Notes
From Hunters and Gatherers to Farmers
The Stone Age
 Stone Age gets its name from the tools people made with
stone
 The Stone Age began with the first tool making hominids
about 2 million years ago
 The Stone Age ended in about 3000 B.C.E. when people
learned to make tools and weapons out of metal
 The Stone Age is divided into two periods
o Paleolithic- meaning Old Stone Age
o Neolithic- New Stone Age
 At the end of the Stone Age humans discovered farming
From Old to New
 The old Stone Age began about 2 million years ago and
lasted until about 8000 B.C.E
 It was during this time that the early modern human
developed
 Early humans were hunters and gatherers and so they had
to move around to find food
 Often they took shelter in caves like the cave painters we
studied earlier this year
 The Neolithic Age began around 8000 B.C.E and lasted until
about 3000 B.C.E
 Farming began to develop during the Neolithic Age in places
like Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas
 Many peoples built villages east of the Mediterranean Sea
where land was good
 Towns like Jericho were started during this time
Neolithic Times
Agriculture (to domesticate animals and grow crops)
 Neolithic Times helped provide humans with a stable food
supply
 During the Paleolithic Age food was not dependable because
of animal migration, weather, and danger
 People learned to plant seeds and harvest crops rather than
search for wild plants
 Early farmers also learned to domesticate animals like
sheep, goats and cattle
Permanent Shelters
 Because of agriculture people began to develop permanent
shelters
 Instead of living in caves and tent like structures as they
did during Paleolithic Times humans began to build more
sophisticated shelters
 Mud bricks were used to make rectangular houses
 Pits were dug in the homes to cook
 They also built places to store food
 Life became more safe and comfortable
 People were able to live in much larger communities
Establishing Communities
 During Paleolithic Times people traveled in groups of 20 to
60
 During Neolithic Times villages of larger groups of people
developed
 Some of the first farming villages were built in present day
Israel and Turkey
 Living in larger groups helped with dividing the work and
accomplished things faster
 Because the work was easier, there was more time for social
things
 Larger groups could also defend themselves against enemies
better
 Jericho was protected by large stone walls so the people
there would be more protected
 Because people were safer, the population grew larger
New Jobs
 During Paleolithic times the main job was to find food
 As farming came about people developed more specialized
skills
 Some new jobs were weaver, basket maker, toolmakers and
traders
 People became better at doing their jobs because they had
more time to spend perfecting their skills
 During this time spinning and weaving clothing was developed
 Neolithic people also wanted to make themselves and their
belongings more beautiful
 They decorated baskets and pottery and they also learned
to make jewelry
 Home builders built shrines to honor gods
Trading
 Paleolithic hunters rarely traded with other groups
 Once people settled in villages they began to trade
 People traded resources not found in their area
 They also wanted materials to enhance the strength and
beauty of the things they made
 Peopled traveled long distances through deserts and
mountains by donkey and by foot to trade