From Sharing to Ownership: How Agriculture Changed the Rules of Love and Sex

The agricultural revolution, beginning around 10,000 years ago, did more than transform how humans fed themselves—it revolutionized social structures and sexual norms. Sex at Dawn reveals how farming introduced private property, fundamentally altering human relationships.

Before agriculture, humans lived in small, sharing bands where resources and sexual access were communal. With farming came land ownership, inheritance, and social hierarchies. Controlling women’s sexuality became crucial to ensure legitimate heirs and protect property.

This shift relegated women from respected community members to possessions controlled by men. Sexual freedom was curtailed, and monogamy was enforced as a social norm. These changes introduced new tensions, jealousy, and repression previously unknown.

Archaeological evidence shows that early farming societies experienced declines in health, increased violence, and social inequality, underscoring the costs of this transformation.

Understanding this history helps explain why modern relationships often struggle under cultural expectations that conflict with our evolutionary heritage. It invites us to question inherited norms and consider more flexible, cooperative models that honor human nature.

By tracing the roots of monogamy to economic and social changes rather than biology, we gain perspective and hope for healthier futures.

Sources: Four Minute Books summary, Wikipedia, Blinkist summary, Instaread insights 1 3 4 2