Definition:

Pastoralism refers to a stage in the development of civilization between hunting and agriculture and also to a way of life dependent on the herding of livestock, specifically, ungulates. The Steppes and the Near and Middle East are particularly associated with pastoralism, although mountainous regions, and areas too cold for farming can also support pastoralism.

Source: Andrew Sherratt "Pastoralism" The Oxford Companion to Archaeology.


Brian M. Fagan, ed., Oxford University Press 1996. Oxford University Press.

Examples:

In the Steppes, near Kiev, where the wild horse roamed, pastoralists used their knowledge of cattle herding to domesticate the horse.

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