Neolithic, a prehistory period, begins when agriculture is introduced and the village first appears. Between 8,000 BC to 3,000 BC, it is a period of prehistory. This period is also known as the Neolithic Revolution and Agricultural Revolution since it was the beginning of agriculture. The influence of climate changes forced shepherd bands to leave their mountains in search for the scarcer hunting prey and move down to the valleys. Neolithic people were driven to gather and store cereals in order to have a source of food. Soon, they would plant and harvest them. A man, in parallel to his taming of small animals including the dog, was also able tame other small creatures.
The Near East was the first area where agriculture developed, which is the present-day Asian Turkey. Indus Valley, which dates back to 7800 BC, also has agricultural residues. Nevertheless, some estimates suggest that the first agricultural activity began in 3500 BC. All the rest continued to hunt and gather. Agriculture allowed its users to develop civilizations that were more advanced than their contemporary cultures, thanks to the cultural shifts it brought about. It is important to note that the transition from nomadic to sedentary groups was largely driven by the desire to improve agriculture and livestock and establish a permanent place to live and eat. The sedentarization led to the development of cities and urbanization. It is true that there were many groups of people who lived in coastal areas and fished, but they had no functional organization to support economic activity. Cities also hadn’t developed. In contrast, the advent of agriculture led, for the very first time in human history to a surplus of food and a population that grew steadily over time.
The Agricultural Revolution of the Neolithic period had a variety of cultural and social consequences for the developing human settlements. These settlements were mainly distributed in the Near East. Medialuna Fertile is the name of this geographic distribution. These were the regions where the first great Western civilizations developed. The great rivers in the area provided both water and nutrients, allowing for an abundance of food. The Tigris, Euphrates and Nile rivers in Egypt and Mesopotamia are these great rivers.
Food abundance ensured that villages grew into cities. The agricultural revolution was accompanied by the technological revolution and led to the division and specialization in labor. The city could survive with just a small portion of the populace dedicated to agriculture. The rest of the population began to focus on other activities, jobs and products. The development of crafts, art, commerce and construction was a result. In the same manner, the organization and structure of the city grew more complex. Institutions such as State and Religion were created, who exercised authority, set up administration and shaped the destiny of society. The complexity of society’s organization and lifestyle reached a new level.
As a result of urbanization and population explosion, men and woman were separated according to their role in village organization. Farmers, ranchers, artisan, warriors and others were created by the technical skills. The metallurgical work begins late, presenting both weapons and everyday instruments.
The Neolithic is the time when the first megalithic architectural structures were discovered. Megalithic Complexes refer to large stone structures that can be found anywhere, including Stonehenge on the English coast, Denmark or the Temples of Tarxien located on Malta. Megalithic Complexes are a test to determine the religious activity and specialization that agriculture brought for the first civilizations.
Between the 6th and 5th millennia B.C., humans began to cultivate various types of cereals such as wheat, rice, corn and potatoes in different parts of the globe. The human race becomes independent of hunting, fishing, or gathering. They become self-sufficient. This allows them to adopt a lifestyle that is sedentary. Due to their isolation, the first cultures developed diverse diets based on the animal and plant products available in each area. Thus, in pre-Columbian America, corn, tomatos, potatoes and tobacco were the staple foods of precolombian America. As different civilizations began to trade and come into contact, the food barriers started to fall. During the Middle Ages, the Muslim trade brought spices like nutmeg, pepper, and more to Europe. Different American products were also traded between the United States, Europe, and the United States.
Sources
Barker, G. (2006). Why did foragers turn into farmers? Oxford University Press Oxford. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.librarylogin-um.suagm.edu:86/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=273859<=es&site=eds-live
Romero, J. April 30th, 2019 Primeras civilizaciones fluviales: Mesopotamia y Egipto. Retrieved from https://juanjoromero.es/recursos/1-eso/primeras-civilizaciones-fluviales/
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