Definitions The wide-scale transition of many human cultures from a lifestyle of hunting and gathering to one of agriculture and settlement. Nutrient rich sediment deposited after the flooding of rivers. An area of land drained by a river and it’s branches. The process of taming an animal and keeping as a pet or on a farm. The science of breeding, feeding and tending to domesticated animals especially farm animals

What is the Neolithic Revolution? Transition from Hunting & Gathering to Agriculture Settlement Characterized by the growing of cereal grains and other domesticated crops and domesticated animals.

Agriculture Vs. Hunting & Gathering Domestication of plants Selective breeding of cereal grasses e.g. barley Why switch to grains? Beer! Beer has advantages (beyond the intoxicating effects and taste) high B vitamin content, essential amino acid lysine and it was safer to drink than water as the brewing process killed off bacteria and viruses.

What made it possible to grow cereal grains?

Flooding & Silt The rivers that all early civilizations developed around flooded. This was important because the flooding brought a nutrient rich soil called silt. Because of silt crops grew really well…really really well…like crazy good…like so good it would blow your mind how well these crops were growing…

So why did flooding occur and where did all that sweet sweet silt come from? Two words…River Basins A river basin is the area of land drained by a river and it’s branches

Tigris, Euphrates, & Indus

Yellow & Yangtze

Animal Domestication What is Domestication? The process of taming an animal and keeping as a pet or on a farm. Animals that were domesticated Canis Lupus Familiaris (Dogs) 13,000 BCE Used for hunting

Goats Used for fiber, meat, milk, leather. 10,000 BCE

Sheep Used for fiber (wool) and meat (mutton) & milk. 9,000 – 8,500 BCE

Pigs Used for meat and leather. 9,000 BCE

Cattle Used for meat, milk, leather & hides, plowing & transportation. 8,000 BCE

Donkey Used for transportation, plowing, meat 5,000

Water Buffalo Used for plowing, transportation, meat. 4,000 BCE

Dromedary Camel Used for transportation, plowing, milk, & meat. 4,000 BCE

Horse Used for transportation, milk, meat, & plowing. 3,500 BCE

Yak Used for milk, transportation, plowing, & meat 2,500 BCE

Bactrian Camel Used for milk, transportation, plowing, meat, & fiber. 2,500 BCE

Llama & Alpaca Used for transportation, pack animal, fiber & meat. 2,400 BCE

Man modifies beasts Domestication of animals for animal husbandry (the science of breeding, feeding and tending to domesticated animals especially farm animals). Animal husbandry involves selecting for desirable traits e.g. size, temperament, growth rate, etc.

These changes took place over millennia. Man modifies the environment changing the environment to provide space for fields and grazing These changes took place over millennia.

Advantages to Cities and Agriculture Introduction to Trade Time to invent machines and other tools Larger population Exposure to ideas Specialization of labor

Disadvantages to Cities and Agriculture Crime Disease Patriarchy Free-riding War