The Neolithic Revolution

1. The Neolithic Revolution

2. The Neolithic Revolution The Neolithic Revolution (8000BCE-3500BCE) • AKA Agricultural Revolution: Humans begin to slowly domesticate plants and animals. Introduction of farming • Agriculture requires nomadic peoples to live in permanent settlements. • Populations begin to rise in areas where plant and animal domestication occurred.

3. The Neolithic Revolution Advantages & Costs of Agriculture

4. The Neolithic Revolution Agriculture Slowly Spreads: What do you notice about the core areas?

5. The Neolithic Revolution • Areas of Independent Development: • Tigrus and Euphrates River Valley (wheat, pea, olive, sheep, goat) • Yellow River Valley (rice, millet, pig) • Indus River Valley (rice cultivation) • Nile River Valley (papyrus, bees, cats)

6. The Neolithic Revolution Agriculturalists Dominate • High starch diets slowly allow • populations to grow: rice, wheat, corn • More surplus=more people=more trade • When the first plow is invented • crop yields increase rapidly and by 4000BCE. pop. grows from 5-8 million to 60-70 million • agricultural populations begin to spread out and nomadic groups are displaced or assimilated

7. The Neolithic Revolution First Towns Develop Catal Huyuk Modern Turkey First settled: 7000BCE Jericho Modern Israel First settled: 7000BCE

8. The Neolithic Revolution First Towns Develop • Towns require job specialization: metal workers, pottery workers, farmers, soldiers, religious and political leaders. • (POSSIBLE B/C OF FOOD SURPLUSES!) • Served as trade centers for the area; specialized in the production of certain unique crafts • Beginnings of hierarchy (class)

9. The Neolithic Revolution • What is civilization? • Advanced cities-large populations that rely on farming and TRADE • Specialized Workers-became skilled and expert at jobs other than farming • Complex Institutions- a long lasting pattern of organization in a community (ex. government, religion, the economy) • Record Keeping- developed system of writing to keep track of laws, calendars, tax collection, food storage • Advanced Technology- new tools and techniques that are needed to solve the problems that emerge in society

10. The Neolithic Revolution • Roles of Women • Women generally lost status under male-dominated systems. • Switch from gathering 80% of the diet to simple meal preparation. • Women were limited in jobs • Women lacked the • same social rights as men.

11. The Neolithic Revolution Metal Working: From Copper to Bronze • The working of metals became very important to early human settlements for tools & weapons. • Metal workers had a special place in society because they were considered magical. • Metal working spread throughout human communities slowly as agriculture had.

12. The Neolithic Revolution Further Technological Advancements

13. 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.