From Foragers to Farmers: The Origins of Agriculture

Explore one of humanity’s biggest turning points. Beginning in Southwest Asia around 10,000 BCE, we will trace the rise of settled villages, plant and animal domestication and the first farming communities.

Using archaeological evidence including stone tools, seeds, animal bones and ancient DNA, we will examine why people settled, who the first farmers were and how farming spread into Europe.

Case studies from the Levant, Anatolia, and Zagros, as well as the Aegean, Danube and Atlantic coasts, will illuminate routes of change. We will also consider explanations from Ice Age climate shifts to social networks, community, innovation, and mobility.

By the end of this course, you’ll understand how agriculture transformed diet, demography and landscapes, and why the “Neolithic Revolution” remains an active debate.

Any recommended reading will be advised by the course teacher once the course is confirmed to run. You will require access to a computer or other device with internet connection. 

If you have fully engaged with all the learning activities and have attended regularly, by the end of the course you should be able to:

• Understand and explain the changing world in which permanent settlement took place
• Identify the processes that led to farming and settlement and explain Neolithisation as a process
• Discuss important sites of that era in both continents, Asia and Europe
• Critically evaluate evidence on permanent settlement; agriculture; animal husbandry; communities and ritual, interlinked with the outset of the Neolithic. 

This course is ideal for anyone interested in the origins of our civilization.  We welcome all and are committed to fostering a positive culture and sense of community among learners and staff. We expect learners to treat others with dignity and respect. Learners must be aged 16+.

If you have a disability, learning difficulty, health condition, or personal circumstances which may affect your learning, please let us know so that we can make appropriate adjustments in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Wherever possible, we mainstream adjustments in line with the University’s Accessible and Inclusive Learning Policy.

Learners will have limited access to the University’s student support services who will signpost appropriate local sources of support.

There are no specific entry requirements for this course.

You will need to have reading, listening and communication skills, including the ability to understand detailed ideas and information presented verbally and in writing. You must be comfortable learning in English if it is not your first language. You will need basic digital skills, such as using a computer and navigating a website, to access the learning materials.

Booking is available until 23:59 the day before the course is due to start, unless the course is full or cancelled.