The Domestication of Fire, Plants, Animals, and . . . Us

"The Domestication of Fire, Plants, Animals, and . . . Us"
The chapter begins by highlighting the profound impact of fire on hominids, using the example of a South African cave excavation to illustrate how fire provided warmth, light, and safety from nocturnal predators, potentially shifting the balance of power between humans and large cats. Fire is also seen as a precursor to the domus or hearth.

Key Domestications

• Fire
• Plants
• Animals
• Humans

The domestication of these elements concentrated food and population, a necessary precondition for state-making. This concentration meant people were "gathered" in substantial numbers with a reasonable expectation of not immediately starving. Each domestication significantly rearranged the natural world, vastly reducing the radius needed to obtain a meal.

The "Thin" Anthropocene

A "thin" Anthropocene began with the use of fire by Homo erectus roughly half a million years ago. This early Anthropocene extends through clearances for agriculture and grazing, resulting in:

• Deforestation
• Siltation

Its impact grew as the world's population increased.

Questioning the Agricultural Narrative

The significant increase in drudgery associated with fixed-field agriculture and animal husbandry seems paradoxical if foragers had access to productive environments with a range of wild foods. Why would foragers willingly choose such a labor-intensive lifestyle?

Conclusion

The text explores the fundamental transformations brought about by the domestication of fire, plants, and animals, arguing these processes reshaped the environment and paved the way for the later development of states by enabling population concentration. It hints at a more complex and perhaps less voluntary transition to agriculture than conventionally suggested.