Question

In nomadic times, cultures marked the passage of time with the migration of the herds. As people developed agriculture, a more precise measurement of time became increasingly important. Farmers needed to time the planting and harvesting of crops just right, or they would not have enough food for the winter. Keeping track of these natural cycles was so important that the dates were coordinated with religious ceremonies at the core of society. With the development of agriculture came food surpluses, which led to more complex forms of government and the ability to trade with other cultures. Record keeping grew, and historians and rulers needed a way to track when certain events occurred. Merchants needed a way to know when deliveries were due or payments needed to be made. Military leaders needed to be able to coordinate attacks and defenses. The accurate recording and interpretation of time was central to the development of civilization. What is the main idea of this passage?

Answer 1

The central idea would be the importance of time in human civilization development and also the vitality of developing better methods of recording time passage. This can be told because all throughout the passage the author talks about how time has affected human civilization. From the first nomadic peoples who depended on herd movements to be able to tell time and thus survive, to the development of agricultural methods that would enable people to adapt to the passage of time and not suffer the consequences of lack of knowledge, to how human civilization then evolved to become more politically, socially and culturally advanced, this all happened because people became better able to tell and interpret the passage of time, understand its importance to all instances of life, and develop methods that made this foretelling better and much easier.

Answer 2

The main idea of this passage is that the accurate recording and interpretation of time was essential to the development of civilization.

Step-by-step explanation:

Throughout the text the author explains the importance of time recording, first with agriculture, then with commerce and war. Also, it explains how time tracking is relevant to the culture and the structure of society as we know it.