2-2 Early Humans – Neolithic Agricultural Revolution



2-2 Early Humans – Neolithic Agricultural Revolution

The development of farming (agriculture) created a new age known as the Neolithic Age or “new stone age” because of its improved stone tools. Farming allowed humans to settle in one place, because they no longer had to move around in search of food. In the Neolithic Age the familiar patterns of civilization began as people settled into stable communities. When farmers have a good location where they can plant and tend their crops year after year, agriculture provides food and other resources in large amounts. Because only some of the people had to grow food, others could practice trades or provide services (Division of Labor). Thus, agriculture creates opportunities for the manufacture of pottery and other goods, the development of economic and social classes, and the practices of wider range of religious and cultural activities. In short, agriculture provides the possibility of civilization.

The hunter-gatherer society did not die out, however, since it was well suited to some environments. In the early 21st century, hunting and gathering is still the way of life for some peoples, such as the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa.

Approximate Dates of Early Human Ages

Paleolithic = 400,000 – 8000 B.C.

Neolithic = 8000 – 4000 B.C.

The ages following the Neolithic are named for the metals discovered and used by early civilizations.

Copper and Bronze Ages = 4000 – 1000 B.C.

Iron Age = began about 1000 B.C.

In the Paleolithic Age, people used tools, fire and simple weapons, and they also expressed themselves in oral language and cave art. The following Neolithic Age improvements made people even more productive. Polishing of tools edges rather then chipping them. Domestication (taming) of goats, sheep, pigs and later cattle. Weaving of cloth to replace animal skins as clothing. Making of baskets and bowls, including baked pottery. Development of seed culture, that is, the regular planting of seeds.

Division of labor (some people farming, others doing crafts, others trading goods)

Farming and these other developments combined to make settled communities possible and led to the rise of larger population centers and eventually civilizations. Economic prosperity also appears to have stimulated cultural and spiritual life.

Summary – From their beginning, humans have adapted their lifestyles to their environments. The Paleolithic Age was marked by progress in tool making and in hunting and gathering food. Then about 10,000 years ago, humans began taming animals as food sources and planting and harvesting other forms of food. By about 7000 B.C., the use of agriculture to support the community had become more efficient and better organized, opening up the Neolithic Age. The increased farm productivity of the Neolithic Age stimulated other advances, including manufacturing, the rise of trade and the division of labor. These developments provided the foundation for the rise of the world’s first civilizations.

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Neolithic Stone Axe Head

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