Sedentism
Sedentism is a way of life based on permanent or long-term residence in one place. It can occur among foragers, farmers, and urban populations.
Natufian culture: A late Epipaleolithic culture of the Levant, known for substantial settlements and early plant use. Its substantial settlements show sedentary lifeways before farming became established.
Food storage: The preservation and keeping of food for later use. Stored food buffers seasonal shortages and reduces the need to move in search of supplies.
Population growth: An increase in the number of people in a population over time. Reliable food production and storage could support larger populations in settled communities.
Nomadism: A way of life involving regular movement rather than permanent residence in one place. It is the clearest contrast to sedentism, though nomadic groups may return to familiar places.
Neolithic Revolution: The transition in some regions from foraging toward farming, animal domestication, and settled life. In several regions, farming and sedentism developed together, though neither always preceded the other.
Agriculture: The cultivation of plants and the raising of animals for food and other products. Cultivation can reward staying near fields, although sedentism also predates farming.
Social stratification: The unequal ranking of people or groups in a society. Stored surpluses and control of land or resources could sustain durable inequalities.
Transhumance: The seasonal movement of livestock and herders between fixed pastures at different elevations or locations. It combines established home bases with recurring seasonal movement.
Jericho: An ancient settlement near the Jordan River, occupied from the Epipaleolithic and later surrounded by monumental structures. Its early settlement history illustrates long-term residence before full agricultural dependence.
Water supply: The sources, infrastructure, and management practices that provide usable water. Reliable water limits where permanent settlements can thrive and how large they can become.