Some activities of the early farming man which were considered to be spectacular

ACTIVITIES OF THE EARLY FARMING MAN WHICH ARE CONSIDERED TO BE SPECTACULAR

Introduction

After the hunter-gatherer had given up his lifestyle, his major activities changed together with the shift. The shift from hunter-gathering to a settled lifestyle led to major changes in his activities, some of these were very outstanding and are discussed below.

Cultivation of crops

Living a settled life meant he did not wonder about, often, to gather food. Therefore, he had to cultivate his crops. One of the outstanding activities of the early farming man was the cultivation of crops. Some of these crops, he cultivated close to his abode and in some cases he had to cultivate them a little far away from the settlement.

Increased variety of crops cultivated

With time, the early farming man had developed the appetite for different kinds of foods. This compelled him to go into the cultivation of different kinds of crops. He farmed crops like rice, millet, barley, corn, wheat, cowpea, yam etc. This was a spectacular development because before this time, the early farming man had to go round to gather food and ate only what he could find for the day or what was available for the season.

Taming animals in the wild

When the hunter-gatherer started to settle down, one of the activities he scaled down was hunting and gathering. However, he still needed to provide the protein requirements of his family. Instead of going constantly into the forest to hunt for animals, the early farming man developed the art of domesticating the animals in the wild. This activity was also outstanding because it provided a constant source of protein needed by the family.

Production of domestic utensils

Settled life also called for the production of items to ease the chores around the home. There was the need for items to carry and to hold things, to cook food and to eat. This led to the development of pottery, basketry and other crafts. The early farming man made pots to cook food in and wove baskets to carry things to and fro. This clearly facilitated work around the house.

Fishing

Fishing was another outstanding activity of the early farming man. This activity was carried out around the coasts of Africa and in the in-lands where there were large water bodies to sustain fish-life. By this time, the early farming man had developed tools that aided him to fish. He had developed fish-hooks out of bones and these he used in fishing in the lakes, lagoons and in the Sea.

Trading

Trading was another outstanding activity of the early farming man. He could not produce all the things that he needed therefore he had to procure the rest. The early farming man had developed a simple method by which he exchanged some of his goods, which he had in excess, for the others he did not have at all. That was the beginning of barter trading.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

1. Outline six outstanding activities of the early farming man in Africa.