Prior to the Akkadian period the progressive salinisation of the soils, produced by poorly drained irrigation, had been reducing yields of wheat in the southern part of the country, leading to the conversion to more salt-tolerant barley growing.

Prior to 1991 the law was stricter, when changes more clearly defined which businesses were exempt such as pharmacies, hospitals, and restaurants.

Prior to the internet, virtual communities ( like social or academic organizations ) were far more limited by the constraints of available communication and transportation technologies.

Prior to the mid-20th century, double bass strings were usually made of gut, but since that time, steel strings have largely replaced gut strings, because steel strings hold their pitch better and yield more volume when played with the bow.

Prior to Emperor Meiji, the names of the eras were changed more frequently, and the posthumous names of the emperors were chosen in a different manner.

Prior to the suspension, Peace Corps had more than 100 volunteers throughout the country, and the program is gradually increasing its numbers again.

Prior to the 386, the difficulty of manufacturing microchips and the uncertainty of reliable supply made it desirable that any mass-market semiconductor be multi-sourced, that is, made by two or more manufacturers, the second and subsequent companies manufacturing under license from the originating company.

Prior to Grimm's time, philology was nothing but a more or less laborious and conscientious dilettanteism, with occasional flashes of scientific inspiration.

Prior to the election, more than fifty of Doe's opponents were murdered.

Prior to the civil war, Internet filtering under the Gaddafi regime had become more selective, focusing on a few political opposition Web sites.

Prior to June 2005, the Maldivian political system was based on the election of individuals, rather than the more common system of election according to party platform.

Prior to this, cohorts had been temporary administrative units or tactical task forces of several maniples, even more transitory than the legions themselves.

Prior to 1973, Conservative Judaism had more limited roles for women and was more similar to current Modern Orthodoxy, with changes on issues including mixed seating, synagogue corporate leadership, and permitting women to be called to the Torah.

Prior to that date, an award for working more than 100 countries on RTTY was only available via RTTY Journal.

Prior to the Constitution, a federal body was one where states effectively formed nothing more than permanent treaties, with citizens retaining their loyalty to their original state.

Prior to the construction of a dam at the resurgence to feed water to the paper mill downstream, two more chambers ( the Fourth and Fifth ) were accessible.

Prior to the tour, Nicks started work with a voice coach, to lend her voice more control and protect it from the stress of lengthy touring schedules.

Prior to the 20th century, it was a commonly-held belief that nature itself was simple and that simpler hypotheses about nature were thus more likely to be true.

When the fallacy of begging the question is committed in more than one step, it is sometimes referred to as circulus in probando or reasoning in a circle but incorrectly so, if this fallacy is considered under the definition Aristotle gave in Prior Analytics.

Prior to the wide availability of steel, rocks of iron pyrite would be used along with the flint, in a similar ( but more time-consuming ) way.

Prior to this time, lobster was considered a mark of poverty or as a food for indentured servants or lower members of society in Maine, Massachusetts and the Canadian Maritimes, and servants specified in employment agreements that they would not eat lobster more than twice per week.

Prior to the Phanerozoic ( before 544 Ma ), it is believed that microbial or inorganic processes weakly regulated the ocean's silicon cycle .< ref name = grenne03 > Subsequently, the cycle appears dominated ( and more strongly regulated ) by the radiolarians and siliceous sponges, the former as zooplankton, the latter as sedentary filter feeders primarily on the continental shelves.

Prior to this conclusion he was notable as a psychoanalyst for working with the most difficult of patients and for developing a theory of more active intervention than is usual for psychoanalytic practice.

Prior to the publication of Keynes ' General Theory, mainstream economic thought was that the economy existed in a state of general equilibrium, meaning that the economy naturally consumes whatever it produces because the needs of consumers are always greater than the capacity of the economy to satisfy those needs.

Prior to Keynes, a situation in which aggregate demand for goods and services did not meet supply was referred to by classical economists as a general glut, although there was disagreement among them as to whether a general glut was possible.

Prior to this period there was a general perception that the climate of Washington State was too cold to produce red wine varietals.

Despite this very general definition, in the Prior Analytics, Aristotle limits himself to categorical syllogisms, which consist of three categorical propositions.

Prior to the 1960s and 70s, hospital emergency departments were generally staffed by physicians on staff at the hospital on a rotating basis, among them general surgeons, internists, psychiatrists, and dermatologists.

Prior to Fourier's work, no solution to the heat equation was known in the general case, although particular solutions were known if the heat source behaved in a simple way, in particular, if the heat source was a sine or cosine wave.

Prior to 1840, meteorological observations in Canada were made by private individuals, other entities ( like HBC ), and explorers, but this information was not provided to the general public.

Prior to the 2000 general elections, the PRI held its first primaries to elect the party's presidential candidate.

Prior to the 2006 general election, the county was a dry county, prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages.

Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Chesterfield Township had been in state legislative district 30. Based on the results of the 2010 Census, the New Jersey Redistricting Commission has shifted Chesterfield into the, a change that will take effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Fieldsboro had been in state legislative district 30. Based on the results of the 2010 Census, the New Jersey Redistricting Commission has shifted Fieldsboro into the, a change that will take effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Oceanport Boro had been in state legislative district 12. Based on the results of the 2010 Census, the New Jersey Redistricting Commission has shifted Oceanport into the, a change that will take effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Shrewsbury Boro had been in state legislative district 12. Based on the results of the 2010 Census, the New Jersey Redistricting Commission has shifted Shrewsbury into the, a change that will take effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Bloomingdale Boro had been in state legislative district 26. Based on the results of the 2010 Census, the New Jersey Redistricting Commission has placed Bloomingdale entirely within the 11th Congressional District, a change that will take effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

Prior to the Civil War they were joined by the Roe, Leonard and Stansfield families, who helped establish St. Mary's Episcopal Church and leading businesses like a general store and the Leonard Wax Company.

Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Bridgewater Township had been in state legislative district 16. Based on the results of the 2010 Census, the New Jersey Redistricting Commission has shifted boundaries so that Bridgewater will no longer be split between districts and will be entirely within the 7th district, a change that will take effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

Prior to 1928, the Labour Party and Trades Union Congress shared offices on Eccleston Square, and it was here in 1926 that the general strike was organised.

Prior to the adoption of the rules by the United States House of Representatives, the House operates under general parliamentary rules and Jefferson's Manual but these are not binding on the current House until they are approved by the membership of the current Congress.

Prior to the July 1956 general elections in the Gold Coast, a plebiscite was conducted under United Nations ( UN ) auspices to decide the future disposition of British Togoland and French Togoland.

Prior to 2002, the Polish rank of generał brygady was equivalent to both the ranks of major general and brigadier general.

Prior to the January 2008 general election, the positions were held by Sir Fred Gollop and Dame Patricia Symmonds.

Prior to defecting, Jackson had indicated he would not stand in the forthcoming general election, following Iain Duncan-Smith's election as Conservative Leader, and he duly stepped down in April 2005.