Kent:
>I'm not sure about that statistic.  But also, H-G's can live on land that
is unsuitable for agriculture, so there's a lot more acreage available.

Here's where I got the idea that it "takes ten to twenty times more land for a
hunter gatherer than a farmer."  A company called the Great Courses has a course
on CD called "Neolithic Europe" taught by Professor Jeremy Adams of SMU here in
Dallas.  [Highly recommended overview of the European transformation from
foraging to farming and pastoralism.  Dr. Adams makes a point to mention several
times in the course how the Neolithic revolution brought changes for the worse
in human health.  Surpluses but illness.]

Professor Adams says that the biggest effect of the Neolithic was the population
explosion.  "Twenty seven humans per square mile was quite an advance over the
Paleolithic population density of 1.75 square miles per individual."
(Approximately 15 times as many people per square mile).  You might have a
point, though, Kent.  I do not know if Dr. Adams' figure takes into account the
fact that with a farming/pastoral community, people by necessity "clump"
together in areas suitable for plowing and herding.  Interesting.

Jim Swayze