The Neolithic Revolution

Aim: Why was the Neolithic Revolution a major turning point in world history? Vocabulary: agriculture, hunter-gatherer domesticated animals, slash and burn, obsidian, metallurgy

In the very beginning… Anthropologists believe that Homo sapiens appeared around 100,000-200,000 years ago in Africa (“Out of Africa” thesis). Stone Age- 2.5 million years ago to 5,000-6000 years ago. Subdivided into the Paleolithic (“Old Stone Age”) which ended about 12,000 years ago, the Mesolithic (“Middle Stone Age”) which ended about 12,000 to 10,000 years ago and the Neolithic (“New Stone Age”) which began about 8000 BCE. Stone age people sustained themselves by hunting and gathering (foraging) and were nomadic. They had tribes and clans. Stone Age humans practiced a variety of religious rituals. There was a gender division of labor and men did the heavy labor (i.e. hunting) while women did work such as maintaining the home.

THE NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION BEGINS! Agriculture began after 9000 B.C.E. Grains such a wheat and barley were cultivated in Southwest Asia Animals such as pigs, cattle, sheep, and goats were domesticated Google images Grain.org

The Spread of Agriculture Slash and Burn Cultivation involved slashing the bark on trees and later burning the dead ones. The soil was enriched for a few years but eventually lost its fertility. Farmers were forced to move on to new territory.

By 4000 B.C.E. agriculture had reached Northern Europe By 7000 B.C.E. Sudanese Africa and West Africa cultivated root crops such as sorghum and yams In China people of the Yangtze River valley cultivated rice about 6500 B.C.E. By 6000 B.C.E. agriculture had spread to the eastern Mediterranean basin and the Balkans By 4000 B.C.E. agriculture had reached Northern Europe Images-wikipedia

Agriculture involved more work than foraging but it produced a constant food supply. This resulted in population growth. People settled into villages, but as agriculture resulted in an abundance of food, not all villagers needed to farm. This resulted in the development of other occupations such as manufacture of pottery, metal tools, textiles, wood products, and jewelry.

Pottery Neolithic Pottery The earliest pottery found on the Korean peninsula dates from the beginning of the Neolithic Age, about 7000 BC.  Vessels were hand built from coils of clay and fired in open or semi-open kilns at low temperatures of about 700° C.  These unglazed, porous wares are found throughout Korea in large quantities and in a variety of shapes and decorative styles, reflecting the diversity of material culture of the Neolithic period and the contacts between populations living in different parts of the peninsula. Comb-patterned wares are the most representative type of ceramics from Korea's prehistoric period. This exceptionally large jar, which may have been used for storage of grains, has a typically pointed base and displays striking patterns of diagonal lines that were incised into the damp clay, perhaps with a comblike implement, before firing. Excavated at Amsa-dong, near the Han River in modern-day Seoul, it attests to the long history of human habitation at the site.  Metmuseum.org

Early Settlements Jericho was established around 8000 B.C.E. in present day Israel (on the west bank of the Jordan River). This tower likely served as a defensive fortification Bibleplaces.com

Artifacts left there indicate an extensive specialization of labor. Catal Huyuk was established around 7000 B.C.E. in present day Anatolia, Turkey. Artifacts left there indicate an extensive specialization of labor. The people there traded obsidian (black volcanic glass) with neighboring peoples. Excavation at Catal Huyuk Obsidian Smm.org

SKARA BRAE (3200-2200 BCE) http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/skarabrae/ Today Skerrabra - or Skara Brae (in Scotland) as it has become known - is made up of eight dwellings, linked together by a series of low alleyways. Because of the protection offered by the sand that covered the settlement for 4,000 years, the buildings and their contents are incredibly well-preserved. Not only are the walls of the structure still standing and alleyways roofed with their original stone slabs, but the interior fittings of each dwelling give an unparalleled glimpse of life as it was in Neolithic Orkney. Each house shares the same basic design - a large square room with a central fireplace, a bed on either side and a shelved dresser on the wall opposite the doorway. http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/skarabrae/

Early Metallurgy Metallurgy- the science of extracting and refining metal from raw ore Metalworking- the craft of shaping refined metal into tools. Early examples such as jewelry (made of gold, silver, lead, copper) date back to as early as 6400 B.C.E.

Large-scale Metallurgy Began in the Middle East and China between 4000 BCE-3000 BCE. The Bronze Age began around 3500-1200 BCE when people mixed copper and tin to create bronze. Bronze eventually replaced stone ones. This ended the Stone Age. Around 1200 BCE iron was developed and it was very strong and useful, ending the Bronze Age.

Why was the Neolithic Revolution a major turning point in world history?