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====== Points of Divergence : Agriculture ======

Human beings need to consume food and water on a regular basis, and gathering a sufficient food supply has been a great concern (but also a kickstarter of innovation) for virtually every society since the dawn of history. Among the greatest technological and societal revolutions of all time was the gradual invention of true agriculture, with fully domesticated plants and animals. It brought an end to the mostly nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle of human prehistory and gave birth to the earliest of known, settled civilizations. 

Over the millennia, agriculture has further diversified and many crops that were once native to only one region of Earth have often become cosmopolitan and widespread thanks to the steady rise of global trade and geographic exploration. As an old saying goes, "An army marches on its stomach" - and therefore, even something as seemingly mundane as agriculture can massively affect the development of human civilization, even moreso than the usual idea of wars, battles, cunning diplomacy or ideological upheavals.

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==== PODs concerning different developments of agriculture ====

  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=378461|What's your favorite prehistoric POD ?]]** 
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=162164|Challenge: Agriculture appearing 10 000 years earlier than in OTL]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=31248|No end to the last Ice Age]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=263405|Other possible locations for the development of agriculture ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=375892|WI agricultural revolution takes place everywhere it feasibly can?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=11394|Earlier hay]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=84094|For Want of A Yam]]** - Discussion on [[pods:Australia|Australian]] native plants that could have potentially become the basis of a native Australian agriculture (and later leads to the rise of agricultural civilizations on the continent). Started by [[offtopic:Jared]], this became the basis for his highly ambitious and increasingly famous project, //**[[timelines:Lands of Red and Gold]]**//. 
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=91684|More aborigines/natives in Australia]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=240595|Discussion about alternate Polynesian agriculture (with more variety in crops) and its later adoption by Australian natives]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=154424|WI: The Younger Dryas didn't happen ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=80287|Discussion about historical diseases in Africa and their impact on indigenous agriculture]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=128684|Bug-eating Europe]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=203271|Challenge: The first civilization is in Australia]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=277615|Early civilization around the Amu Darya and Syr Darya ?]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/bronze-age-alluvial-civilization-in-amu-darya-and-syr-darya.417992/|Bronze Age alluvial civilization in Amu Darya and Syr Darya]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=295558|WI: Heavy Plow developed in Classical Antiquity]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=106369|The Heavy Plough in the Roman Empire ? (1)]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/wi-the-romans-had-invented-the-heavy-plough-and-the-printing-press.157692/|The Heavy Plough in the Roman Empire ? (2)]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=84751|Challenge: Agriculture spreads beyond American Southwest]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/could-the-mississippi-missouri-river-system-have-become-a-cradle-of-civilization.498002/|Could the Mississippi-Missouri river system have become a cradle of civilization ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=275305|Why didn't civilization develop along the Mississippi ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=109893|Mexican Mound-builders, Mississippian Ziggurats]]** - POD discussion that became part of the basis of //**[[timelines:Mississippi Rice]]**// timeline.
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=291171|WI: No Mississippian Culture implosion]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=207745|WI a more fertile Arabian peninsula ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/cuisine-and-foods-of-japanese-korean-chinese-colonized-west-coast-of-north-america.394841/|Cuisine and foods of a Japanese/Korean/Chinese colonized west coast of North America ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=112726|The Long Little Ice Age: WI no Medieval Warm Period ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=75577|Farming Californian Natives]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/the-people-of-thunder.307876/|Agriculture and domestication among advancements in the Pacific Northwest cultures]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=322139|Challenge: Noodles as a staple food in India]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=144535|Ramifications of a sudden decline of the sugar cane industry after the 1740s]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=274903|WI the North American drought of 1856-1865 had been averted ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=252926|Wine production in a world where the Central Powers won World War One]]**
  * **[[pods:Irish Potato Famine]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=61215|Dead end domestications ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=241781|Cool potential domestications]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=286662|Challenge: Make rabbits a popular food animal]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=294608|Plausibility check: Vertical farming - the future or merely fiction ?]]**
  * Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them. 

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==== PODs concerning ATL domesticated or domesticable crops ====

  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=339116|Alternate plant domestications]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=84094|For Want of A Yam]]** - Discussion on [[pods:australia|Australian]] native plants that could have potentially become the basis of a native Australian agriculture (and later leads to the rise of agricultural civilizations on the continent). Started by [[offtopic:Jared]], this became the basis for his highly ambitious and increasingly famous project, //**[[timelines:Lands of Red and Gold]]**//. 
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/better-crops-for-australia.442989/|Better crops for Australia ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=251155|Questions regarding cereal grains]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=343483|African rice domesticated in fourth millennium BC]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/pc-water-lily-lotus-as-a-staple-crop.422684/|Plausibility check: Water lily/lotus as a staple crop]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=217183|WI: Domestication of the Apios Americana ("Indian Potato")]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=252431|Henges and potatoes (another alternate crop discussion)]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/potato-all-over-the-americas.420270/|Potato all over the Americas]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/wi-potato-reaches-mesoamerica.494408/|WI: Potato reaches Mesoamerica]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=278095|WI: Pacific Islanders introduce New World Crops to Old World]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=258247|Culinary WI: John Gerard doesn't discourage people from growing tomatoes for food]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/wi-john-rolfe-never-brought-bermuda-tobacco-to-jamestown.434573/|WI John Rolfe never brought Bermuda tobacco to Jamestown?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=224355|WI tobacco never became popular]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=187741|Different crops and the viability of slavery]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=51075|WI: Mate as popular as coffee]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=40032|What about the potato]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=169733|How to spread the potato]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=161418|Plausibility check: Post Hunting-Foraging "Khoisan" people]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=255620|Discussion about alternate cultures that could take the concept of domestication to whole new levels of complexity]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=222422|Earlier, more widespread and more sophisticated mushroom farming]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=263641|American Bamboo]]**
  * Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them. 

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==== PODs concerning ATL domesticated or domesticable animals ===

=== a.) In general ===

  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=133255|Alternate domestic animals]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/more-domesticated-animals.478779/|More domesticated animals]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=201632|Next animal(s) to be domesticated ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=191549|WI: Widespread animal slavery ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=192137|Boost for animal domestications with a POD around 3000 BC]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=135866|Plausibility check: Domesticated animals and disease]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/what-old-world-crops-and-livestock-could-have-done-new-world-civilization-the-most-good.443721/|What Old World crops and livestock could have done New World civilization the most good ?]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/which-animal-has-done-more-for-humanity-the-horse-or-the-dog.460170/page-2#post-18961485|Which animal has done more historically for humanity, horses or dogs ?]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/miniaturization-leads-to-domestication.245506/|Plausibility check: Miniaturization leading to domestication]]**
  * **[[http://alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=617|Alternate pets]]**
  * Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them. 

=== b.) By continent ===

==Africa==

  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=258124|Potential African domestications ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=160971|Tsetse Fly dies out]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=76362|A nomads-on-horseback civilisation in Africa ?]]**
  * Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them. 

== Asia ==

  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/sheep-pastoralism-in-japan-and-korea.506503/|Sheep pastoralism in Japan and Korea]]**
  * Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them. 

==The Americas==

  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=216033|Discussion on different evolution or possible domestication of North American megafauna]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=151943|Native American animal domestication]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/pc-wi-domestication-of-american-species.241745/|Plausibility check: Domestication of American species]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=338806|Plausibility check: Large domestic animals in the Americas ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=354499|Could domestic animals have saved the American peoples from devastation ?]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/what-if-native-americans-domesticated-beasts-of-burden.441545/|What if Native Americans domesticated beasts Of burden ?]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/bring-out-the-guinea-pigs.144641/|Challenge: Guinea pigs (cavis) still raised primarily as food animals]]**
  * Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them. 

== Australia ==

  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=270716|Australian marsupials that could have evolved into domesticable horse-like animals ?]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/australian-plains-aborigines.430688/|Earlier horse import into Australia and Australian "Plains Aborigines"]]**
  * Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them. 

=== c.) Alternate livestock ===

  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=175723|Challenge: Tame the American Bison]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=266561|WI the American Bison was domesticated ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=2340|Native American domestication of the buffalo (American Bison) ?]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/wi-plains-indians-had-sheep-in-addition-to-horses.417844/|WI Plains Indians had sheep in addition to horses ?]]**
  * Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them. 

=== d.) Alternate horse and camelid domestications and developments ===

  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=164592|If there were no horses (1)]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=24332|If there were no horses (2)]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=268840|If there were no horses (3)]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/prehistoric-wi-eurasian-steppe-horses-hunted-to-extinction-instead-of-domesticated.410092/|Prehistoric WI Eurasian steppe horses hunted to extinction instead of domesticated ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=106030|WI all horses were as small as ponies ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=30587|Plausibility check: Rideable horses preceeding the rise of agriculture]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=3209|Horses untamable: No cavalry]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=110180|DBWI: Horse cavalry]]** - Though a more [[alternate_history:double_blind_what_if|humourous POD discussion]], it is interesting to ponder how different would humanity be if horses and mules were not domesticable for riding.
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=24333|DBWI: Horses]]** - Another thread in a vein similar to the above one, with horses never being domesticated by humans.
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=151084|Alternate horses]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=24533|Horses surviving in America (1)]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=35542|Horses surviving in America (2)]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=126785|Horses surviving in America (3)]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=33292|Horses surviving in America (4)]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=266253|Horses surviving in America (5)]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=86939|Horses or camels surviving in America]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=39931|Plausibility check: Amerind ancestors learn to tame American horse species]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=220380|Snow camels]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=113607|Camels in Europe ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=42324|Giant camels survive in the Middle East]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/western-american-camel.75095/|Clovis culture not hunting Western (American) Camel, possible domestication ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=244110|Llama cavalry ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=280479|Llama survives in Mexico post-Pleistocene]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/llama-herding-in-north-america.514054/|Llama herding in North America]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=137562|Alternate stirrup developments ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=86780|WI: Norse brought horses to America]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=20026|All horses die in 1200 AD]]**
  * Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them. 

=== e.) Alternate cavalry animals and beasts of burden ===

  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=110117|How about Mammoth cavalry ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=34191|Plausibility check: Elephant "APCs" ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=353706|WI: Native Africans Domesticated Elephants]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/war-rhinoceroses.276970/|War Rhinoceroses ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=270716|Australian marsupials that could have evolved into domesticable horse-like animals ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=67997|War goats ?]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/what-if-native-americans-domesticated-beasts-of-burden.441545/|What if Native Americans domesticated beasts Of burden ?]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/reindeer-caribou-sled-vs-dog-sled.421581/|Reindeer/caribou sled vs dog sled ?]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/how-would-the-wheel-change-the-americas.181617/|How would the wheel change the Americas ?]]**
  * Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them. 

=== f.) Domestication of reptiles and predators ===

  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=256129|Domesticated crocodiles or alligators ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=227479|WI: Humans domesticate tigers, lions, bears]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=305682|Domestication of bears ?]]**
  * **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/inca-domesticate-andean-bear.498416/|Inca Domesticate Andean Bear]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=113482|Bear cavalry ?]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=302883|Velociraptors survive and fill the role of domesticated dogs]]**
  * **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=135025|Hunting birds of prey trained for combat ?]]**
  * Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them. 

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==== See Also ====

**[[pods:alternate biology|Points of Divergence : Alternate Biology]]**

**[[pods:biological sciences|Points of Divergence : Biological Sciences]]**

**[[pods:society_and_societal_norms#culinary_habits_pods|Points of Divergence : Culinary Habits]]**

**[[pods:society_and_societal_norms#clothing_and_fashion_pods|Points of Divergence : Clothing and Fashion]]**

**[[pods:economy and trade|Points of Divergence : Economy and Trade]]**

**[[pods:scientific_discoveries_and_inventions|Points of Divergence : Scientific Discoveries and Inventions]]**

**[[pods:natural_disasters|Points of Divergence : Natural Disasters]]**

**[[timelines:Agricultural timelines]]**

**[[Resources:everyday aspects of life in various eras#agriculture, forestry, mining and other resource gathering|Resources about agriculture and its historical development]]** 

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==== Navigation ====

**[[pods:pods|Points of Divergence Main Directory]]**