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Table of Contents
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.
PODs concerning different developments of agriculture
What's your favorite prehistoric POD ?
Challenge: Agriculture appearing 10 000 years earlier than in OTL
Other possible locations for the development of agriculture ?
WI agricultural revolution takes place everywhere it feasibly can?
For Want of A Yam - Discussion on 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 Jared, this became the basis for his highly ambitious and increasingly famous project, Lands of Red and Gold.
More aborigines/natives in Australia
WI: The Younger Dryas didn't happen ?
Discussion about historical diseases in Africa and their impact on indigenous agriculture
Challenge: The first civilization is in Australia
Early civilization around the Amu Darya and Syr Darya ?
Bronze Age alluvial civilization in Amu Darya and Syr Darya
WI: Heavy Plow developed in Classical Antiquity
The Heavy Plough in the Roman Empire ? (1)
The Heavy Plough in the Roman Empire ? (2)
Challenge: Agriculture spreads beyond American Southwest
Why didn't civilization develop along the Mississippi ?
Mexican Mound-builders, Mississippian Ziggurats (POD discussion that became part of the basis of Mississippi Rice timeline)
WI: No Mississippian Culture implosion
WI a more fertile Arabian peninsula ?
Cuisine and foods of a Japanese/Korean/Chinese colonized west coast of North America ?
The Long Little Ice Age: WI no Medieval Warm Period ?
Agriculture and domestication among advancements in the Pacific Northwest cultures
Challenge: Noodles as a staple food in India
Ramifications of a sudden decline of the sugar cane industry after the 1740s
WI the North American drought of 1856-1865 had been averted ?
Wine production in a world where the Central Powers won World War One
Challenge: Make rabbits a popular food animal
Plausibility check: Vertical farming - the future or merely fiction ?
Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them.
PODs concerning ATL domesticated or domesticable crops
Alternate plant domestications
For Want of A Yam - Discussion on 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 Jared, this became the basis for his highly ambitious and increasingly famous project, Lands of Red and Gold.
Questions regarding cereal grains
African rice domesticated in fourth millennium BC
Plausibility check: Water lily/lotus as a staple crop
WI: Domestication of the Apios Americana ("Indian Potato")
Henges and potatoes (another alternate crop discussion)
WI: Pacific Islanders introduce New World Crops to Old World
Culinary WI: John Gerard doesn't discourage people from growing tomatoes for food
WI tobacco never became popular
Different crops and the viability of slavery
Plausibility check: Post Hunting-Foraging "Khoisan" people
Earlier, more widespread and more sophisticated mushroom farming
Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them.
PODs concerning ATL domesticated or domesticable animals
a.) In general
Next animal(s) to be domesticated ?
WI: Widespread animal slavery ?
Boost for animal domestications with a POD around 3000 BC
Plausibility check: Domesticated animals and disease
What Old World crops and livestock could have done New World civilization the most good ?
Plausibility check: Miniaturization leading to domestication
Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them.
b.) By continent
Africa
Potential African domestications ?
A nomads-on-horseback civilisation in Africa ?
Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them.
The Americas
Discussion on different evolution or possible domestication of North American megafauna
Native American animal domestication
Plausibility check: Domestication of American species
Plausibility check: Large domestic animals in the Americas ?
Could domestic animals have saved the American peoples from devastation ?
What if Native Americans domesticated beasts Of burden ?
Challenge: Guinea pigs (cavis) still raised primarily as food animals
Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them.
Australia
Australian marsupials that could have evolved into domesticable horse-like animals ?
Earlier horse import into Australia and Australian "Plains Aborigines"
c.) Alternate livestock
Challenge: Tame the American Bison
WI the American Bison was domesticated ?
Native American domestication of the buffalo (American Bison) ?
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
Prehistoric WI Eurasian steppe horses hunted to extinction instead of domesticated ?
WI all horses were as small as ponies ?
Plausibility check: Rideable horses preceeding the rise of agriculture
DBWI: Horse cavalry - Though a more humourous POD discussion, it is interesting to ponder how different would humanity be if horses and mules were not domesticable for riding.
DBWI: Horses - Another thread in a vein similar to the above one, with horses never being domesticated by humans.
Horses surviving in America (1)
Horses surviving in America (2)
Horses surviving in America (3)
Horses surviving in America (4)
Horses surviving in America (5)
Horses or camels surviving in America
Plausibility check: Amerind ancestors learn to tame American horse species
Giant camels survive in the Middle East
Clovis culture not hunting Western (American) Camel, possible domestication ?
Llama survives in Mexico post-Pleistocene
Alternate stirrup developments ?
WI: Norse brought horses to America
Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them.
e.) Alternate cavalry animals and beasts of burden
Plausibility check: Elephant "APCs" ?
WI: Native Africans Domesticated Elephants
Australian marsupials that could have evolved into domesticable horse-like animals ?
What if Native Americans domesticated beasts Of burden ?
Reindeer/caribou sled vs dog sled ?
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
Domesticated crocodiles or alligators ?
WI: Humans domesticate tigers, lions, bears
Velociraptors survive and fill the role of domesticated dogs
Hunting birds of prey trained for combat ?
Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them.
See Also
Points of Divergence : Alternate Biology
Points of Divergence : Biological Sciences
Points of Divergence : Culinary Habits
Points of Divergence : Clothing and Fashion
Points of Divergence : Economy and Trade
Points of Divergence : Scientific Discoveries and Inventions
Points of Divergence : Natural Disasters
Resources about agriculture and its historical development