Chapter 1
Part 2
The Neolithic Revolution
M-W
PHS

Question
• What are some positive and negative effects of living in an agricultural society vs. hunter gathering?
• Neo = new
• Lithic = stone
• Neolithic means what?
• New Stone Age

Genographic Map
• http://www.uv.es/jgpausas/he.htm

The Beginnings of Human
“ Civilization ”
• Neolithic Revolution is known for the agricultural revolution.
• A revolutionary change in the development of the human experience.

The Beginnings of Human
“ History ”
Two key developments of the human experience (other than the emergence of the species)
1. development of agriculture
2. Industrial Revolution (late 1800 ’ s)

“ Invention ” of Agriculture
• Fertile Crescent Northern Middle East/Black Sea region earliest to adopt agriculture
• Wild animals grazed on grains including ancient wheat and barley .
• Human hunters “ discover ” tasty food grains.

• Spread of animal and agricultural communities

“ Invention ” of Agriculture
• South China and S.E. Asia
• 7000 BCE - main grain crop is rice.
• Central America
• 5000 BCE - corn (maize).

Spread of Agriculture
• By 5000 BCE farming is THE most common “ economic system ” for the largest number of people in the world.
• Women played a key role because they were the primary gatherers of wild plant foods!
• They identified and cultivated only the largest and best plants

• Reasons for slow spread of Ag.
• 1. Contact with others minimal.
• 2. Not all regions suitable/more work.
• 3. Hunting/gathering
“ traditional ” /easier.
• 4. Involves “ settling down ” .

Social Changes from
Agriculture
• 1. Redefines + increases work expectations of society especially for men.
• 2. Redefines gender relations women lose influence in society.
• Patriarchal system develops.

Patriarchal System
• A system where men influence “ SPICE ” of civilizations the most.
• “ Patrilineal ” means it ’ s the paternal (man ’ s) heritage that defines the society.
• There are a few matrilineal societies but they are rare!

Patriarchal System
• Reasons it catches on
• 1. Agriculture permitted and required an expansion of the birthrate- women stay home
• 2. Men became primary worker/cultivator of the crucial food supply outside of the home
• 3. Children put to work in fields early adapted to the system and saw it as “ normal ” .
• Idea of “ wanting many sons ” and obedience to father tended to follow this shift and become norms

Drawbacks of Agriculture
1. Created inequalities between men and women.
2. Clustered communities = easier spread of disease.
3. Damaged the environment - slash and burn agriculture, swidden agriculture .

Benefits of Agricultural
Societies
1. Improved food supply and surplus = population growth.
2. Allowed more free time for people to develop and specialize in art, crafts and new ideas.
3. Invention of new food-based products due to fermentation like alcohol, yogurt, cheese
4. These conditions prevailed from 9000
BCE to 300 years ago!

Egyptian Brewery Sumerian Beer Recipe

Agricultural Society Structure
• 80% population work in fields.
• Limited tax revenue (food first “ money ” )
• 20% of population live in city .
• Farming generates cultural emphasis on spring season and divine natural forces.
• Surplus of food allows specialization of labor like pottery making for better storage

Animal Husbandry
• The settled raising of animals
• Milk
• Meat
• Labor
• Hides
• Supplemented diet of villages and towns
• Early on animals were NOT objects of worship.

Pastoralism
• Different from animal husbandry
• Societies are mobile
• Have few possessions
• Pastoralist still remain in many parts of the world!

M&M ’ s
• Imagine you live on
M&Ms.
• Over time hunting gets you a few every day.
• Then one day, you find people who have plenty for all. They grow them!
• How would you react?
• Cities become places where M&Ms are everywhere.
• People are drawn to cities because of the wealth and opportunities

Bronze Age
• The discovery of bronze (copper + tin) marks the end of the Stone Age.
• Harder tools and weapons made of bronze replace stone age technology and propel societies into a new age !!!