The Neolithic Revolution

• The Neolithic Revolution: The shift from hunting and gathering to keeping animals and growing food during the Neolithic age.

  • The Neolithic age came after the ice age during 8000 to 4000 B.C.

• Systematic agriculture: The keeping of animals and the growing of food on a regular basis.

• Domestication: Adapting animals for human use to be sources of food or clothing.

Eventually, early humans began settling in communities because they no longer had to be nomadic to find food.

The Growing of Crops

• During 8000-5000 B.C., systematic agriculture spread throughout the world, in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Central America.

• Mesoamericans: inhabitants of present-day Mexico and Central America

Neolithic Farming Villages

• Neolithic farming villages were permanent settlements that appeared in Europe, India, Egypt, China, and Mesoamerica.

• Çatalhüyük: An ancient settlement in modern turkey that is one of the largest known neolithic farming villages.

• The city had a food surplus which meant other jobs could be focused on instead of hunting and farming.

• Artisans: Workers that made products and traded them with neighboring peoples.

Neolithic Revolution-Effects

• Settling in communities developed societies.

  • Villages built walls and storehouses.

  • Increased trading and artisan jobs.

• Men took on the role of getting food for the family through farming.

• Women stayed in the communities to raise children and do tasks closer to home.

The End of the Neolithic Age

• Neolithic people discovered how they could use metal to make tools around 4000 B.C.

• the Bronze Age: the age when using bronze tools became common, during 3000-1200 B.C.

  • Bronze is made of copper and tin.

• The Iron Age: The age when using iron tools became common, after 1000 B.C.

• Neolithic settlements continued to progress and became wealthier.

Civilization Emerges

• Culture: The way of life of groups of people in a certain time and place.

• Cultures become more complex as societies grow more complex.

• Civilization: A complex culture where large numbers of humans have similar common traits.

The basic characteristics of civilization are cities, government, religion, social structure, writing, and art.

Cities

• When there was a surplus of food from farming, some people moved to the city and worked other jobs.

Government

• Governments organize and regulate human activity.

• Monarchs: kings and queens who rule a kingdom and protect the people.

  • Early civilizations were usually led by them.

Religion

• Civilizations developed religions to explain how the world worked.

• Priests: Supervisors of rituals to please Gods and Goddesses.

  • Special role in society that gave priests power.

Social Structure

• Social class divides began to occur with the beginning of civilizations.

  • Government, priests, and warriors became an upper class.

  • Farmers, artisans, and craftspeople became a lower-middle class.

  • Slaves became a lower class.

• Trading goods between civilizations led to the trading of technology.

Writing

• Rulers, priests, merchants, and artisans wrote to keep records.

• Writing also began to be used for creative expression which began the production of literature.

Art

• Art developed in civilizations.

  • Architects built temples and pyramids.

  • Painting and sculpting became more advanced.