It used to be thought that the "natural
way" was from savage through barbarian to civilised, the nomad being
regarded as something between the hunter-gatherer and the agriculturalist
in the natural order of things. Actually, nomadic pastoralism is a highly
specialised mode of subsistence which appeared fairly late in history. Classic
mounted nomadism developed during the first millennium BC and its
historical heyday in Central Asia is a still more recent affair (culminating
after AD 1000). It derived from farming cultures (in which livestock became more
important than other elements) and has always been dependent on trading contacts
or symbiotic relations with agricultural societies. However, I wasn't talking of
"Reiternomadismus" but rather of semi-nomadic transhumant herding, combined with
some complementary resources (including plough agriculture on a limited scale).
The line between that and "sedentary farming" is thinly drawn and easy to
cross.
Piotr
Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 9:39 PM
Subject: [tied] Re: Why India?
Why would you expect to go from farming to nomadism ? Is
the other
way not more natural ?