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Neolithic Revolution

Neolithic Revolution. Introduction. Neolithic era “new stone age” Characterized by polished/refined stone tools and the development of an agricultural society. Causes of Agriculture. Global Climate Change Ice age ended, lead to a gradually warming environment and increased rainfall.

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Neolithic Revolution

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  1. Neolithic Revolution

  2. Introduction • Neolithic era “new stone age” • Characterized by polished/refined stone tools and the development of an agricultural society.

  3. Causes of Agriculture • Global Climate Change • Ice age ended, lead to a gradually warming environment and increased rainfall. • Stable climate conditions • Big game animals decreasing – hunting yield declined

  4. Causes of Agriculture continued • Gradual change – harvesting wild grains to planting seeds; hunting to domestication of animals • Foragers became aware of the life cycles of plants • Hoping for larger and more reliable sources of food, foragers began to nurture plants • Hunters began capturing animals and domesticated them by providing for their needs and supervised breeding

  5. Independent invention of agriculture • Earliest evidence of agriculture from Southwest Asia (Turkey, Iraq, Syria) dating 9000 BCE • Wheat, barley, sheep, goats, pigs, cattle • Africa (Sudan) dating 7000 BCE • Sorghum, cattle, sheep, goats • Africa (Nigeria) dating 8000 to 6000 BCE • Yams, okra

  6. Independent invention of agriculture continued • East Asia (China) 6500 BCE – two areas • Rice, millet, soybeans, pigs, chickens, water buffaloes • Southeast Asia 3000 BCE • Taro, yams, coconut, bananas, citrus fruit • Mesoamerica 4000 BCE • Maize (corn), beans, peppers, squash, sweet potatoes, llamas • Different crops or animals were domesticated in the various core regions, depending on available local flora and fauna

  7. Spread of agriculture • Slash and burn cultivation – farming groups would need to migrate every few years in order find fertile soil. • Hunter-foragers were often resistant to making the change to farming. • Farmers worked long hours, boring, etc. • Disease – farming communities developed immunities, but hunter-foragers did not. Those that survived often accepted farming • Some, more isolated peoples, continued to resist agriculture

  8. Impact on human societies • Population increase • More reliable and abundant food supplies • Created settlements • Built houses, dug wells, created irrigation systems for crops • Irrigation projects and establishing a defense system required cooperation – organized from above (leadership)

  9. Impact on human societies continued • Technological innovations led to improvements in agricultural production, trade, and transportation • Pottery • Plows • Woven textiles • Metallurgy • Bronze Age • Wheels and wheeled vehicles

  10. Impact on human societies continued • Surpluses of food and other goods led to specialization of labor, including new classes of artisans and warriors, and the development of elites • Elite groups accumulated wealth, creating more hierarchical structures and promoting patriarchal forms of social organizations.

  11. Impact on human societies continued • Writing • First written language – Cuneiform (wedged shaped) • Developed due to the need to create commercial and political records • Tax efficiently • Write contracts and treaties

  12. Impact on Environment • Deforestation • Erosion/flooding

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