The Neolithic Revolution
Birth of Civilization
Essential Questions:

How did early people survive?
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What was the Neolithic Revolution?

Why was the Neolithic Revolution a
turning point in history?
Humans v. All Other Animals
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Prehistory:http://www.historiasiglo20.org/pre
history/index.htm
Humans construct: weapons, utensils, and
tools
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-Cooking
Humans make and use: FIRE!
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Hunting
Shelter
Prepare & eat wide variety of food
Human communication

Speech gene (more than gestures & sounds)
Hunters & Gatherers
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Dominant in the
Paleolithic Age
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c. 15,000 BC
Groups of 20-30
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men, women, &
children
Hunters & Gatherers
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Tools: knife blades,
arrow points
Cave paintings:
found in south of
France, African
plains (south of
Sahara), Middle
East
images of activities
& concerns
Paleolithic Cave Painting From France
Paleolithic Cave Painting From France
Paleolithic Painting From China
Paleolithic Cave Painting From France
Cave Petroglyph
Nomads
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nomad = one who moves from place to
place in search of food & water
Continuously migrated back and forth
from forest land to grazing land over the
course of many years
Caused low population density in these
regions
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Small groups of people living across large
areas of land
Need large area of land to survive
Nomads
Nomads w/ Herds
Establishing Settlements
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Some groups continued to migrate
Others began settling
Settlements permitted by:

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Natural conditions
Human ingenuity (intelligence)
Ability to harvest grains
Domesticating plants & animals
Gender Roles

Men

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Hunted
Fished
Animal hunts,
hunting parties
Knowledge of
weapons
Protect group from
predators
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Women

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Prepare food
Gathered food for
group’s basic
subsistence
Crucial when
hunting parties
unsuccessful
Knowledge of
medicinal plants
**Neolithic Revolution**

What happened? FARMING happened!
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When?
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Introduction of the domestication of animals &
agriculture
Occurred between 8500 and 3500 BC
What were the important results?
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Permanent settlements were established
Civilizations begin to develop
Population increases
Neolithic Painting:
Egyptian Plow
Neolithic Revolution Facts
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During this time, more and more
humans began depending on
cultivated crops and domesticated
animals for their survival
Could support towns of more than
1000 people
Transformed human lifestyle
Earliest records found in the Middle
East
Earliest Civilization on Record
History of Domestication
ANIMALS
 12000 BC
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8500-7000 BC
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dogs
Sheep
Goats
pigs
6500 BC
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cattle
CULTIVATED CROPS
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Wheat
Barley
Rye
Oats
Flax
Cotton
TRADITIONAL ECONOMY
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Subsistence farming

bartering
Task

On a sheet of paper, draw a before and
after picture based on the Neolithic
Revolution (Before the Neolithic Revolution
& After the Neolithic Revolution)
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Use your notes only if you absolutely have
to!