Understanding the rates of expansion of the farming system in Europe

If the overall expansion of the farming system was determined by the Neolithic Demographic Transition (NDT), i.e. by demographic pressure, what determined the rate of expansion? What is the link between the rate of expansion, the farming system and demographic density? In a first approach, the issue of the different rates of expansion of the farming system on the map is addressed in terms of 21 geo-ecological, climatic and cultural factors and forager populations, via an ordinary least square regression technique (OLS). In a second approach, the variability of the rate of expansion is analyzed in terms of specific patterns identified for the ceramic culture areas, via a cluster analysis. The expansion rate is negatively correlated with the intensification of the agricultural system, as well as with demographic density. Expansion is slow in ecosystems with an intensive farming system with relatively high demographic density, and vice-versa. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.