 The image above is a Palaeolithic axe.  The earliest humans are believed to have started in the Palaeolithic era.  This time period started roughly 2.6 million years ago.

 Early humans were nomadic.  Nomadic: constantly moving in order to find food (water).  These first humans lived off of nature. Their food came from hunting and gathering (edible plants, nuts, grains).  These early humans lived in small groups of about  Whenever they would run out of food in one area they would move to another.

 Located in the near east, is nicknamed the “cradle of civilization.”  This means that the first civilizations were started in this area.  This area has a very rich soil mostly due to flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.  It also has access to the Persian gulf, Mediterranean and Red Seas.

 The soil in this area was rich in nutrients which allowed people to farm.  The Fertile Crescent incorporates modern day; Kuwait, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

 Between and BC. Humans began to adopt a sedentary lifestyle.  Sedentary: to remain in one place.  Evidence of sendentarization have been discovered all over the world.  The oldest examples come from an area located in the near east; the Fertile Crescent

 It is believed that early humans settled in the Fertile Crescent because of its abundance of edible plants.  These people begin to develop tools to harvest these plants.  This area was also home to many different types of animals.  Early humans noticed that many animals came to the river banks to feed, drink, and mate.  This made the animal supply virtually endless.

 Humans are gregarious.  This means that it is in our nature to live in groups.  The earliest human formed small and simple societies, in order to search for food.  Society: a group who lives together over a long period of time and develop similar traits.

 These societies has a vast territory without defined boarders.  They acquired food through hunting (men) and gathering (women).  For example: grains and wild fruit or mammoth  When the food supply in a certain area would become depleted, these societies would move to a new area.

 Around 8000 BC early humans began to cultivate plants.  This meant that humans did not have to move around to look for food.  How did this happen?  How did early humans discover agricultural practices?  Unfortunately we do not know for sure but we have two hypothesis.

 Early humans knew where to find wild fruit and grains.  They were also expert hunters and could observe animals without alerting them.  It is possible that early humans observed that seeds that were carried by these animals fell on the ground, and sprouted.  After a certain period of time they began to sow the seeds themselves.

 Early humans would gather fruit and grains.  They noticed that new plants would grow where seeds where left on the ground.  These groups began to plant seeds themselves. With both of these hypothesis people began leaving behind the nomadic lifestyle and adopting a sedentary way of life.

 With the emergence of farming people did not have to constantly move to find food.  Instead people spent their harvesting crops and developing tools to make harvesting easier.  They developed tools like; the hoe, sickle, grinder, and rubbing stone.  They also made baskets and other containers to store food.

 The period in which sedentarization occurs is the Neolithic period.  The first villages were located near farmer’s fields.  These villages were protected by a large stone wall.  Villages held about people.  However, larger villages like Çatal Hüyük did appear.

 Çatal Hüyük is located in modern day Turkey.  It is believed that is housed close to 7000 people.  It is know for its unique design of interconnected square houses.  Most houses were one room, with a fireplace and a ladder to access to door.

 Many house were decorated with paintings of animals. These were called frescos.  Many Neolithic villages had statues of the mother goddess.  In Neolithic societies a women’s fertility was worshiped.  Fertile women meant survival of the group.

 When people started to farm they also began protecting their crops.  This quickly led to the idea of property and ownership.  This also led to conflict over property and ownership of land between different groups.  Also during this period, population increased.

 Since people were not constantly moving, many were able to concentrate on stating a family.  With a regular supply of food children could be raised properly and in a safe environment.  With a constant food supply many people became craftsmen, since there was no need for so many farmers.  These craftsmen made tools, worked with metals, made clothes, baskets, and pots.

 In the Nomadic lifestyle men and women had different tasks to accomplish.  This carried over during the first years of sedentarization.  However, as skilled craftsmen emerged this developed new social classes.  This meant that for the first time in history people classified by their jobs not by their gender.

 With the rise of farming there was a surplus (extra) of food in Neolithic villages.  Farmers would trade their surplus for tools, baskets, pots, and other services.  This type of trade was called bartering.  Some people even became merchants.  These merchants would bring their goods to far away villages in order to trade.

 It is presumed that in nomadic societies decisions were made by the group’s best hunters.  Since there lives consisted of acquiring food.  However, Neolithic villages were very different.  Historians have very little evidence on how a Neolithic village was run.

 We have two possible hypothesis: 1) Strong Central Authority  One leader who is advised by close family/friends. This leader makes all of the decisions. 2) Village Council  A group of village members who make decisions together.