Prehistoric agriculture early farmers were, archaeologists agree, largely of neolithic culture. sites occupied by such people are located in southwestern asia in what are now iran, iraq, israel, jordan, syria, and turkey in southeastern asia, in what is now thailand in africa, along the nile river in egypt and in europe, along the danube river and in macedonia, thrace, and thessaly historic regions of southeastern europe. early centers of agriculture have also been identified in the huang he yellow river area of china the indus river valley of india and pakistan and the tehuacn valley of mexico, northwest of the isthmus of tehuantepec.
the dates of domesticated plants and animals vary with the regions, but most predate the 6th millennium bc, and the earliest may date from 10,000 bc. scientists have carried out carbon-14 testing of animal and plant remains and have dated finds of domesticated sheep at 9000 bc in northern iraq cattle in the 6th millennium bc in northeastern iran go...