Final answer:
Sedentism in the Middle East developed before the domestication of plants and animals, setting the stage for the development of agricultural societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
True, in the Middle East, sedentism did develop before plants and animals were domesticated. Humans began the domestication of plants and animals about ten thousand years ago, jump-starting agricultural societies. However, prior to this, there were already evidence of sedentary communities that relied on wild resources before transitioning to an agricultural lifestyle. Sedentism often precedes the domestication as communities settled in fertile areas where resources were abundant enough to support a stable population without the need to move constantly.