The development of the farming economy was a key stage in human history. However, despite its crucial role in the growth of human societies, it is still widely misunderstood. The Origins of Agriculture in Europe explores the growing body of information on the late Mesolithic and early Neolithic periods and reviews the considerable mass of recent literature and archaeological evidence. I. J. Thorpe offers a comparative analysis of the current theories surrounding the transition to agriculture and addresses the broader theoretical questions which form the nucleus of contemporary debates. This clearly written picture of a vital period in European prehistory includes in-depth material on Southern Scandinavia, Britain and Ireland.