From: jtem01@gmail.com   
      
    SolomonW wrote:   
      
   > All you need is a food surplus, and of course water, the population will   
   > grow and soon a culture and civilization will form.   
      
   Yes.   
      
   I guess there is an argument to be made that surplus requires adaptations   
   (innovations) in order to store the surplus... guard the surplus...   
   interactions in order to trade the surplus...   
      
   It probably even leads to war:  "They have TONS of wheat!  Let's go   
   conquer them!"   
      
   And of course even the dumbest conquerers are eventually going to figure   
   out that they don't want to kill the surplus holders, they want them alive,   
   continuously producing surplus and handing it over like good vassals...   
      
   Math/writing to keep track of the surplus and handed it over?   
      
   Tools to make that surplus easier?   
      
   Irrigation? So there's water management right there...   
      
   So, yeah, "Surplus" comes with a poop ton of baggage.   
      
   "Wicked lots."   
      
      
      
      
      
   -- --   
      
   https://jtem.tumblr.com/post/189091429143   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)