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Intensive agricultural techniques (methods) are typical of cultures in which minimal complexity exists, like a band or tribal society?

User Octano
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Final answer:

Bands or tribal societies typically practice extensive horticulture or flexible horticulture, not intensive agriculture, which is more common in complex, settled societies. Intensive agriculture creates surplus allowing societal specialization, unlike the sustainable balance seen in societies like the Kayapó.

Step-by-step explanation:

Intensive agricultural techniques, such as the use of plows, irrigation systems, and the repeated cultivation of the same plots, are typically not characteristics of simple societies such as bands or tribal groups. Instead, these are methods associated with more complex societies that have settled down to form permanent villages and developed various forms of community leadership to manage labor and resources effectively. Intensive agriculture produces a significant agricultural surplus, which enables a community to support individuals who specialize in non-farming professions, like those in craft production, religious, and political leadership.

The Kayapó people demonstrate a form of flexible horticulture, incorporating slash-and-burn techniques with gathering, hunting, and some domestication, leading to a sustainable and intricately managed environment. Horticultural societies like the Kayapó do not typically exhibit the same degree of social complexity or resource intensity as societies practicing intensive agriculture. Instead, they emphasize a balance with their environment, showcasing a level of ecological sustainability from which industrialized societies could potentially learn.

User Cabbage Soup
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