User:Jbergoffen/sandbox

Zoonoses: A Perfect Epidemidogical Storm

In this chapter, Scott emphasizes the idea of Agro-Pastoralism- "ploughed fields and domestic animals." He argues as to why a hunter-gatherer, whom he believes has a relatively good and fulfilling life, would turn to this. Substance farming is mundane and contains more drudgery than the hunter and gatherer societies. He then asserts the reason as to why these societies transformed into agro-pastoral societies was due to coercion by the state. He cites an archaelogical site in Mesopatamia named Aba Hureyra. Scott states "the entire transition from hunting and gathering to full-blown agriculture can be traced, put it, 'No hunter-gatherers occupying a productive locality with a range of wild foods able to provide for all seasons are likely to have started cultivating their caloric staples willingly.' "

Agro-ecology of the Early State

Scott starts this chapter emphasizing the idea that the state takes credit where it does not befit it. Scott explains in this chapter how many 'achievements' attributed to the state are actually present before state formation. Scott states that "If civilization is judged an achievement of the state, and if archaic civilization means sedentism, farming, the domus, irrigation, and towns, then there is something radically wrong with the historical order. All of these human achievements of the Neolithic were in place well before we encounter anything like a state in Mesopotamia." He then goes on to explain that the idea of the 'first state' is hard to pinpoint because there are many times in history where civilizations follow state-like behavior, and archaelogical and historical evidence is hard to find. Scott then gives his definition of a state: "I propose to privilege those that point to territoriality and a specialized state apparatus: walls, tax collection, and officials." The Sumerian city of Uruk is cited as evidence of this being the first 'state' according to Scott. He cites that in Uruk, agroculture was a very difficult lifestyle to follow and required many people to be forced by the state to do this very hard labor, for instance, creating irrigation channels. As a result of this, "warfare between rival polities" was very prevalent during this period. Also, a new introduction of a staple food source allowed the state to heavily tax the people. Grains, especially wheat, became the best way to tax the people: "The cereal crops of the Old World, in this sense, preadapted for state making. The New World... has few if any determinate..." Grain also is more valuable per weight than other sources of food, and is much easier to transport.