Offers readers an understanding of the origins and histories of early agricultural populations in various parts of the world. This book focuses on agricultural origins in and dispersals out of the Middle East, central Africa, China, New Guinea, and the northern Andes. It examines the reasons for the multiple primary origins of agriculture.

First Farmers examines the reasons for the multiple primary origins of agriculture, looks at relations between hunter-gatherers and farmers, and addresses issues of agricultural adoption, the origins and dispersal histories of language families, and the dispersal histories of biological populations. Bellwood offers discussion of regional agricultural origins in, and dispersals out of, these areas: the Middle East, central Africa, China, New Guinea, Mesoamerica, and the northern Andes. The linguistic survey covers the origins and dispersals of major language families such as Indo-European, Austronesian, Sino-Tibetan, Niger-Congo, and Uto-Aztecan.