Neolithic Revolution and the rise of Civilization

 

Gathering to agriculture

Hunting to domestication of animals (to train an animal to live with and be useful to human beings.)

 

First domesticated animal was probably the goat.

 

The ability to acquire food on a regular basis changed life: there was more stability and order.  Life developed according to special patterns, seasons.  Aspects of nomadic life were given up.

 

Neolithic farming villages

Catal Huyuk  (CHAH tuhl   hoo YOOK) in present day Turkey, 6000 people.

Jericho, started in 8000 B.C.

 

At Catal Huyuk, people grew fruit, nuts, wheat and barley. They raised cattle for milk and hides.  They hunted too.

 

Food production increase as people learned new ways of producing and storing more food. A surplus of food emerged.   Surplus=having more than one needs.

 

Results:

1) This freed some people from having to spend all their time producing food.  They could learn other skills.  Artisans made weapons and jewelry.  Specialty products could be made that were not available to nomadic people.

 

2) Surplus of food could be sold or traded with other communities.  Neolithic communities came in contact with other communities around them.

 

Changes of Neolithic Revolution:

1)      people needed to build permanent houses for protection and storing food

2)      People began to specialize in certain crafts, social divisions began, laborers/merchants

3)      Gender roles changed   hunters and gatherers assigned similar roles to men and women.  In the Neolithic revolution, the work that produced food became relegated to men, and household chores became the women’s job.  Men came to be the dominant gender in society.

 

The Bronze Age

The use of metals (copper + tin = bronze) brought the Neolithic period to an end, although many of the skills learned during that time would continue. 

 

Bronze was a hard, durable metal.  It made better tools.

            Farming=food production drastically increased

            Weapons=much larger, walled communities were needed. Large armies emerged.

The Bronze Age led directly to the birth of a new form of human organization: Civilization

 

Civilization:

1)      cities

2)      political structure

3)      religion/common morality

4)      social classes

5)      the use of writing and art