First Farmers: the Origins of Agricultural Societies offersreaders an understanding of the origins and histories of earlyagricultural populations in all parts of the world. Uses data from archaeology, comparative linguistics, andbiological anthropology to cover developments over the past 12,000years Examines the reasons for the multiple primary origins ofagriculture Focuses on agricultural origins in and dispersals out of theMiddle East, central Africa, China, New Guinea, Mesoamerica and thenorthern Andes Covers the origins and dispersals of major language familiessuch as Indo-European, Austronesian, Sino-Tibetan, Niger-Congo andUto-Aztecan