LECTURE/DISCUSSION
"THE AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTIONS"
I. The Neolithic Revolution
A. Pre-revolution
1. For 99% of human existence, our forbears lived by hunting and foraging
2. These individuals were tied to the seasons of plant foods and the
movements of animals
3. Deliberated cultivation of food (beginning of food production) began
about 10,000 years ago > called the Neolithic Revolution
4. The development of agriculture most clearly moved humans toward a
more sophisticated social and cultural patterns
B. What is an agricultural society?
1. Humans settle in one spot and focus on particular economic, political,
and religious goals and activities
2. most people are farmers production of food is the number 1 economic
activity
C. Initial Development
1. Neolithic Revolution was triggered by two results of the end of the ice
age
a. population increase
b. the retreat of big game animals like the mastodon
i. now hunters had to turn to smaller game like deer and boar
ii. increasingly humans became dependent on regular harvests
of wild grains, berries and nuts (foraging)
iii. this set the stage for the deliberate planting of seeds
2. Domestication of Animals
a. First domesticated animal - dog: Why? > for hunting.
b. other animals were also domesticated in the Middle East and parts
of Asia by 9000 BCE  pigs, sheep, goats, cattle
c. Pastorialism  way of life dependent on large herds of stock
3. Where did farming initially develop?
a. Middle East as early as 10,000 BCE in the "fertile crescent" of the
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
b. This area was very fertile in that time
c. Grains abundant  emmer wheat, barley, oats, rye as well as
pulses (legumes)
d. LOOK AT TIMELINE IN TEXT ON PGS. 2 AND 3 
gradually agricultural spread to India, North America, Europe
over a period of 2000 to 3000 years
L/D “Agricultural Revolution”
D. Development of "Neolithic Revolution"
1. Not a sudden revolution; began around 8000 BCE
2. Concept of "revolution" is appropriate  why?
a. agriculture supported far more people per square mile than hunting
ever could
b. allowed people to settle permanently
c. not easy  require more work
d. supported people with better food supplies
e. villages appeared  basis for future civilizations
f. required new tools
1. Stone heads on sticks to work soil
2. Sharp stone chips in handle to cut grain
3. Stone mortar to grind grain
4. FIRE
3. Drawback  concentrated populations encouraged spread of contagious
disease
E. Agriculture  Basis for More Rapid Change in Human Societies
1. Results of the "Agriculture Revolution"
a. greater wealth
b. because of larger populations  specialization
c. control over nature
d. promoted early forms of science/technology
2. Major changes:
a. discovery of metal tools around 4000 BCE (copper first then bronze
b. 3000 BCE  metalworking became so common that stone tools
disappeared in the Middle East
c. metalworking became extremely useful to agricultural and herding
societies
1. Metal hoes allowed farmers to work ground better
2. Metal weapons
3. Development of tool-maker class of people
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