Hunting and gathering requires a nomadic way of life. In the Middle East there is archaeological evidence of a change about 12,000 years ago. Evidence suggests a sedentary way of life for the Natufian people. They were the first known people to settle down in one place, which would have profound implications for the Earth. In Botswana, the government has put in a well, school, and health clinic, so some of the San people are now settling down.
Agriculture takes less land area to support a community of a given size.
The switch to agriculture happened 10,000 years ago in the Middle East. Domestication of animals happened at about the same time. After development of a sedentary lifestyle, new environmental limits begin to emerge. By 2,000 years later, the quality of the plaster had deteriorated. Eventually they stopped making plaster altogether, then abandoned the village.