The Early Farmers of the Levant

There were probably only about 1,000 Ntufian families in the Levant. But as the process of harvesting increased, so too would the population. And with the larger population, they probably over-hunted the gazelles and other animals making them more dependent on grains. Then came a devastating bit of climate change, the so-called Younger Dryas. This period was something of a mini ice age, and it created a much drier, colder environment for farming. The high yields convinced people far and wide to adopt farming and create permanent settlement. Compared to foraging, farming tended to be a much sure bet for eating every day.