The Neolithic Revolution and Early Agricultural Societies
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Farming:
The Biggest Mistake???
• Food production =
Hard Work!
• It often led to:
– poorer health
– shorter lifespan
– harder labor for the
majority of people
So Why Did People Switch From Hunting
and Gathering To Farming?
Paleolithic Era
The Pre-Farming Era
• Definition: the time before people started
doing agriculture
• 2 million BCE – about 10,000 BCE
• Literal Meaning: “Old Stone Age” – use of
stone tools
Life of Paleolithic Humans
The
Neolithic
Revolution
What is this?
Where did it happen?
When did it happen?
WHY did it happen?
 The Neolithic revolution didn’t happen abruptly, but
emerged gradually as a result of trial and error
 It first appeared in a few places, not everywhere
 Most people didn’t go through it at first, and some
still haven’t
 On the whole, agriculture was the big winner over
pastoralism and hunting and gathering
Neolithic Era
After 10,000 BCE
What?
• “Agricultural Revolution” =
domestication of plants &
animals
• Literal Meaning: New Stone
Age
• The first permanent human
settlements emerged
• Still used stone tools
• Pottery appears
Catal – Hyuk:
A stone-age village in
modern Turkey
• Domestication is not taming
– Taming is accustomizing an animal to the
presence of humans (many animals
have been tamed but not domesticated)
– Domesticating is changing a plant or animal on
the biological level (most plants and animals
have never been domesticated)
1. Notice a desirable trait in a species
2. Separate members of the species from
nature
3. Selective breeding (artificial selection)
4. Exaggerate and stabilize desirable trait(s)
5. Change on the biological level
Where?
“Fertile Crescent” (modern day Iraq)
•End of Last
Ice Age
• Warming
Climate
•Wild grasses
abundant
~Wild Grasses
closest to
domesticated
varieties
Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers
The area around
these rivers is
known to history
as Mesopotamia
How did Agriculture Develop?
• Availability of calories determines how
people get food
• End of ice age  Plants thriving
• Humans began “helping” plants along and
selecting for traits, to increase calories
gathered
• Certain plants were abundant and provided
many calories=Humans actively chose these
– Wheat
Domesticated Plants
There are about 200,000 wild species
12 domesticated plants account for 80% of
the tonnage of all crops:
Cereals: wheat, corn, barley, rice, sorghum
Pulses: soybeans
Tubers: potato, manioc, sweet potato
Sugar: sugar cane, beet sugar
Fruit: banana
Where & When?
Location
Dates (B.C.E)
Plants
Animals
Southwest Asia
(Fertile Crescent)
9000-7000
Barley, wheat, lentils,
figs
Goats, sheep, cattle,
pigs
China
6500-5000
Rice, millet, soybeans
Pigs, chickens, water
buffalo
Saharan and SubSaharan Africa
3000-2000
Sorghum, millet,
yams, teff
Cattle (perhaps 8000
B.C.E)
Highland New Guinea 7000-4000
Taro, bananas, yams,
sugarcane
Andes region
3000-2000
Potatoes, quinoa,
manioc
Llamas, alpaca, guinea
pig
Mesoamerica
3000-2000
Maize, squash
(perhaps 7000 B.C.E),
beans
Turkey
Eastern woodlands of
North America
2000-1000
Sunflower, goosefoot,
sumpweed
What else is needed for a Neolithic
Revolution?
• Animal Domestication – what is it?
– An animal will breed where and when we want
it to and often. It will come to us for food. It is
not aggressive.
• Examples?
Large Terrestrial Domesticates
The Major Five:
1. Sheep
2. Cow
3. Goat
4. Pig
5. Horse
The Minor Nine:
6. Arabian Camel
7. Bactrian Camel
8. Llama and Alpaca
9. Donkey
10. Reindeer
11. Water Buffalo
12. Yak
13. Bali Cattle
14. Mithan
Important Domesticated Animals
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Horse
Cow
Pig
Sheep
Goat
Chicken
Ox
Indian Elephant
• All from Eurasia
What was in the Americas?
Only the guinea pig, turkey, and
the llama.
• Agriculture led to a sedentary lifestyle
Pastoralism led to a nomadic lifestyle
• Agriculturalists often used domesticated animals
• New social institutions emerged:
– Neolithic villages
– Pastoralist clan-tribes
– Social Hierarchies (Social classes)
• Agriculture led to enormous productivity increases
• Agriculture led to significant population increase and density
– The need for cooperation and group effort
• Specialization of technology and skills developed
Results for Agricultural Society
• Now that you have
possessions, what
do you have to do?
• Kings- to direct
• Militaries – to
protect
• Priests – to protect
and record
(BUREAUCRATS)
• Scribes and writing
– to protect and
keep accounts
• Artisans- make
storage vessels
(pottery)
THE FOUR RIVER
VALLEY
CIVILIZATIONS
•
MESOPOTAMIA (FERTILE
CRESCENT)
•
NILE RIVER VALLEY (EGYPT)
•
INDUS RIVER VALLEY (INDIA)
•
YELLOW RIVER VALLEY
(CHINA)
MESOPOTAMIA
(THE FERTILE
CRESCENT)
MESOPOTAMIA
• Located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in an
area known as the Fertile Crescent.
• In Greek, Mesopotamia means ”between the rivers”
• Area has rich soil for growing crops even though it had
little rainfall.
• Tigris and Euphrates Rivers overflowed in the late
spring and deposited the rich silt in which the people
grew their crops.
• They developed irrigation systems to control when the
crops could be grown. As a result the abundance of
food made the Mesopotamian civilization possible.
THREE MESOPOTAMIAN CITY-STATES
• The three Mesopotamian city-states were: Assyria, Akkad and
Sumer.
• Sumerian Cities
• Surrounded by walls for defense.
• Made mostly of mud bricks.
• Sumerians invented the arch and the dome.
• Gods and Rulers
• Polytheistic – The Belief in many gods and goddesses; almost 3000.
• Ziggurats were the most prominent buildings in a city; dedicated to a
god or goddess.
• Looked like a massive stepped tower.
• Believed that the gods ruled the cities resulting in a Theocracy, a
government by divine authority.
• Priests and priestesses had a great deal of power.
• Kings would eventually come to rule. Kingships were considered divine
in origin, their power was derived from the gods.
ECONOMY AND SOCIETY
•
Economy
• Sumerian city-states were mainly farming oriented but trade and industry
became important as well.
• Metalworking, woolen textiles
• Exported copper, tin and timber for dried fish, wool, wheat, barley and metal
goods.
• The invention of the wheel in 3000BC made transportation easier.
•
Society
• Patriarchal – Society dominated by men.
• Three major social groups:
• Nobles, Commoners and Slaves
•
Technology
•
• The 1st to make bronze from copper and tin.
Achievements
•
•
Math – devised a number system based on 60; geometry to measure
fields
• Astronomy – to chart constellations
Cuneiform Writing – “wedge-shaped”
•
style of writing that used a reed stylus to make wedge-shaped
impressions into clay tablets what were later dried.
BABYLONIA AND HAMMURABI
The Warring of the City-States
• The Sumerian city-states were overrun by the
Akkadians in 2340BC creating the first Empires
ever. However they returned to city-states by
2100BC due to continued attacks by neighboring hill
people.
Around 1792BC, city-state of Babylon came to
control most of Mesopotamia where Hammurabi
came to power after gaining control of Akkad and
Sumer.
• The empire fell after his death in 1750BC due to
weak kings failed to keep it united. It eventually fell
to new invaders.
MESOPOTAMIA
AND
HAMMURABI’S CODE
The Code of Hammurabi
•
•
•
•
Based on System of strict justice.
Punishments varied based on social class of the victim.
The Principle of Retaliation – “eye for an eye, tooth for tooth”
Had rules for Marriage, Consumer Protection, Public Officials and
Family.
• Marriages were arranged by the parents and required a contract to be
legal.
• Builders were responsible for the lives of the people who lived in the
homes they built.
• Public officials were required to make judgments based strictly on the
law.
• The family patriarch was the head of the family and obedience was
expected.
Mesopotamia and Hammurabi's Code - Video
NILE RIVER
VALLEY (EGYPT)
THE NILE RIVER VALLEY
EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION
THE NILE RIVER: The Nile was crucial to the development of Egypt.
• The Nile is the longest river in the world (approx. 4000 miles) and
splits into two major branches forming the delta.
•
•
Lower Egypt – Nile Delta – Northern Area
Upper Egypt – Upstream – Southern Area
• Most important cities were at the tip of the delta.
Farming the Nile
•
Depended heavily on the yearly flooding of the river; the “miracle of
the Nile”
•
•
Flooded during September and October and deposited mud for
several miles from the river – The Black Land.
The surrounding deserts were known as the Red Land.
River Uses
• Transportation and Communication were possible with boats that
used the current and the wind.
EGYPTIAN LIFE AND
DIFFERENCES TO MESOPOTAMIA
Differences
• Mesopotamia was subject to constant invasions.
• Egypt had natural barriers to help in its defense.
•
•
•
•
North – Mediterranean Sea
East – Deserts and the Red Sea
West – Deserts
South – Cataract Rapids of the Nile
The Easy Life in Egypt
• The continuity, relative isolation and regularity of the
floods gave Egyptians a sense of security and
changelessness.
• Egyptians faced life with a sense of confidence.
IMPORTANCE OF RELIGION
Egyptians were polytheistic and actually
had no word for religion. It was just a part
of who they were and their lives.
• Two Groups of Gods
• Sun Gods – Re (raa)
• Land Gods – Osiris and Isis
• The belief in Osiris played an important
role in the Egyptian belief of
resurrection.
SOCIETY AND LIFE IN ANCIENT
EGYPT
The Simple Structure of Egyptian Society
• Pharaoh – The God-King
• Upper Class Nobles – Ran Government and managed their own
land estates.
•
Merchants, artisans, scribes and tax collectors.
• Peasants – worked the lands and made up the largest class of
the population.
•
Paid taxes, provided military service and were forced labor for
projects.
A Positive Attitude in Life
• Married young girls at 12 and boys at 14 who typically lived in
monogamous marriages.
• Husband was the master of the house but wives were well
respected and had lots of rights. For more information see pp. 52.
WRITING, ART AND SCIENCE
Writing – Hieroglyphics – known as “priest carvings” or “sacred
writing” which used both picture and abstract form.
• Used on the temple walls and tombs.
• Hieratic Script was used for common everyday writing and was a
much simpler form of writing.
Achievements
• Pyramids, temples and obelisks included artist’s work.
•
Artists were expected to adhere to a few formulas and styles giving
Egyptian art a distinctive look for thousands of years.
• Math and Calendars
•
•
Used math to calculate the size and area of their monuments.
Developed and accurate 365 day calendar
• Embalming (Mummification)
•
Mummification lead to an expert knowledge of human anatomy
resulting in medical practices that were passed on to other
civilizations.
THE COURSE OF EGYPTIAN HISTORY
Three Major Periods
• Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom
• Began around 3100BC with Menes unification of the upper and
lower kingdoms.
• These were periods of stability and strong leadership including:
• Freedom from Invasion
• Temple Building (pyramids)
• Intellectual and Cultural Activity
• Periods of Instability were known as Intermediate Periods.
The First Dynasty
• The first dynasties were essentially a family of rulers who
passed on their title within the family.
• Egyptian Ruler were called “King of Upper and Lower
Egypt” and wore a double crown to symbolize this title.
THE OLD KINGDOM
The Old Kingdom lasted from 2700 to 2200BC as was marked by
prosperity and splendor.
Pharaohs – “Great House” or “Palace”
•
•
Divine rulers with absolute power – unlimited power to rule their
kingdoms.
Pharaohs had help in overseeing their kingdoms.
•
•
Bureaucracy – an administrative organization with officials and regular
procedures.
Vizier – “Steward of the Whole Land”; in charge of the bureaucracy and
directly responsible to the pharaoh.
• Egypt was split into 42 provinces each with a governor and
responsible to the pharaoh and vizier.
The Pyramids
•
Built as large complex of building dedicated to the dead.
•
•
•
Mastaba – for people not of the royal family.
Pyramid – for pharaohs and viziers.
• Giza Pyramids – 2540BC built by King Khufu.
Mummification – A practice of preserving the physical body for the
afterlife. Read pp. 48 for more information on mummification.
THE MIDDLE KINGDOM
150 years after the Old Kingdom collasped, a new
age of stability arose from about 2050 to 1652
BC.
• New pharaohs conquered new lands: Nubia,
Palestine and Syria.
• New trade routes led to Kush, Syria,
Mesopotamia and Crete.
The People’s Pharaoh
• The new pharaohs began to show more interest
in their subject unlike the previous rulers who
were seen as god-kings and detached from the
people.
THE NEW KINGDOM
Egypt is Conquered and Reborn
•
•
When Egypt was invaded and conquered by the Hyksos in 1652BC the
Middle Kingdom fell.
The Conquered Egyptians learned the Hyksos weapon making skills and
their use of horse-drawn chariots.
•
The Egyptian used these skills to force the Hyksos out.
The Birth of the New Kingdom
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Established around 1567 to 1085 BC and took a new militaristic path
using the skills learn from the Hyksos.
Hatshepsut – 1st Woman to become pharaoh.
Thutmose – Led 17 military campaigns into Syria and Palestine
Amenhotep – Introduced the worship of Aton, god of the sun disk, as the
sole god. Later changed his name to Akhenaton.
Tutankhamen – The boy king, undid most of Akhenaton’s changes before
his death.
Ramses II – reigned 1279 to 1213, regained Palestine but was force
back their old border after the invasion of the “Sea People”
Cleopatra VII – Last pharaoh or Egypt; Tried to reestablish but failed.
Egypt become a province of Rome.
INDUS RIVER
VALLEY
CIVILIZATION
2500-1500 BCE
GEOGRAPHY
India is dominated by its
weather that is shaped by
monsoons.
Monsoons are seasonal winds
that bring in great amounts of
rain in June-September and dry,
very hot weather in October-May.
Unpredictable floods were
common from the Indus River
and the Ganges River, and this
geography made it difficult to
live there.
The largest cities were MohenjoDaro and Harappa.
There were several natural
barriers, such as:
Himalaya Mts.
Thar Desert
Great links to the sea and
mountain passes allowed
extensive trade.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Had the first indoor plumbing
and developed planned cities.
Roads were laid out on a grid
system at 90o angles.
This sophistication and planning
indicates a strong central
government.
Merchants
identified their
goods with
stamps and seals.
Why don’t we know more about
this civilization?
Historians have not yet
deciphered their system of
writing. (Sanskrit)
Developed the caste system - a
social class system that divided
labor and was supported by the
belief of reincarnation.
reincarnation-the
process by which a
soul is reborn again
and again until it
achieves perfect
understanding.
CIVILIZATION IN
THE HUANG HE
VALLEY
CHINA TODAY HAS THE MOST
PEOPLE OF ANY NATION ON EARTH:
OVER 1.2 BILLION
CHINA HAS ONE OF THE LONGEST CONTINUOUS HISTORIES ON
EARTH. THEIR CIVILIZATION BEGAN IN THE FERTILE VALLEY
OF THE HUANG HE OR “YELLOW RIVER.”
THE HUANG HE RIVER IS YELLOW
DUE TO THE YELLOW SILT IT
CARRIES. THE SILT IS CALLED
LOESS
THE RIVER VALLEY WAS SO FERTILE THAT WARS WERE
STARTED TO CONTROL THE FOOD PRODUCTION OF THE
AREA.
THE PEOPLE OF CHINA BELIEVE
THAT THE WORLD WAS CREATED
BY A GIANT NAMED PAN GU.
THE CHINESE BELIEVED IN
MANY GODS, AND EVEN
PRAYED TO THEIR ANCESTORS.
THE CHINESE WOULD ASK
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE
USING “ORACLE BONES.”
THE ORACLE WOULD CAST THE BONE INTO A FIRE. HOW THE BONE
BROKE IN THE HEAT DETERMINED THE ANSWER. THE ANSWER WAS
THEN WRITTEN ON THE BONE WITH CHINESE PICTOGRAPHS. THAT IS
HOW WE KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT LIFE BACK THEN.
THE XIA WERE THE FIRST DYNASTY. THEY RULED
WITH A MANDATE OF HEAVEN, OR AN ORDER TO THE
KING TO RULE, GIVEN BY THE GODS.
THE SHANG DYNASTY CAME NEXT. THEY GREATLY
EXPANDED THE EMPIRE. THE GREATEST
ADVANCEMENT WAS THE INVENTION OF CHINESE
WRITING (PICTOGRAPHS).
BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULT
TERRAIN (LANDFORMS)
AROUND CHINA,
COMMUNICATION AND
TRAVEL WERE DIFFICULT. IT
IS SURROUND BY THE
PACIFIC OCEAN, THE
HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS,
THE GOBI AND TAKLA
MAKAN DESERTS JUST TO
NAME A FEW. THE CHINESE
PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT
THEY WERE THE CENTER OF
THE UNIVERSE AS A RESULT
OF THIS. THEY KNEW VERY
LITTLE ABOUT THE WORLD
OUTSIDE.