Question

Which of the following is NOT a benefit gained from farming?

a-Farming reduced the amount of disease in a population.
b-Farming produced more food on less land than hunting/gathering.
c-Farming assured a more predictable food source.
d-Sedentism offered new opportunities for social complexity. e-Farming granted people longer lifespans.

Answer 1

Farming did not reduce the amount of disease in a population; this is a misconception as farming actually increased the potential for disease spread due to close living conditions and contact with domesticated animals.

Step-by-step explanation:

The benefit from farming which is NOT true is option a: Farming reduced the amount of disease in a population. While farming did produce more food on less land than hunting/gathering and assured a more predictable food source, it did not necessarily lead to reduced disease. In fact, sedentism and the close quarters of stable agricultural communities often led to an increase in transmissible diseases. Large groups living in close proximity in farming communities were more vulnerable to diseases, especially those related to increased contact with domesticated animals and the accumulation of human waste. Sedentism enabled by farming also offered new opportunities for social complexity and labor specialization, leading to different social roles and classes. However, these changes did not mean that people necessarily had longer lifespans; rather, they often dealt with a different set of health challenges than their hunter-gatherer ancestors.