Name: _____________________________ Pd. _____
Date: _______________
From Hunters and Gatherers to Farmers
Directions: As you read this section, please answer the following questions and
define the vocabulary. You do not have to write in complete sentences, but
include enough information so that you will understand your answers without the
book.
I.
Introduction
a. Stone Age
Began with Homo Habilis about 2 million years ago. Lasted until
about 3,000 years BCE when people began using metals for their
tools instead of stone
b. Paleolithic Age
The start of the Stone Age when people lived as nomadic huntergatherers following their food source
c. Neolithic Age
The second half of the Stone Age when people discovered agriculture
(growing crops and domesticating animals) which allowed them to
settle down into more permanent settlement
d. What is the major difference between the Paleolithic and Neolithic
Ages?
The major difference is the shift from nomadic hunter-gatherer
communities to more permanent settlements relying on farming and
domesticating animals for food
II.
From Old Stone Age to New Stone Age
a. When did the Neolithic Age start according to historians, and what
do they point to as evidence? (provide 2 specific examples)
The Neolithic Age started about 8,000 BCE when people began to
farm crops and domesticate animals. The first permanent
settlements were established because of this change:
1. Catal Hoyuk
2. Jarmo
3. Jericho
b. When did the Neolithic Age end according to historians, and what
do they point to as evidence?
The Neolithic Age ended around 3,000 BCE when people learned to
make tools and weapons out of metals instead of stone
c. What was this new age called? (This answer is not in the reading.
Use your head and think about what you read.)
The Bronze Age (when people relied heavily on bronze weapons and
tools)
III.
Creating a Stable Food Supply
a. Domesticate
Raising and using animals for food and to do work for humans
b. Agriculture (use definition in paragraph)
The growing of crops and the domestication of animals to produce
food
c. What problems did a steady food supply help to solve for early
man? Think about both the domestication of animals and the
growing of specific crops.
1. Hunting and gathering didn’t guarantee food all year round
2. Wild plants and animals would vanish if people hunted and
gathered too much in one area
3. Hunting was a dangerous activity
IV.
Making Permanent Shelters
a. What was the first major change to occur after the Agricultural
Revolution and why was it possible?
The first change was the creation of permanent shelters and they
were possible because people were staying put rather than following
herds of animals around
b. Name at least 3 advantages of permanent shelters. Place them in
what you feel is the order of most important to least important.
1. Allowed people to form larger communities
2. Protection from harsh weather
3. Protection from wild animals
4. Made life more comfortable
5. Allowed new ways of cooking
c. Think: Why do you think all openings (i.e. windows and doors)
were placed so high on the building that ladders were needed to
get in and out?
The openings were placed so high up so that wild animals and
unwelcome people couldn’t enter the home
V.
Establishing Communities
a. Describe the benefits of living in permanent communities.
1. One of the most important benefits of living in permanent
communities was the opportunity to specialize in something.
You didn’t have to learn how to do everything, but could
instead learn how to do one thing, very well.
2. The work was divided among the people. Work was done
quicker, and allowed for other pursuits, like advancing
technology.
3. There was also power in numbers as it was easier to defend
yourself in large groups.
b. “Living in communities allowed people to organize themselves
more efficiently”. This is known as specialization, and is very
important to the new way of life Neolithic Era people lived. What
did this allow people to do? (Please list at least 3 specific
advantages).
1. Specialization allowed for people to become much better at
one job, and not spend all their time looking for food
2. It freed up much more time and allowed people to focus
more energy on advancing technology
3. It created a surplus of products to begin trading with
VI.
Developing New Jobs
a. Describe four new specialized jobs found in an early permanent
settlement.
1. Farmers – grew
6. Miners –
food for the
harvested flint
settlement
and other
2. Weavers – made
resources
clothes and
7. Potters – made
textiles
clay tools like
3. Basket makers –
pots
made baskets
8. Jewelers – made
4. Toolmakers –
jewelry and
made tools
mirrors
5. Traders – traded
9. House builders –
goods with other
built homes
settlements
b. Why weren’t nomadic people able to specialize like early man was
able to in these permanent settlements?
A person’s main job during the Paleolithic Age was to find food and
provide for their basic needs. Farming during the Neolithic Age
allowed people to focus on other things and not worry about where
their food was coming from
VII.
Beginning to Trade
a. Trade
The business of buying and selling, or exchanging goods
b. Ore
A mineral mined for its valuable uses
c. Why was trade less important to a hunter gatherer than it became
for early settlement dwellers?
When people were nomadic they would use the resources of the
areas where they move to. When people stopped moving around,
they needed or wanted resources from faraway places.
d. What important effect did trade have on early settlements?
Trade allowed people to use more resources, but it also kept people
in contact with other settlements and created a way to spread ideas
and knowledge all over the ancient world.