Introduction

The traditional anthropological classification of man’s technological development is into five basic forms: hunting and gathering; herding; horticulture; agriculture; and industrial technology. Hunting and gathering was the sole form of subsistence for homo sapiens until 10,000 years ago and societies depending on these methods were fairly common until the early part of this century. Herding is a rather more complicated method of exploiting the environment. Horticulture and agriculture are differentiated by the use of the plough. Horticulture implies gardening with hand tools only and as a means of subsistence it involves continual hard work for both sexes. As countries become industrialised fewer and fewer people actually produce food and the domestic and community economies become totally separated.