The Neolithic Revolution

Social Changes

1)People settled into permanent villages and were no longer nomadic 2)As people learned to control their own food supply, surplus production caused populations to increase drastically •World population grew from 5-8 million to 60-70 million by 4000 BCE Eventually agricultural populations began to spread out, displacing or assimilating nomadic groups •Farming societies grew large enough for advanced social organization...

Neolithic Revolution: E Box

About 10,000 years ago people in the Middle East learned how to raise a wild wheat plant, and agriculture (farming and raising livestock) was born - huge changes followed for humans! Some of the causes of the Neolithic Revolution, or the start of settled agriculture, are a warmer climate and longer growing season. Very gradually, through a process of trial and error, humans in several parts of the world learned to control their food supply.

SOCIAL Advantages & Costs of Agriculture

Advantages ●Steady food supplies ●People can settle ●Greater populations ●Leads to organized societies capable of supporting additional occupations: specialized jobs develop!! Cost ●Heavily dependant on certain crops (failure = starvation for all) (cost) ●More physical work (cost) ●Disease from close contact with animals, humans, & waste (cost) ●Can't easily leave sites (cost) ●Inequality... (cost)

POLITICAL

After farming was adopted, governments became more and more complex. Decisions about irrigation were too important to be left to a council of elders, and groups were too large to share power. A single ruler typically came to power and established hereditary rule: dynasty! Rulers also typically claimed their power came from the gods, or were view as godlike: Theocracy

The Neolithic Revolution

Agriculture developed independently in a few places, and then slowly and gradually spread outward to new areas

Domestication of Plants and Animals

At about the same time, people began to domesticate (tame and control the breeding of) wild animals, raising them for food and as a source of energythat could pull wagons and plows. The dog was the first animal tamed, followed by the goat, horse and pig...

The Neolithic Revolution Social/Political: First Towns/Cities Develop

Catal Huyuk Modern Turkey First settled: c. 7000BCE Jericho Modern Israel First settled

Economic: Pastoralism

In areas that weren't suitable for farming, some people developed a lifestyle that revolved around herding domestic animals. People would use the animals for food, clothing, and other products. This way of life is called pastoralsim. Pastoral Nomads - wandering herders of goats and sheep What about places that were not suitable for farming, and had no domesticatable animal species?

Why is this Neolithic Revolution important?

In order to grow crops, humans will have to "settle down" ! and wait for the seeds / crops to grow. • "Settling down" meant the first human settlements (villages and later, cities!) • Once settled, humans tamed animals (goats, cattle, pigs, sheep) > used as beasts of burden, sources of meat protein, milk, hides and fibers for protective clothing. • Better diet & food surpluses (grain storage) > increased birth rates, decreased infant mortality rates, increased life expectancies > population explosion > large civilizations. • Put simply, because humans finally settled down... the Neolithic Revolution (Agriculture) led to Civilization!

What does this mean?

Jericho and Çatal Hϋyϋk tell us that there were the social organization necessary to support non-producing specialists such as: ●Priests ●Craftspeople ●Had labor to build defensive walls, megalithic structures, and tombs. ●Unknown if labor to build was free or coerced.

New Stone Age (Neolithic Age)

Lasted from about 10,000 B.C.E. to 3,000 B.C.E. b. Modern Man is from this period c. Advanced tools, ability to make pottery, domestication of animals and raised crops (AGRICULTURE) - farmed their own food!!

Jericho

Located on West Bank of Jordan River. ●Walled town with mud-brick structures ●Dates back to 7000 B.C.E.

Early Towns & Specialties

Most early food-producing societies were towns, but some places grew successfully enough to become cities ●Featured elaborate dwellings, surplus food storage, specialized craftsmen ●Two examples: Jericho and Çatal Hϋyϋk

Animism

Religion became more organized and focused on many nature and animal spirits. People began to develop religious rituals. Early civilizations came to believe in many gods and goddesses: Polytheism!! They believed that the gods and goddesses control the forces of nature, and therefore had lots of power over human lives. Complex rituals and sacrifices were performed to keep the gods happy.

The Neolithic Revolution

SOCIAL: Specialized Jobs and Social Classes!!! •Specialization led to social differentiation and Inequality: metal workers, pottery workers, farmers, soldiers, religious and political leaders came to be viewed and treated differently. •Beginnings of social stratification (Social classes form!)

SOCIAL

Specialization of Labor This food surplus caused so many changes to society, eventually leading to the first civilizations! Agricultural surpluses meant that not everyone had to work on food production, and that led to

New technologies

TECHNOLOGICAL: Farmers increased food production through irrigation which allowed for the cultivation of more land. New technology such as the plow and wheel developed, which led to a Technological explosion!!!

Early Human Impact on the Environment

The relationship between humans and their environment began to shift. People had much more of an effect on the environment than they did during the Paleolithic! Deforestation and slash and burn agriculture •Erosion and flooding from clearing land •Selective extinction of large land animals and weed plants due to hunting & agriculture

Further Technological Advancements

Wheeled Vehicles ●Saves labor, allows transport of large loads and enhances trade Potters Wheel (c.6000BCE) ●Allows the construction of more durable clay vessels and artwork Irrigation & Driven Plows ●Allows further increase of food production, encourages pop. growth

The Neolithic Revolution Gender: Roles of Women

Women generally lost status and males came to have all of the political power: Patriarchy! •Women were limited in opportunities: food production, child care, etc. •Their work was no longer seen as valuable since they didn't do the farming or fighting. •Women lacked the social and political rights and power that men had. Add this information to your social and political boxes.

Writing

Writing began as pictographs which were symbols of objects. Ex. Cuneiform writing developed in Sumer and was wedge shaped. Professional record keepers who could read and write were known as Scribes.

TECHNOLOGICAL: Record Keeping

Writing probably began as a way to record business dealings, especially the exchange of agricultural products. Writing was used to track accounts, record time or seasons (calendar) and record laws. People specially trained to write were called Scribes. The government strictly controlled them! Cities and writing are considered the primary indicators of civilization

Stone Ages 1. Old Stone Age (Paleolithic Age)

a. Lasted from about 2.5 million B.C.E. to 10,000 B.C.E. b. Oldest stone tools date back to this period. c. All 5 types of early man date back to this period ... and they all were Hunter-Gatherers ! But then came a Revolution (a great change) in human behavior. Agriculture!

Revolution

means a dramatic transformation (change in behavior), usually requiring great effort, but producing long-lasting changes. i.e. Agricultural Revolution, Industrial Revolution, American Revolution

Neolithic Revolution

the great change in human behavior when human shifted from hunting-gathering to growing their own food (agriculture).