[Vince Ferrer]

Are we even sure hunters and foragers led more precarious, more poorly nourished lives than agriculturists?

We know the opposite is actually true. When comparing hunter/gatherer skeletons with the earliest farmers, agriculture was not an advance in health. Farmers died younger, and were shorter and less healthy. The big mystery is why, and why we kept doing it if it was not an improvement.

[ClearCase_guy]

The big mystery is why, and why we kept doing it if it was not an improvement.

I believe one (serious) theory is that an agricultural society could produce beer. People thought that was worth the trade-off.

[null and void]

For the beer.

[Standing Wolf]

We know the opposite is actually true. When comparing hunter/gatherer skeletons with the earliest farmers, agriculture was not an advance in health. Farmers died younger, and were shorter and less healthy. The big mystery is why, and why we kept doing it if it was not an improvement.

Aw, nuts! Thank you, Vince Ferrer! I didn't know that.

Why did we continue to pursue agriculture? Hmmm! I wonder whether it could have had something to do with slavery. That's just a wild guess, but...

[Windflier]

When comparing hunter/gatherer skeletons with the earliest farmers, agriculture was not an advance in health. Farmers died younger, and were shorter and less healthy. The big mystery is why, and why we kept doing it if it was not an improvement.

I don't think it's much of a mystery. Agriculture allowed people to stay in one place long enough to build stable families, societies, cultures, economies, and to advance learning - all of which led to advances in every kind of technology.

[Age of Reason]

why we kept doing it if it was not an improvement.

Maybe we had to because there were too many people to live off wild game and wild plants.