Chapter 3: From Hunters and Gatherers to Farmers



Chapter 3: From Hunters and Gatherers to Farmers (Teacher Notes)

1. Introduction

The Stone Age began about 2 million years ago and lasted until around 3,000 B.C.E.

The Paleolithic Age or Old Stone Age, people hunted and gathered their food.

The Neolithic Age or New Stone Age, people domesticated animals and farmed.

2. From Old Stone Age to New Stone Age

During the Old Stone Age people were hunter-gathers and moved from place to place, living in caves.

The Old Stone Age was from 2 million to about 8,000 B.C.E.

The transition from hunter-gathers to farmers took place over a thousand years.

The New Stone Age was from 8,000 B.C.E. to about 3,000 B.C.E.

Neolithic people began using metal tools instead of stone tools.

Some early Neolithic settlements are Jericho, Catal Hoyuk, and Jarmo.

3. Creating a Stable Food Supply

Hunting and gathering did not provide a stable food supply.

Gradually people learned to plant seeds and harvest their own crops.

Domesticating animals provided food, clothing and beasts of burden.

The Neolithic Age began with the invention of agriculture.

4. Making Permanent Shelters

Agriculture allowed the development of permanent shelters.

The importances of permanent shelters are:

a. Houses protect people from harsh weather and wild animals

b. Houses make life more comfortable.

c. Houses allow new ways of cooking food.

d. Houses allow people to form larger communities.

5. Establishing Communities

The benefits of living in a larger community are:

a. People can organize themselves more efficiently.

b. People could divide up the work of producing food and other things needed.

c. People can build new houses and make tools.

d. People can work together to create more goods.

e. People can protect each other from enemies.

f. Populations can grow.

6. Developing New Jobs

Farming allowed people to develop more specialized skills.

Examples of new jobs would be weavers, basket makers, toolmakers, and traders.

People were able to specialize in a skilled craft, and make improvements.

7. Beginning to Trade

Settlements allowed people to trade with other people.

Trading allowed people to get resources they didn’t have in their area.

Traders travelled hundreds of miles either by foot, by animal, or by ship.

Flint and obsidian were popular trade items.

8. Chapter Summary

The development of agriculture allowed people to build permanent settlements.

Permanent settlements allowed the development of new jobs and trading.

Vocabulary

1. Stone Age – the time when people used stone tools.

2. Paleolithic Age – the time when people got food from hunting and gathering

3. Neolithic Age – the time when people raised animals, farmed and settled

4. domesticate – to train a wild animal to be useful to humans

5. agriculture – the business of farming

6. trade – the business of buying and selling or exchanging items

7. ore – a mineral mined for its valuable uses

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