people in the planet made such an important discovery, because the other five civilizations, only domesticated plants that already existed in the wild.
"Agriculture accompanied the civilizing process itself, fully integrated with the rest of the cultural and social activities." The limits of its practice, as a basic activity, were also the limits of the cultural area; the presence of advanced agricultural cultures in central and southern Mexico and in Central America is no accident, given the possibility of rainy season cultivation. However, the increase of potential productivity of this rain-dependent agriculture was made possible thanks to irrigation systems and slope and other improvements on special grounds, like plant genetic amelioration of domesticated plants and those in the process of domestication, and the transformation of social organization and economic structures. In fact the various farming systems, while being ecological adaptations, in part were social, demographic and economic adaptations." (Teresa Rojas Rabiela. 2001)
The development of hydraulics for agriculture, is yet another great foundation, because it allowed a greater number of people to have energy and time available to develop major civilizing projects; to perform scientific research and to explore art, as well as to the construction of imposing buildings found in today’s "archaeological zones;" impressive material monuments, to the spiritual project of this civilization.
The “formative” era is so called because it is when the main crafts made their appearance —basketry, ceramics, weaving, metallurgy and construction— and the communal cultural patterns take form. The population grows, culture and settlements expand, there is peace, and a large cultural diffusion takes place from and amongst the civilization centers. Intensive agriculture begins; local irrigation takes place and the most important animals are domesticated.
Food production continues at subsistence levels, except for the portions destined to sustain the ruling class. But intensive agriculture begins to provide free time for the
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