Mapping the middle ground between foragers and farmers

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology • Vol/Iss. 65(1) • Elsevier Inc. • • Published In • Pages: 1-13 •
By Denham, Tim, Donohue, Mark

Hypothesis

Societies that subsist on root crops and arboriculture will rely less on farming than societies that subsist on cereals.

Note

The authors test this in an attempt to show that middle-ground societies are more common in areas that cultivate root crops and practice arboriculture. Note that this does not explain the prevalence of "middle-ground" societies in North America, where there is a heavy reliance on cereal crops (esp. maize).

Test

Test NameSupportSignificanceCoefficientTail
Chi squareSupportedp<.001UNKNOWNUNKNOWN

Variables

Variable NameVariable Type OCM Term(s)
Subsistence StrategyIndependentFood Quest, Diet
Farming PrevalenceDependentAnimal Husbandry, Tillage