ABSTRACT
One of the great changes in human history involved the introduction of agriculture, which gradually replaced hunting and gathering, in many key regions, as the basic economic system for humankind. Agriculture first emerged around 9000—8000 bce in the Black Sea region and Mesopotamia. Agricultural patterns of sexuality reflected new set of economic needs and opportunities, and the responses demonstrate how adaptable human sexuality can become in face of new frameworks. The obvious agricultural interest in having domestic animals reproduce could help focus attention on reproductive goals of human sexuality—which would mesh with new purposes for human children themselves. There was one standard twist inherent in rise of agriculture, though it built on patterns probably already present in hunting and gathering bands: sex varied by social class. Agricultural societies developed an array of approaches toward homosexual or bisexual practices—there was no standard norm, despite the fact that new emphasis on reproductive sex might lead to some new attention to such behaviors.
