In fact, in contrast to the Diamond hypothesis, empirical evidence shows unambiguosly that differential timing of the onset of the agriculture across the globe has NO impact on the inequality across countries.
The reason for the failure of the Diamond hypothesis: "The first regions to experience the Neolithic (Agricultural) Revolution enjoyed two major benefits – higher agricultural productivity and a technological head start – placing these first-comers at the forefront of the world’s economic development. However, by the dawn of the sixteenth century, as innovative activities shifted from the rural to the urban environment, the economic importance of the agricultural sector – farming – began its gradual decline, while the human-capital-intensive and technologically-based urban sector began to flourish. An earlier onset of the Neolithic Revolution therefore started to generate conflicting effects."
Ultimately, then, the technological head start was counterbalanced by the relative disadvantage of agricultural specialization, and thus the timing of the Neolithic Revolution had a limited impact on economic development in the modern era. [The Journey of Humanity, p211-212]
In fact, in contrast to the Diamond hypothesis, empirical evidence shows unambiguosly that differential timing of the onset of the agriculture across the globe has NO impact on the inequality across countries.
The reason for the failure of the Diamond hypothesis: "The first regions to experience the Neolithic (Agricultural) Revolution enjoyed two major benefits – higher agricultural productivity and a technological head start – placing these first-comers at the forefront of the world’s economic development. However, by the dawn of the sixteenth century, as innovative activities shifted from the rural to the urban environment, the economic importance of the agricultural sector – farming – began its gradual decline, while the human-capital-intensive and technologically-based urban sector began to flourish. An earlier onset of the Neolithic Revolution therefore started to generate conflicting effects."
Ultimately, then, the technological head start was counterbalanced by the relative disadvantage of agricultural specialization, and thus the timing of the Neolithic Revolution had a limited impact on economic development in the modern era. [The Journey of Humanity, p211-212]