| Hunting &Gathering | Agriculture | |
|---|---|---|
| small bands (25-250), semi-nomadic existence | sedentism, expanding population | |
| seasonal migration | permanent living sites | |
| wide variety of food sources (typically 350 plant varieties) | replaces diversity with monoculture | |
| exploits territory extensively | exploits intensively | |
| security through diversity | security through specialization | |
| small (portable) tool kit | tool kit, technology expands exponentially |
| Hunting &Gathering | Agriculture | |
|---|---|---|
| communal life | private life, property increasing | |
| little specialization in social or economic roles | social and economic specialization | |
| gender roles (?) | gender-specific roles | |
| relatively egalitarian | social hierarchy emerges | |
| cultural/technical information is widely diffused | cultural/technical information expands and becomes a form of property | |
| custom, tradition rule | coercion becomes necessary |