The Agricultural Revolution Show
Neolithic Times The earliest people were nomads who moved from place to place to hunt animals and gather plants. After the last Ice Age ended, Earth's temperatures rose. As the climate warmed, many nomads moved into areas with a mild climate and fertile land. The Neolithic Age This change in the way people lived marked the beginning of
the Neolithic Age(nee • uh • LIH • thick). It began about 8000 b.c. and lasted until around 4000 b.c.—about 4,000 years. The word neolithic is Greek for "new stone." Calling this time period the New Stone Age, however, is somewhat misleading. Although new stone tools were made, the real change in the Neolithic Age was the shift from hunting and gathering to systematic agriculture. This
is growing food on a regular basis.
Big Changes for Humankind Historians call this settled farming during the Neolithic Age the Agricultural Revolution. The word revolution refers to any change that has an enormous effect on people's ways of life. While hunter-gatherers ate wild grains that they collected, early farmers saved some of the grains to plant. Humans lived differently once they learned how to grow crops and tame animals that produced food. They now could produce a constant food supply. This allowed the population to grow at a faster rate. Nomads gave up their way of life and began living in settled communities. Some historians consider the Agricultural Revolution the most important event in human history. Widespread Farming By 8000 b.c., people in Southwest Asia began growing wheat and barley. They also domesticated pigs, cows, goats, and sheep. From there, farming spread into southeastern Europe. By
4000 b.c., farming was an established economic activity in Europe. Life in the Neolithic Age During the Neolithic Age, people settled in villages where they built permanent homes. They located villages near fields so people could plant, grow, and harvest their crops more easily. People also settled near water sources, especially rivers. Neolithic Communities Neolithic farming villages developed throughout Europe, India, Egypt, China, and Mexico. The biggest and earliest known communities have been found in Southwest Asia. One of the oldest communities was Jericho (JAIR • ih • koh). This farming village grew in an area between present-day Israel and Jordan called the West Bank. The village of Jericho was well established by about 8000 b.c. It extended across several acres. The area of sun-dried-brick
houses was surrounded by walls that were several feet thick.
Another well-known Neolithic community was Çatalhüyük (chah • tahl • hoo • YOOK) in present-day Turkey. Although little evidence of the community remains, historians know that between 6700 and 5700 b.c., it covered 32 acres and was home to about 6,000 people. The people lived in simple mud-brick houses that were built close together. What if, instead of a front door, your house had a roof door? In Çatalhüyük, the houses did not have front doors. Instead of going through a door in the wall, people entered their homes through holes in the rooftops. They could also walk from house to house across the roofs. People decorated the inside of their homes with wall paintings.
In addition to homes, Çatalhüyük had special buildings that were shrines (SHREYENZ), or holy places. These shrines were decorated with images of gods and goddesses. Statues of women giving birth have also been found in the shrines. Both the shrines and the statues show that the role of religion was growing in the lives of Neolithic
people. Neolithic people needed protection from the weather and wild animals. A settled life provided greater security. Steady food supplies created healthier, growing populations. As the population increased, more workers became available. Those individuals could grow more crops. Villagers produced more than they could eat, so they began to trade their food for supplies they could not produce themselves. The End of the Neolithic Age During the late Neolithic Age, people made more technological advances. Toolmakers created better farming tools as the need for them arose. These included hoes for digging soil, sickles for cutting grain, and millstones for grinding
flour. In some regions, people began to work with metals, including copper. Workers heated rocks and discovered melted copper inside them. They then experimented with making the copper into tools and weapons. These proved to be easier to make and use than those made of stone.
Civilizations Emerge Humans continued to develop more complex cultures, or ways of life. By the beginning of the Bronze Age, communities were widespread. More complex cultures called civilizations began to develop in these communities. Four of the great river valley civilizations—Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China—emerged around 3000 b.c. All civilizations share similar characteristics. Cities and Government One characteristic of these early civilizations was that they developed cities and formed governments.
The first civilizations developed in river valleys, where fertile land made it easy to grow crops and feed large numbers of people. The rivers provided fish and water. They also encouraged trade, which allowed the exchange of both goods and ideas. The cities that developed in these valleys became the centers of civilizations. Religions emerged in the new civilizations to help people explain their lives. For example, religions helped explain the forces of nature and the role of
humans in the world. Social Structure Early civilizations had social class structures. That is, people in society were organized into groups. These groups were defined by the type of work people did and the amount of wealth or power they had. Generally, rulers and priests, government officials, and warriors made up the highest social class. They set the rules and made the important decisions. Below this class was a large group of free people, including farmers, artisans, and craftspeople. At the bottom of the class structure were enslaved people, most of whom were captured from enemies during war. Writing and Art To pass on
information, people invented ways of writing. These early systems used symbols in place of letters and words. Writing became an important feature of these new civilizations. People used writing to keep accurate records and to preserve stories. How did the development of agriculture contribute to population growth in early river valley civilization?Farming began a process of intensification, which meant that many more people could be sustained in a given land area since more calories could be produced per acre. As a result, the world population rapidly rose.
Which of these developments best describes how farming affected river valley civilizations?Which of the following was an effect of farming on the development of early river valley civilizations? Surplus food allowed groups of people to specialize and stratify, which led to laws and governments.
Which best explains the rise of the first civilizations?The earliest civilizations developed between 4000 and 3000 B.C.E., when the rise of agriculture and trade allowed people to have surplus food and economic stability.
Which of the following was an effect of the Neolithic Revolution?The Neolithic Revolution led to masses of people establishing permanent settlements supported by farming and agriculture.
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