Knowledge (XXG)

Cannibals and Kings

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Desperation incurred during periods of drought might lead to the temptation to slaughter and eat the work animals for short-term survival; this would damage long-term prospects by destroying the means of production. Harris argues that this situation led to the evolution of the cow as a taboo food and
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Harris also discusses the cow as a sacred animal and taboo food in Hindu culture. Unlike the Middle Eastern civilizations, India had developed very productive forms of agriculture, requiring heavy labor. The high population densities and the periodic droughts rendered animal husbandry for food
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led to the development of strong, centralized, and despotic states to mobilize the needed manpower for construction. Despite foreign conquest or change of government, the nature of such states would remain essentially unchanged because of the unchanging need to mobilize human labor.
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were unable to effectively monopolize power and restrict the rising power of towns. The growth of towns and cities, from a combination of population growth and urban migration, would lead to early forms of
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and continue to be forbidden by Islam, suggesting that environmental rather than cultural factors were responsible for putting this food animal off-limits.
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and compete with humans for grain. In addition, pigs produce only meat, compared with cattle and goats, which also provide milk, transport, and labor.
290: 99:. The book presents a systematic discussion of ideas about the reasons for a culture making a transition by stages from egalitarian 91: 72: 134:
Harris also describes the state of the world in the late 19th century as one of approaching catastrophe as predicted by Malthus (
138:). Harris then discusses three 20th century innovations that explain this postponement of the catastrophe: the exploitation of 317: 327: 312: 259: 169:
society. Harris argues that while cattle, sheep, and many other domesticated animals consume grass, pigs are poor
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and smaller reduction in fertility from nursing infants, which then led to shorter periods between pregnancies.
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Because European agriculture relied upon rainfall and not irrigation, Harris argues, European rulers under
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began. Harris posits that this diet change resulted in more body fat, which for females led to earlier
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that were reliant on water for agriculture. The necessity of labor-intensive projects such as
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diet largely based on hunter-gatherer sources to a high-carbohydrate diet largely based on
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This led to pigs being reviled, and he argues this gave rise to the pig as a non-
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purposes impractical, and slowly led to the ending of
66: 56: 46: 36: 115:According to Harris, humans shifted from a low- 8: 19: 205:its worship as a sacred creature in India. 25: 18: 282:Empty Meeting Grounds: The Tourist Papers 271: 217:, ancient civilizations such as China, 95:) is a book written by anthropologist 279:Dean MacCannell (11 September 2002). 7: 323:Non-fiction books about cannibalism 213:Harris examines the concept of the 14: 107:as population density increases. 1: 157:discusses the development of 260:Cannibalism in the Americas 344: 209:Irrigation for agriculture 16:1977 book by Marvin Harris 285:. Routledge. p. 53. 24: 103:to hierarchically based 318:1977 non-fiction books 136:Malthusian catastrophe 125:intensive agriculture 233:, and flood control 150:Pork as a taboo food 20:Cannibals and Kings 155:Cannibals and Kings 82:Cannibals and Kings 31:First edition cover 21: 328:Random House books 313:Anthropology books 292:978-1-134-93398-3 94: 78: 77: 335: 297: 296: 276: 248:market economies 215:hydraulic empire 199:animal sacrifice 86: 58:Publication date 29: 22: 343: 342: 338: 337: 336: 334: 333: 332: 303: 302: 301: 300: 293: 278: 277: 273: 268: 256: 211: 194: 152: 113: 101:hunter-gatherer 59: 32: 17: 12: 11: 5: 341: 339: 331: 330: 325: 320: 315: 305: 304: 299: 298: 291: 270: 269: 267: 264: 263: 262: 255: 252: 210: 207: 193: 190: 151: 148: 144:contraceptives 112: 109: 76: 75: 70: 64: 63: 60: 57: 54: 53: 48: 44: 43: 38: 34: 33: 30: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 340: 329: 326: 324: 321: 319: 316: 314: 311: 310: 308: 294: 288: 284: 283: 275: 272: 265: 261: 258: 257: 253: 251: 249: 244: 239: 236: 232: 228: 224: 220: 216: 208: 206: 202: 200: 191: 189: 187: 186:Ancient Egypt 183: 182:Old Testament 179: 174: 172: 168: 164: 160: 156: 149: 147: 145: 141: 137: 132: 130: 126: 122: 118: 110: 108: 106: 102: 98: 97:Marvin Harris 93: 92:0-394-40765-2 89: 84: 83: 74: 73:0-394-40765-2 71: 69: 65: 61: 55: 52: 49: 45: 42: 41:Marvin Harris 39: 35: 28: 23: 281: 274: 240: 212: 203: 195: 180:food in the 175: 154: 153: 133: 121:agricultural 117:carbohydrate 114: 81: 80: 79: 51:Random House 165:in ancient 142:, reliable 307:Categories 266:References 227:irrigation 163:taboo food 243:feudalism 192:Holy cows 167:Israelite 140:petroleum 47:Publisher 254:See also 129:menarche 171:grazers 111:Content 85:(1977, 289:  231:canals 221:, and 219:Persia 178:kosher 105:states 90:  37:Author 235:dikes 223:Egypt 161:as a 123:when 287:ISBN 159:pork 88:ISBN 68:ISBN 62:1977 309:: 250:. 229:, 295:.

Index


Marvin Harris
Random House
ISBN
0-394-40765-2
ISBN
0-394-40765-2
Marvin Harris
hunter-gatherer
states
carbohydrate
agricultural
intensive agriculture
menarche
Malthusian catastrophe
petroleum
contraceptives
pork
taboo food
Israelite
grazers
kosher
Old Testament
Ancient Egypt
animal sacrifice
hydraulic empire
Persia
Egypt
irrigation
canals

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