THE NEOLITHIC PERIOD 10 000 BC 5 000

THE NEOLITHIC PERIOD 10, 000 BC – 5, 000 BC (note: the end date is very debatable, and this period did not end at the same time everywhere at once. )

Neolithic Revolution – What does it mean? This period in human history is important, as we went through two different revolutions (or complete changes in the way society was set up) during this time – the agricultural revolution, and the urban revolution.

The Neolithic Age • So far, we have looked at two major time periods… • First, we looked at the Pliocene, which was the age of Apes. Creatures such as Lucy lived in this time frame, which covers about 5 million ybp to 2 million ybp. • Second, we looked at the Paleolithic Age, which is when our first true ancestors started to evolve, called the Homo family, starting with Homo Habilius. This covers about 2 million ybp to 10, 000 ybp and includes the Great Leap Forward, which occurred about 50, 000 ybp. • Now, we are going to look at a third age, the Neolithic Age (New Stone Age), which starts when humans first form simple societies and end when they form civilizations. It starts around 10, 000 BC, but there is no end date to this time frame, as some places developed civilizations by about 6, 000 BC, while some remote tribes are still living a Neolithic lifestyle even today. • Although we will not get to all of them, the following eras of human history are… • • • The Ancient Period (Bronze Age). 4000 BC – 500 BC (Egypt, Mesopotamia) The Classical Period (Iron Age). 500 BC – 500 AD (Greece, Rome) The Middle Ages (Dark Ages). 500 AD – 1400 AD (small city-states) The Renaissance. 1400 AD – 1700 AD (nation-states, England, France) The Modern Age. 1700 -Present

By about 10, 000 years ago, people had stopped living in simple family groups (pre-society) and had started to live in larger groups with their own culture. How would living in societies change our development?

The Agricultural Revolution was one of the most significant events in human history – but what was it?

How do you think agriculture was discovered?

How is growing your food different from hunting it?

What is a food surplus?

How many people in the community need to farm in order to create a food surplus?

Today, less than 3% of Canadians are farmers

So, if only a small percentage of the village needs to farm in order to feed everyone, what does everyone else do?

What is specialization of labour? How could it change society?

What could some early jobs have been?

Neolithic: The Invention of Pottery. How? Why? So What?

The Neolithic Formula • Farming = food surplus = specilization of labour = civilization

Figs: The First Grown Food Fig Cultivation is about 12, 000 years old. Why were they not a revolutionary crop?

Humans originally figured out how to grow eight different important plants on farms. They were important because they could be dried and eaten later, or ground into flour. These are called the “founder crops. ” Any guesses as to what our oldest food is?

The 8 Foundation Crops • • Emmer Wheat Einkorn wheat Barley Lentils Peas Chickpeas Bitter Vetch Flax

Growing your food instead of hunting it means you only get food once a year. Why? When our ancestors tried this, they encounterd 4 distinct problems, which they had to overcome. What are the problems, and the solutions ?

4 Problems to only Getting Food Once a Year • • Where do you keep it? How do you keep people from stealing it? How do you keep track of grain storage? How do you keep rats and other vermin from eating your food? • What are the solutions to these problems?

How do you fix the four problems?

Who would have an advantage in warfare – a Neolithic farming village, or a Neolithic group of hunter-gatherers?

How do you domesticate animals?

Animals – which were the most important?

Where were good places to start farming? Why? http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=-7 bqi 70 B 3 t. E&feature=related

What is an Urban Revolution?

What impact would an urban lifestyle have on people?

WHAT IS A CIVILIZATION? • Up to now, the Neolithic peoples had been living only in societies, or simple communities. Soon, they would start to invent some of the seven characteristics of a civilization. When a society developed all seven of these, they became a civilization. What are these seven?

1) Religion: All societies after 50, 000 BC Why was it needed? What are the Pros and Cons

2) Government: All Neolithic Societies What types exist, why is it needed?

3) Trade: Most Neolithic Societies Why might a civilization need it?

4) Social Classes – What are they, why do they exist? Why does a society need them before they become a civilization?

5) Agriculture? Why does a civilization need this?

The Fertile Crescent – the Homeland of Farming Agriculture would later spread to sub-saharan Africa, and would be independently invented in China and India. Much later it would be invented in North and South America.

Why does a civilization need 6) Specialization of Labour?

The Four “Cradles of Civilization”, the river valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates, Nile, Indus and Yellow.

The Four Cradles • These four places would eventually invent all seven characteristics of a civilization by about 5, 000 BC. • Other parts of the world would either invent or copy these characteristics too, though much later. • By about 5, 500 BC all four of the cradles had the first six characteristics – but one was still missing. • Whoever invented it first would become the world’s first civilization. • And the winner is….

MESOPOTAMIA! They get the win for inventing…

7) Literacy: How is it useful?

Assignment • Read pages 28 -30 • Complete Section 2 Review

Quiz Time!

Neolithic Quiz • 1 – What does Neolithic mean? • 2 – What was one of the revolutions that occurred during the Neolithic? • 3 – What was the other revolution that occurred during the Neolithic? • 4 – Name one of the eight founder crops • 5 – Name another of the eight founder crops • 6 – List a problem with getting all your food only once a year, AND the solution. • 7 – List another problem with storing your food all year, AND the solution • 8, 9, 10 – List any THREE aspects of a civilization

Answers • • 1 - New Stone Age • 8/9/10 – Government 2 - Urban Revolution – Agriculture 3 - Agricultural Revolution – Specilization 4/5 - Bitter vetch, Emmer – Classes Wheat, Einkorn wheat, Barley, – Trade Lentils, Peas, Chickpeas, – Writing/Science Bitter Vetch, Flax – Religion • 6/7 – Storage/Silos, Rationing/record keeping, theft/police, rodents/cats