Pastoralism is the name given to the subsistence practice in which people care for and domesticate animals, usually ungulates such as camels, llamas, cattle, reindeer, sheep, and goats. Although the stereotypical pastoralists are desert nomads like the Bedouin, modern pastoralists are found in every part of the world.
One interesting idea, put forward by Michael Alvard and Lawrence Kuznar, is that animal husbandry was first started as a way to control access to prey.
Pastoralism and Animal Domestications
More information on herded animals can be found in the domestication pages on goats, camels, cattle, and reindeer.
Sources
This glossary entry is a part of the About.com Guides to the Characteristics of Ancient Civilizations, Ancient Farming and part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
Alvard, Michael S. and Lawrence Kuznar 2001 Deferred Harvests: The Transition from Hunting to Animal Husbandry. American Anthropologist 103(2):295-311.
A bibliography on pastoralism has been built for this project.
