As hunter-gatherer groups began to settle down into permanent farming communities, they were confronted with these two problems:

• accumulations of waste from both humans and the newly-domesticated animals seemingly increased rates of disease.

• the communities had to keep the soil fertile over many years of activity.

The solution was the domestication of animals, for not only did these animals provide the traction for ards, but now corralled and deprived of their extensive ranges, these early farming communities were able to gather their dung more easily and spread this on their fields. To these early farming communities manure was vital to the establishment of these prototypical centres, helping to create both place and community.