not equivalent to the ending results.
I see where they are coming form in this article but am still a little shaky on the concept. Although i have heard of the slash and burn technique of agriculture and i did completely understand the purpose of it it was another element that i was a little shaky on as well.
I've heard of farmers burning the fields and starting anew again but I never really thought of it as a cultural thing I assumed that most farmers just naturally did it as a method of farming.
I've never heard of the horticulturalists prior to reading this article. But to my understanding there are 2 types of horticulturalists, those who remain completely sedentary and those who are semi-mobile.
I cant remember if we talked about this in class but its very interesting. like why cant it be different ways of farming, why do they have to do it that way?
Large scale agriculture can only occur in specific climatic conditions and with specific types of plants. If you lack either then you cannot complete agriculture and therefore must perform horticulture, which is similar but more environmentally negative.
I've heard of horticulturalists before in my history class. I did not know that there were two types of horticulturalists. Very interesting blog about horticulturalists.
-Daisha Benton
I found this interesting because I was raised with my grandpa growing a garden. The only thing I am aware of that he did was tilling the garden each year and then plating crops, and then soon plating crops above ground in tires. Maybe because the soil did not have enough nutrients in it anymore as why other farmers move to new land.
I did not know that there were two types of horticulturalists. Very interesting blog about horticulturalists. Interesting blog post
This blog was very interesting. I was unaware that there are two kinds of horticulturalist. It is no neat that there is no government or social groups within this culture. It makes me wonder how they implement their ways of living. I know it says they will base it off of age, gender, and ability, but i still question how they rate that to make big decisions. Definitely something I would like to learn more about.
Kahla Perry
My name is Tonii Saffore. So from my understanding horticulture is a tool in which farmers use when they can not perform agriculture. So basically its a plan b that doesn't help the farmer in the long run. Very interesting, I never heard of an alternate farming tool.
This is interesting. I have never heard of horticulture before reading this blog. There are two types that I learned about as well.
So I thought when farmers burn their farm they do it to start over because of some type of bug problem eating their crop I didn't know some practice this as part of their culture.
Christopher MCFadden
I had heard of horticulture before, but didn't understand what it was. I now realize it is a non-intensive cultivation technique which can be done by being sedentary or by being semi-mobile.
Elaine christopher
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