The Neolithic Revolution

1. The Neolithic Revolution Farming and the Emergence of Complex Societies 10,000 – 1,000 BCE.

4. 1,000 years ago Today 10,000 years ago Domestication of Plants and Animals Farming Population Intensification Surplus Food Specialization Complex Society, also known as CIVILIZATION The Neolithic Period - - - Rise of Complex Societies

5. animals and plants One of the major changes is reflected in this frieze on a wall in Mesopotamia (today Iraq) : which reflects the DOMESTICATION of…

6. Domestication of plants and animals was a monumental change. Have you ‘herd’ about pastoralism? It resulted in the new way of living we know as FARMING (AGRICULTURE)… …which included both PASTORALISM (herding sheep, goats, cattle, horses, and camels), and…

7. Crop-growing (cultivating domesticated plants), and…

8. the development of… FARMING COMMUNITIES

9. The Neolithic Revolution Independent Development vs. Cultural Diffusion • Areas of Independent Development: • SW Asia (wheat, pea, olive, sheep, goat) • 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)

10. Eastern North America China Fertile Crescent Nile valley West Africa Mesoamerica New Guinea Ethiopia Andes Amazonia Between about 12,000 and 1,000 BCE, farming appeared INDEPENDENTLY in a number of places, possibly in all of the places marked in red on the map.

11. Prior to farming, population size in any one area was limited by the availability of wild game, grain, berries, seeds, and nuts. POPULATION INTENSIFICATION Farming and the large, relatively dependable crops it provides allowed for… That means population increases in certain areas. Population in those areas became both larger and denser.

12. At the same time, farmers in some places were, in spite of population growth, able to produce SURPLUS food. What does SURPLUS FOOD PRODUCTION mean for a society?

13. SURPLUS FOOD PRODUCTION… …means that not everyone has to grow food or tend animals. They can take on other tasks. They can specialize in some non-farming task.

14. This is called… • Job Specialization. • Men and women may become: • Weavers • Stone Masons • Potters • Priests • Scribes • Traders • Army officers

15. Domestication of Plants and Animals Farming Population Intensification Surplus Food Specialization Complex Society, also known as CIVILIZATION

16. The Neolithic Revolution Metal Working: From Copper to Bronze • The working of metals became very important to early human settlements for tools & weapons. • Early settlements gradually shifted from copper to the stronger alloy bronze by 3,000BCE—ushers in the Bronze Age! • Metal working spread throughout human communities slowly as agriculture had.

17. The Neolithic Revolution Further Technological Advancements

18. 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.

19. The Neolithic Revolution Advanced Civilization: The Next Step? • By 3500BCE, relatively large, advanced preliterate societies had developed along the Indus, Huang He, Nile, and Tigris & Euphrates Rivers. • As societies grew in size and need, sedentary human beings were once again faced with pressures to adapt to changing natural and human environments.

20. What is Civilization? What Does it Mean to be Civilized?

21. Who is the MOST Civilized? Who would you consider to be living in a more civilized environment? A Nomadic Bedouin Family in Saudi Arabia A Suburban Family in the United States

22. What is Civilization? But how about…? • Slavery? • Large-scale warfare? • A permanent lower class? • Theocracy or Monarchism?

23. How Have Past Historians Used the Concept? • To distinguish accomplished, culturally advanced peoples from “barbarians” or “savages”. • To enforce ethnocentric ideals; some people were “inferior”. • Civilized = Your own culture • Inferior = Every other culture

24. Past Societies & "Others" Who has been guilty of this view? • Westerners (Europeans & Americans), the Chinese, the Japanese, the Sumerians, the Babylonians, the Egyptians, the various Muslim Empires, the Aztecs, the Incas… • Hey, are you seeing a pattern?

25. Elements of civilization include: 1)Cities Mohenjo Daro It’s the law 2) Central governments And Law codes Hammurabi’s Law Code Pharaohs

26. Elements of Civilization include: 1)Cities 2) Central governments and law codes 3) Writing and record keeping Can you identify the society represented by each of these two writing samples? 4) Highly organized religions

27. Elements of Civilization include: 1)Cities 2) Central Governments and law codes 5) Specialized Jobs 3) Writing and record keeping 4) Highly organized religion Full-time monk 6) Social Classes Assyrian slaves In Egypt

28. Elements of Civilization include: 1)Cities 2) Central governments and law codes 7) Complex Technologies 3) Writing and record keeping 4) Highly organized religion Chariot 5) Specialized jobs 6) Social classes Bronze Sword

29. So, have you been paying attention or doing a bit of day dreaming? Can you list some of the elements of a civilization? Let’s check! Clue: There were 7!

30. Good job if your list includes: Check your answers below: • 1. Cities • 2. Central governments and law codes • 3. Writing and record-keeping • 4. Specialized jobs • Social classes • Complex technologies • Highly organized religions Good job, huh?

31. Big Eras 4-9 1,000 years ago Today 3,000 years ago 10,000 years ago By 3,000 BCE, societies in Southwest Asia and Egypt were developing elements of complex societies. Are we supposed to be taking notes on this? Big Era 2 Big Era 3

32. By about 1000 BCE, there were several well-established civilizations in Afroeurasia. There were also two new ones in the Americas. At least two civilizations in Afroeurasia, the Minoan in the Mediterranean region and the Harappan in the Indus River valley had already come and gone.

33. Big Eras 4-9 1,000 years ago Today 10,000 years ago Now, looking back let’s review the major changes. Big Era 2 Big Era 3

34. Big Eras 4-9 1,000 years ago Today 10,000 years ago Domestication of Plants and Animals Farming Population Intensification Surplus Food Specialization Complex Society, also known as CIVILIZATION Big Era 2 Big Era 3

35. That translates into: Farmers Herders Cities Central governments Armies Monumental buildings Written language Social hierarchies Complex belief systems In 10,000 BCE none of these existed in the world. By 1,000 BCE they all did.

36. Big Eras 4-9 Art Language 1k years ago Today 200k yrs ago Not only has life changed culturally and technologically, but also the rate of change has accelerated. Letters and envelopes Writing Irrigation Pyramids Wheel Copper smelting Temple building Walled cities . Dogs, sheep. goats, horses, wheat, rice, chiles, potatoes—all domesticated Plow farming Alphabet Chariots Pottery 360-degree circle Sailing technology Law Codes Regular trade routes Bow & arrow Calendars Big Era 1 BE3 Big Era 2 10k years ago

37. Come to think of it, things changed REALLY fast In the 20th century. I wonder what the rate of change is going to be like in the 21st century? As we continue with the Classical Period keep your eye on the rate of change. Does it keep increasing? Level off? Slow down?

38. Well, that’s all for the Early Civilizations, but don’t go away. Hang on to your notes and stay tuned for…

39. The Classical Period Coming SOON to a classroom near you.