What agricultural development significantly changed prehistoric communities?

The development of agriculture represents a monumental shift in prehistoric communities, marking the transition from nomadic lifestyles to settled farming societies. This transformation allowed people to cultivate crops and domesticate animals, thereby ensuring a more reliable food supply. The ability to produce food surpluses enabled communities to sustain larger populations, which in turn facilitated social organization, the establishment of permanent dwellings, and the development of complex societies.

Agriculture also prompted innovations in technology and labor division, as not everyone needed to engage in food production. This specialization allowed for the emergence of various professions and trade networks as communities grew and interacted with one another. Consequently, agriculture laid the foundation for advancements in culture, governance, and economy that would shape human civilization for millennia.

While the domestication of animals and the invention of irrigation played significant roles in enhancing agricultural practices, they stemmed from the overall development of agriculture itself. Trading with other groups also became more prominent as agricultural communities emerged, but it was the initial agricultural development that fundamentally changed the structure and dynamics of prehistoric societies.