Agricultural Revolution

The Neolithic age Aka New Stone Age Began about 8000 B.C.E. and ended as early as 3000 B.C.E. in some areas. In the Old Stone Age, people were nomads. Nomads - Highly mobile people who moved from place to place foraging, or searching, for new sources of food.

Why did it occur? Nomadic groups whose food supply depends on hunting animals and collecting plant foods are called hunter- gatherers. Agricultural revolution—the far-reaching changes in human life resulting from the beginnings of farming. The shift from food-gathering to food-producing culture represents one of the great breakthroughs in history. Wild grain was discovered – allowed pop. Increase New pressure to find new food sources. Farming offered a steady source of food, unlike hunting.

Slash-and-burn farming Early farming method used. Cutting trees or grasses and burning them to clear a field, fertilizing soil with the ash. Farmers plant crops for a year or two, then move to another location. Eventually, everything grows back and other farmers repeat!

Slash-and-burn result

Domestication Taming of animals or wild plants. Tamed dogs, goats, pigs, and horses. Led to eventual pastoral societies. Occurred over thousands of years. Farming helped goods spread to surrounding regions.

Results of Agricultural Revolution More food = more supported population More than enough food = surplus which leads to trading. Trade allowed societies to become more prosperous. More prosperous society allowed social statuses to emerge. Men > Women

Cont. Religion became more formalized. Worship of elements-fire, water, air, earth, etc. Megaliths – huge stone monuments like Stonehenge --> New diseases Animals/man living closely Flu, measles, smallpox Warfare between societies Land was very important for farming Led to more settled and established villages.

Çatal Hüyük

Few roads, people enter houses from roof entrances!

This is an artist's recreation of the village of Çatal Hüyük in what is today Turkey. The village had a population of between 5,000 and 6,000 people and was built around 6800 B.C. Notice that the houses are built so close together that one had enter each house through a hole in the roof.

Çatal Hüyük (chuh-TUL-hoo-yook) Settled agricultural village known as “the forked mound” Discovered in 1958 in south-central turkey. Was home to 5,000-6,000 people. Major example of the benefits of settled life. Various culture life. Would be the type of settlement that would expand into a city, where new tools, arts, and crafts would be created.

Otzi the Iceman

Otzi Found in 1991 by hikers in Italy’s Otzal Alps. Preserved from the ice and cold, dated back 5,300 years to the Neolithic times! Found with a deerskin quiver, flint dagger, copper bladed ax. Shoulder wound of an arrow suggests he may have been murdered and possibly went into the mountains trying to escape, where he became too weak and died. He also had tattoos 