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Neolithic Revolution

Neolithic Revolution. (Agricultural Revolution). Adapted from: http://intra.burltwpsch.org/users/rlee/apworld.htm. Pre-Revolution. For 99% of human existence, our forbears lived by hunting and foraging These individuals were tied to the seasons of plant foods and the movements of animals

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Neolithic Revolution

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  1. Neolithic Revolution (Agricultural Revolution) Adapted from: http://intra.burltwpsch.org/users/rlee/apworld.htm

  2. Pre-Revolution • For 99% of human existence, our forbears lived by hunting and foraging • These individuals were tied to the seasons of plant foods and the movements of animals • Deliberated cultivation of food (beginning of food production) began about 10,000 years ago > called the Neolithic Revolution • The development of agriculture most clearly moved humans toward a more sophisticated social and cultural patterns

  3. What is an agricultural society? • Humans settle in one spot and focus on particular economic, political, and religious goals and activities • Most people are farmers production of food is the number 1 economic activity

  4. Initial Development • Neolithic Revolution was triggered by two results of the end of the ice age • population increase • the retreat of big game animals like the mastodon • now hunters had to turn to smaller game like deer and boar • increasingly humans became dependent on regular harvests of wild grains, berries and nuts (foraging) • this set the stage for the deliberate planting of seeds

  5. Domestication of Animals • First domesticated animal - dog: Why? > for hunting. • other animals were also domesticated in the Middle East and parts of Asia by 9000 BCE  pigs, sheep, goats, cattle • Pastorialism  way of life dependent on large herds of stock

  6. Where did farming initially develop? • Middle East as early as 10,000 BCE in the "fertile crescent" of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers • This area was very fertile in that time • Grains abundant  emmer wheat, barley, oats, rye as well as pulses (legumes)

  7. Timeline – pages 2 & 3 • gradually agriculture spread to India, North America, Europe over a period of 2000 to 3000 years

  8. Development of Agriculture • Neolithic means New Stone • Not a sudden revolution • Began around 8000 BCE

  9. Why is it a true “revolution”? • Agriculture supported far more people per square mile than hunting ever could • Allowed people to settle permanently • Not easy  require more work • Supported people with better food supplies • Villages appeared  basis for future civilizations

  10. New Tools Were Required • 1. Stone heads on sticks to work soil • 2. Sharp stone chips in handle to cut grain • 3. Stone mortar to grind grain • 4. FIRE

  11. Drawback of Settlement • concentrated populations encouraged spread of contagious disease • In short, Agriculture  Basis for More Rapid Change in Human Societies

  12. Results of the "Agriculture Revolution" • greater wealth • because of larger populations  specialization • control over nature • promoted early forms of science/technology

  13. Major Changes: • Discovery of metal tools around 4000 BCE (copper first then bronze • 3000 BCE  metalworking became so common that stone tools disappeared in the Middle East • Metalworking became extremely useful to agricultural and herding societies • 1. Metal hoes allowed farmers to work ground better • 2. Metal weapons • 3. Development of tool-maker class of people

  14. Characteristics of a Civilization • Complex Institutions • Government– can range from being very basic to very complex • Religion/belief systems - a civilization usually is comprised of people who share similar beliefs. It may vary somewhat among the people but usually there is a core belief that often is reflected in their religious beliefs as well.

  15. Characteristics of a Civilization 2. Record keeping – some form of written language for record keeping became necessary. Why? 3. Specialization or division of labor in jobs – the breakdown of work into its tasks or parts and assigned to various people or groups for the purposes of efficiency

  16. Characteristics of a Civilization • Social classes or social hierarchy – in different civilizations, this can be determined on different things, including: wealth, power, different ethnicity, etc. • Advanced Technology - Sometimes this means inventions, sometimes it means things like art and/or architecture – an appreciation or development of something that is more than just basic.

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