The Pre-Historic Development of Agriculture Is an Active Area of Research

question 4

Essay

The pre-historic development of agriculture is an active area of research among
anthropologists. The transition from a hunter-gatherer society to an agricultural
society is generally assumed to be signaled by an increase in cavities in teeth.
Investigators recently studied teeth unearthed in two societies in Colorado:
Basketmakers, societies living in small villages, and Post-Basketmakers, societies
living in above-ground architectures such as pueblos. The investigators were
interested in whether the shift in shelter was associated with a shift in consumption
from hunting (meat) to agriculture (maize). Data on the numbers of individuals with
cavities are shown in the table below. Cavities tend to occur more among populations
subsisting primarily on agricultural products. You may assume that it is reasonable to
regard these two samples as representative of teeth from these two populations. $$\begin{array} { | l | c | c | } \hline \text { Population } & \text { Cavities } & \text { No Cavities } \\\hline \text { Basketmaker } & 52 & 14 \\\hline \text { Post-Basketmaker } & 35 & 21 \\\hline\end{array}$$ a) Construct and interpret a 90% confidence interval for the difference in population
proportions of individuals with cavities, Basketmaker - Post-Basketmaker.
b) Interpret the 90% confidence level
c) Based on your results in parts (a) and (b), would you say that a shift in
consumption patterns is a reasonable conclusion on the part of the investigators?
Justify your response with statistical evidence from parts (a) and/or (b).

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Definitions:

Queer Theory

An interdisciplinary perspective that challenges conventional views on gender and sexuality, focusing on the fluidity and complexity of these concepts.

Affect Theory

Explores the importance of emotions and bodily responses in the social and cultural phenomena, arguing that affect influences human behavior and social interactions.

Prosumption Theory

Prosumption Theory investigates the blurring lines between production and consumption where consumers actively participate in the creation process of goods and services they use.

Sexual Power

The capacity to influence, control, or manipulate sexual relationships and perceptions based on sexual appeal, norms, or roles.