Why do archaeologists think that many people who lived in Mehrgarh were hunters to start with and that herding became more important later?

Archaeologists propose that many inhabitants of Mehrgarh were initially hunters and later transitioned to a more prominent role in herding due to shifts in environmental conditions and socio-economic factors. Excavations at Mehrgarh, an ancient archaeological site in present-day Pakistan, reveal evidence of an initial reliance on hunting based on animal bones found in early layers.

The transition to herding likely occurred as a response to environmental changes, such as the domestication of plants and the availability of suitable domesticable animals in the region. Herding offered a more sustainable and controllable food source, reducing dependency on unpredictable hunting. The shift to agriculture and animal husbandry in Mehrgarh laid the foundation for settled communities, contributing to the development of complex societies in the region. This archaeological interpretation is supported by the evolving material culture and subsistence patterns observed in the layers of Mehrgarh’s archaeological deposits.