Harlan’s Crops and Man

A scientific and historical study of crops and their age-old relationship with human civilization The cultivation and harvesting of crops have been at the heart of human culture and development for thousands of years. As we have grown from hunter-gatherers into agrarian societies and industrial economies, our ongoing relationship with the plants that feed us and support our manufacturing has also evolved. So too, of course, have those plants themselves, with the combined forces of shifting climates, selective plant breeding, and genetic modification all working to alter their existence in profound and fascinating ways. Coming some 30 years after its previous incarnation, the third edition of Harlan s Crops and Man marks an exciting re-examination of this rich topic. Its chapters lay out the foundations of crop diversity as we know it, covering topics that range from taxonomy and domestication to the origins of agricultural practices and their possible futures. Highlights include: Archeological and anthropological studies of agriculture s history and development Detailed examinations of the histories and classifications of both crops and weeds Explanations of taxonomic systems, gene pools, and plant evolution Studies of specific crops by geographical region Updated to include the latest data and research available, this new edition of Harlan s Crops and Man offers an illuminating exploration of agricultural history to all those engaged with plant science and the cultivation of crops.

A scientific and historical study of crops and their age-old relationship with human civilizationThe cultivation and harvesting of crops have been at the heart of human culture and development for thousands of years. As we have grown from hunter-gatherers into agrarian societies and industrial economies, our ongoing relationship with the plants that feed us and support our manufacturing has also evolved. So too, of course, have those plants themselves, with the combined forces of shifting climates, selective plant breeding, and genetic modification all working to alter their existence in profound and fascinating ways.Coming some 30 years after its previous incarnation, the third edition of Harlan's Crops and Man marks an exciting re-examination of this rich topic. Its chapters lay out the foundations of crop diversity as we know it, covering topics that range from taxonomy and domestication to the origins of agricultural practices and their possible futures. Highlights include:* Archeological and anthropological studies of agriculture's history and development* Detailed examinations of the histories and classifications of both crops and weeds* Explanations of taxonomic systems, gene pools, and plant evolution* Studies of specific crops by geographical regionUpdated to include the latest data and research available, this new edition of Harlan's Crops and Man offers an illuminating exploration of agricultural history to all those engaged with plant science and the cultivation of crops.

Preface viii1 Prologue: The Golden Age 1Crop Evolution 2The Hunter-Gatherer Stereotype 3What Do Gatherers Eat? 11Understanding Life Cycles of Plants 20General Botanical Knowledge 23Manipulation of Vegatation 25Food Plants in Ritual and Ceremony 26On Sharing the Bounty 27Population Control and the Aged 29Conclusions 30References 312 Views on Agricultural Origins 37Agriculture as Divine Gift 37Domestication for Religious Reasons 43Domestication by Crowding 45Agriculture as Discovery 46Agriculture by Stress 49Agriculture as an Extension of Gathering 50Domestication by Perception 53A No-Model Model 56Geography of Plant Domestication 59An Ecological Approach 63Conclusions 73References 733 What Is a Crop? 79Definitions 80Intermediate States 81A Short List of Cultivated Plants 86Crops That Feed the World 106References 1074 What Is a Weed? 109Definitions 110Intermediate States 113Crop-Weed Complexes 116Some Weed Adaptations 120Weeds and History 122Conclusions 127References 1275 Classification of Cultivated Plants 131Botanical Descriptions and Names 132Problems of Formal Taxonomy 134The Gene Pool System 136Evolutionary Implications 143Conclusions 145References 1456 The Dynamics of Domestication 147Domestication of Seed Crops 147Domestication of Vegetatively Reproduced Crops 163Conclusions 167References 1677 Space, Time, and Variation 171Kinds of Patterns of Variation 171Noncentric Crops 175Diffuse Origins 178Microcenters 180Landrace Populations 181Implications for Plant Breeding 183Conclusions 190References 1908 The Near East 195Introduction 196Archaeological Prelude 200A Note About Dating Archaeological Sites 202Archaeological Sequence of Village Sites 204Spread of Agriculture Out of the Nuclear Area 210Recorded History 211`Conclusions 212References 2139 Indigenous African Agriculture 216Introduction 217Archaeological Prelude 217A Savanna Complex 223Crop Competition and Distribution 227Recorded History 228Décrue Agriculture 230Conclusions 232References 23310 The Far East 236Archaeological Prelude 237Recorded History 240Far Eastern Crops 241Hunter-Gatherers of Japan 257Plant Domestication in India 258Conclusions 259References 25911 The Americas 263Archaeology 263The Crops 269Indigenous Americans as Biochemists 283Conclusions 287References 28812 Epilogue: Who's in Charge Here? 295References 302