The Origin and Development of Agriculture – The First Economic Revolution
Gia Kvashilava
PhD in Economics, Prof. Caucasus International University, President of the Academy of Phasis, Academician of the Tskhum-Abkhazian Academy of Sciences,
Abstract
This study examines the economic and technological transformations from the Upper Paleolithic to the Neolithic period, focusing on the Near East, the South Caucasus, and North Africa. Climate change and the depletion of natural resources compelled hunter-gatherer societies to reconsider their subsistence strategies, fostering the gradual development of agricultural and pastoral practices. The Neolithic era saw the cultivation of wild plants, the domestication of animals, and the division of labor by gender and profession, laying the foundation for organized agriculture.
The research demonstrates that climate fluctuations, resource scarcity, and ecological dynamics significantly accelerated the transition from subsistence (extractive) economies to productive economies. It analyzes the mechanisms by which hunter-gatherer societies gradually adopted plant cultivation and animal domestication, ultimately leading to the establishment and development of agricultural systems. The advancement of economic production resulted in labor specialization, the emergence of permanent settlements, the formation of agricultural systems, and the introduction of barter exchange. Furthermore, technological innovations played a crucial role in expanding economic interactions.
This study pays particular attention to the economic formation of the period – the establishment of productive economies, which formed the basis of the so-called “Neolithic Revolution”, or the first economic revolution. The research is based on archaeological, historical, and economic materials that illustrate how human livelihoods evolved in response to environmental conditions, the advent of agricultural activities, the organization of labor, and the development of social structures. Additionally, it explores the formation of early farming communities and their impact on social structures, labor organization, and cultural development. The study highlights how economic transformations during the Neolithic period played a fundamental role in the rise of civilization, ultimately leading to the emergence of early states, cities, and advanced technologies.
The paper describes the formation of early agriculture and animal husbandry, the structural development of agrarian society, and economic system transformations in the South Caucasus, particularly in the territory of Georgia, from the 6th–5th millennium BCE to the mid-2nd millennium BCE. During the Shulaveri-Shomu culture (6th–5th millennium BCE), the region’s inhabitants actively engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry, as evidenced by archaeological findings – cultivation of wheat, lentils, hazelnuts, and grapes, as well as the production of clay vessels and tools. The Kura-Araxes culture (4th–3rd millennium BCE) saw population growth, settlement expansion, the use of wheeled transport, and advancements in metallurgy. The Trialeti Kurgan culture (3rd–2nd millennium BCE) is characterized by the beginning of apple and other fruit cultivation, indicating diversification in agrarian production.
The research further demonstrates that agricultural development and increased livestock production laid the foundation for economic interactions and the division of labor, which ultimately contributed to the formation of early state structures. In ancient Eastern civilizations (Sumer, Egypt, the Indus Valley), the development of writing, accounting, and administrative systems was directly linked to agricultural organization and grain storage management. The study also notes that the expansion of trade networks facilitated the exchange of goods and technologies among regions.
The findings confirm that economic and technological progress had a profound impact on the development of social structures, leading to urbanization, specialized labor activities, and the emergence of early states. Particular attention is given to the economic transformations following agricultural development, including the formation of private property, resource management systems, and commodity exchange. These changes not only shaped the foundation of early civilizations but also laid the groundwork for subsequent economic relationships.
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