Nomadism/Pastoralism

Piotr wrote:
<< What requires an explanation is the transition (in relative rather than
absolute terms) from settled farming to transhumant pastoralism?>>

"ravichaudhary2000" <ravi9@...> asked:
<<Why would you expect to go from farming to nomadism? Is the other way not
more natural?>>

Not nomadism, but pastoralism. They are not equivalent. The latter relates
to herding livestock and presumes domesticated animals. Pre-neolithic
hunter/gatherers, often termed nomadic, would have pursued those nomadic ways
without either domesticated plants or animals (except for maybe the dog) with
which to produce food.

In Europe and western Asia, it looks pretty clear that agriculture and
"domestication technology" (selective breeding) using a variety of both
plants and animals, was locally adaptable and could take different forms
depending on the circumstances. To the extent that "nomadism" in the form of
transhumance helped with optimizing food production, it would have been a
logical strategy. I seem to recall very early evidence that domestic cattle
were herded along the same seasonal transhumant routes that were earlier
followed for thousands of years by wild cattle (auroch) herds along the north
slopes of the Alps. Of course, the same seasonal feeding patterns would have
worked for both. And may still be working today.

S. Long