1. The Neolithic Revolution

2. Why does this “revolution” occur anyway?
The Neolithic Revolution
Climatic change – drought- caused scarcity of food supplies (12,000 BCE) – especially in Southwest Asia
Population pressure – perhaps saturation point for hunter-gatherers

3. The Neolithic Revolution
(9,000BCE-3,500BCE)
Sometimes termed the
Agricultural Revolution.
Humans begin to slowly domesticate plant and animal stocks in Southwest Asia.
Agriculture requires nomadic peoples to become sedentary.
Populations begin to rise in areas where plant and animal domestication occurs.

4. Costs & Advantages of Agriculture
The Neolithic Revolution
Costs & Advantages of Agriculture
Advantages
Costs
Steady food supplies
Greater populations
Leads to organized societies capable of supporting additional vocations (soldiers, managers, etc.)
Heavily dependant on certain food crops (failure = starvation)
Disease from close contact with animals, humans, & waste
Reduced mobility

5. Agriculture Slowly Spreads
The Neolithic Revolution
Agriculture Slowly Spreads

6. Was it independent development or
The Neolithic Revolution
Was it independent development or
cultural diffusion?
Areas of Independent Development:
SW Asia (has the “Big 5”:horse, cow, pig, sheep & goat…also has wheat, and other crops)
China & SE Asia (rice, millet, pig)
Americas (corn, beans, potato, llama)
Areas of Agriculture through Diffusion:
Europe
West & Sub-Saharan Africa (?)
Indus River Valley (rice cultivation)

7. Domestication of animals led to one of the great historical divides
The Neolithic Revolution
Pastoralists vs. agriculturalists
Northern Eurasian steppes – Turkic speakers and Mongolian nomads
Some engaged in pastoralism or slash & burn agriculture.
The violent and peaceful interaction between nomads and agriculturalists endures throughout history. (trade & raid)

8. Benefits of Neolithic Revolution
The Neolithic Revolution
Benefits of Neolithic Revolution
More protein from domesticated and tamed animals.
Animals - not only meat but milk, fertilizer and power.
Horses -vital weapon and become the major military vehicle until World War I.
Domesticated animals responsible for spread of germs and disease. (pox, measles, flu) Immunity of agriculturalists help them push migrators out of area.
Food surplus from plants = increased population (nomads keep a baby every 4 years) and longer life. Surplus = job specialization: leaders, soldiers, priests and artisans.
COMPLEX SOCIETIES form.

9. Sedentary Agriculturalists Dominate
The Neolithic Revolution
Sedentary Agriculturalists Dominate
High starch diets slowly allow sedentary populations to grow.
Only .1% of plants and animals are edible,
most are indigestible, poisonous, low in nutrition,
tedious to prepare, difficult to gather, or dangerous to hunt.
Only 14 animals and less than .1% of all plants
are domesticable…
First plow invented c.6,000BCE;
crop yields grow exponentially by 4000BCE.
Pop. grows from 5-8 million to million.
Eventually agricultural populations begin to spread out, displacing or assimilating nomadic groups; farming groups grow large enough for advanced social organization.

10. Role of Women “Great Leap Sideways”
The Neolithic Revolution
Role of Women “Great Leap Sideways”
Women generally lost status under male-dominated, patriarchal systems.
Women lost ownership of children
Domestication of animals led to an understanding of how babies come about. Once men understand this they now must “protect” women to ensure their paternity of any babies.
“protect” – to control at all times
Fossil evidence indicates that women were limited in vocation-planting, weeding, harvesting, grinding
Women may have lacked the same social rights as men.

11. Advanced Civilization: The Next Step?
The Neolithic Revolution
Advanced Civilization: The Next Step?
By 3500BCE, relatively large, advanced preliterate societies develop along Indus, Huang He, Nile, and Tigris & Euphrates Rivers.
As societies grow in size and need, sedentary human beings are again faced with pressures to adapt to changing natural and human environments.

12. Early Human Impact on the Environment
The Neolithic Revolution
Early Human Impact on the Environment
Deforestation in places where copper, bronze, and salt were produced.
Erosion and flooding where agriculture disturbed soil and natural vegetation.
Selective extinction of large land animals and weed plants due to hunting & agriculture.

13. The six characteristics of civilization
The Neolithic Revolution
The six characteristics of civilization
1. Advanced cities
population size (10,000s)
trade/ administrative centers
religious centers

14. The Neolithic Revolution
First Towns Develop
Çatal Hüyük
(Modern Turkey)
First settled:
c. 7000BCE
Jericho
(Modern Israel)
First settled:
c. 7000BCE
relatively egalitarian---no evidence of
labor specialization or gender distinction

15. The Neolithic Revolution
2. Specialized Workers
Lived in cities, fed by surplus food
Artisans, shopkeepers, soldiers, officials, rulers, priests

16. The Neolithic Revolution
3. Social Classes
Invert these two
if talking about
China

17. The Neolithic Revolution
4. Complex Institutions
the long- lasting patterns of organization
Government
Religion
Education
military

18. The Neolithic Revolution
5.Recordkeeping/writing
Keep track of events, time, business transactions, religious rituals

19. The Neolithic Revolution
6. Advanced technology
Monumental architecture
Art, public works
New tools

20. Technological Advancements
The Neolithic Revolution
Technological Advancements
Wheeled Vehicles
Save labor, allow transport of large loads and enhance trade
Potters Wheel (c.6000BCE)
Allows the construction of more durable clay vessels and artwork
Irrigation & Driven Plows
Allow further increase of food production, encourages pop. growth

21. What are the consequences?
The Neolithic Revolution
The Biggest Mistake in Human History?
Hunter-gatherers work about 20% of the day to provide enough food to survive, farmers work about 60% of the day to provide enough to survive. Duh!!!
Divergence between world’s parts grew – despite common origins mankind diverges and distinct cultures emerge

22. A Paleolitic shaman created The Venus of Willendorf, estimated to have been made between 22,000 B.C.E. and 21,000 B.C.E. It was discovered at a Paleolithic site in Austria. It is carved from limestone that is not local to the area POV???