HIST241
ANATOLIAN CIVILIZATIONS IN ANTIQUITY
AN ARTICLE REVIEW
Bibliography:
CHILDE Gordon, Neolitik Barbarlık, Tarihte Neler Oldu
(What Happened in History), Trans.:Mete Tunçay - Alaeddin Şenel, 5 th edition, 1993, Alan Yayıncılık, pp39-52
The author and his method:
Prof. Gordon Childe was born in Sydney in 1892. He was graduated from
Sydney and Oxford Universities. In 1927, he was assignes to Edinburgh University as a Prehistoria Archeology Abercromby Professor. Besides many excavations in
Scotland and North Ireland, he, of great importance, directed the excavation in a stone age town, which was survived with very little damage until that time, in Skara-Brae of
Orkney Island From
1946 to 1956, Childe was Prehistoria Archeology Prof. In London University and was the director of Archeology Institute of that University. He was attended to the
Arts and Science Conference, where he was awarded with “Honor Literature
Doctorate”, for the celebration of the 300 th
anniversary of foundation of Harward
University to represent archeology. Meanwhile, in 1937, Pennsylvania University awarded him with a “Honor Science Doctorate”.
He was guest professor in California University in 1939 Summer and was elected for the Britan Academy in 1940. In 1957, his own university, Sydney
University awarded him with “Honor Literature Doctorate”. At the same year, he died.
Gordon Childe was opposed to the archeology what he called “stamp archeology” and similar history understanding. He comprehend the archeological and historical findings in a entireness and developing manner. It is understood that he was attracted from socialism as a theoritical model. This interest in Marxsizm helped him to use the findings in an understandable manner. He thought it was helpful to interpret that the societies’ and the events’ evolution depend on some specific “production powers” but these production powers include conflicts that will lead new production powers and new societies. This is a historical materyalist model that depends on

economic base and by the light of this theory, he not only explained a certain instant of time, but also he used a model that led to explain the historical period’s dynamism.
Summary:
NEOLITHIC BARBARITY
The Neolithic Age is considered to be an economic and technic revolution on the way to civilization. Neolithic Age is a revolution because, through this period, mankind changed the relationship with the nature. In a dialectic thought, this change forced people to develop new techniques and new technique power gave chance to control the nature. Mankind evolved from exact exploitation on nature to being a partner of the nature.
Before the neolithic age, in paleolithic period, “mankind was living just like the animals”. People was hunting the animals and gathering the food. This living style and this relationships with the nature had evolved for millions of years.
The development of the Neolithic Age economy was led by the change in climate. The Pleistosen Age was ended and the ice was drawn to the north. As the ice layers was melting, the warm climate began to change into astropical climate. The severe plant cover such as semi-desert areas, rivers under dens forests…etc. was handicap in front of old living style.
Mankind had to change the hunting and gathering living due to the decreasing food sources. People examined the nature and instead of pure exploitation, they began to domesticise animals-not kill and they began agriculture instead of gathering. (I must add that the old and the new economy was seen together at the beginning but as the time passed, the main economy and living depended on new relationships.)
People not only created new food sources; but also created new things which were not seen naturally. By cooking the soil, clay they produced pottery. From the natural fibers-wool, linen, cotton and silk fibers-, yarn was obtained. The potters produced new and original forms of potters. The yarns were used to make cloths. New ideas were used in housing.
Besides finding new food sources and agriculture, new techniques were developed to collect and store the product and to obtain flour.
Also, fermantation was learned. Bread, beer and drinks with alcohol were produced. To serve the alcoholic drinks, many kinds of pots were made.

From archeologic excavations, houses constructed in an order- like streets- were found. This shows that people organised and there were social order. Also, the towns were enclosed with defensive trenches and defensive walls.
People found out that the continuous agricultur in a farm was weakening the soil. They changed their place and later they came back and fired the bushes. They found out that this method increased the fertility of the soil. Also instead of firing the bushes, the domestic animals- like sheep,cow, goat- ate them and their feces fertilized the soil.
Moving to new places had one more importance that moving to new placins for looking for new farming areas led people face with different societies and their cultures. They share the basic art and techniques. This meetings increased and developed the technology and art style. Also, this led to commerce and trade.
Some societies were flintstone mining activity. These mines were exchanged with the food products of others.
As the population increase problems began to occur. Some societies did not contact with other people and their economy was limited within themselves. Natural disasters, own local failure, illnesses might have killed the herds and destroy the plantations. As a result the people was no longer continue to live.
On the other hand, neolithic population increase, at last, were limited by the neolithic economy’s own conflicts. The increase in population led people to enlarge their land. This movements and as a result wars spreaded the neolithic age through out the places where these societies went. Some societies and their culture vanished. But some lived under others’ power. This caused mixed cultured societies. Mixed cultures might have pointed out to the social classes and represent the period when the society’s organization became to differ from the tribal form.
At last, the neolithic age evolved to changed into bronze age. Because the bronze age solved the conflicts of the neolithic economy.