Final answer:
Agriculture significantly impacted Uruk by producing surplus food, which allowed for population growth and the development of social complexity. Specialized roles emerged, wealth was accumulated, and monumental architecture was built, giving rise to a centralized government and the invention of cuneiform writing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The impact of agriculture on Uruk was profound, leading to the development of surplus food, which in turn enabled population growth and increased social complexity. As a result, large urban centers like Uruk could support a diverse society with various specialized roles. This specialization included craftspeople, such as cloth makers and metalworkers, who supported themselves without farming and relied on agricultural surpluses. The accumulation of wealth in Uruk led to monumental architecture, the creation of a centralized government, and the invention of cuneiform writing to manage complex economic activities.
Furthermore, early urbanization can be traced back to the availability of surplus food. Agriculture necessitated the division of labor and the rise of various societal classes, with religious leaders and rulers often at the top, benefiting from the labor and production of lower-class farmers and construction workers. It also led to more defined religious practices with religious elites gaining authority, and the development of intricate religious institutions, which were different from the animistic practices of hunter-gatherer societies.
The correct answer to the question, 'How did agriculture (farming) impact the people living in Uruk?' is: A) Agriculture led to the development of surplus food, enabling population growth and social complexity. This addresses the central role that agriculture played in expanding the city's population, promoting specialization of labor, and facilitating the development of a complex urban society.