With the emergence of a sedentary way of life, it made sense for the first time to devote a considerable amount of effort in building permanent dwellings. For the first time, in fact, it was possible for humans to invest for the long term. Accordingly, almost immediately after agriculture appears, the archeological record begins to show a variety of solid dwellings of a more or less permanent sort which make ingenious use of local building materials This cluster of houses (above) is from one of the world's earliest towns, Catal Huyak, in what is now southern Turkey.At the same time, since they no longer have to be on the move continually, human tools no longer have to be portable. This means that the "tool kit" of agriculturalists can expand. In fact, it can expand exponentially (the human tool kit is still expanding). The new conditions of life encourage expansion of technology, because for the first time specialization becomes possible. Some individuals who are skilled at making clothing or working with wood, for example, begin to invest almost all their time in those activities.
Note also, that for the first time, wealth acquires meaning, because one can accumulate and store useful or desirable objects. As specialization emerged, knowledge itself--specialized forms of knowledge held within a small guild or skilled group of craftsmen--became a form of wealth as well.
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