6 The Neolithic Revolution
Learning Objective
- Explain the significance of the Neolithic Revolution
Key Points
- During the Paleolithic Era, humans grouped together in small societies and subsisted by gathering plants, and fishing, hunting or scavenging wild animals.
- The Neolithic Revolution references a change from a largely nomadic hunter-gatherer way of life to a more settled, agrarian-based one, with the inception of the domestication of various plant and animal species—depending on species locally available and likely also influenced by local culture.
- There are several competing (but not mutually exclusive) theories as to the factors that drove populations to take up agriculture, including the Hilly Flanks hypothesis, the Feasting model, the Demographic theories, the evolutionary/intentionality theory, and the largely discredited Oasis Theory.
- The shift to agricultural food production supported a denser population, which in turn supported larger sedentary communities, the accumulation of goods and tools, and specialization in diverse forms of new labor.
- The nutritional standards of Neolithic populations were generally inferior to that of hunter-gatherers, and they worked longer hours and had shorter life expectancies.
- Life today, including our governments, specialized labor, and trade, is directly related to the advances made in the Neolithic Revolution.
Terms
Hilly Flanks hypothesis
The theory that agriculture began in the hilly flanks of the Taurus and Zagros mountains, where the climate was not drier, and fertile land supported a variety of plants and animals amenable to domestication.
Evolutionary/Intentionality theory
The theory that domestication was part of an evolutionary process between humans and plants.
Neolithic Revolution
The world’s first historically verifiable advancement in agriculture. It took place around 12,000 years ago.
Hunter-gatherer
A nomadic lifestyle in which food is obtained from wild plants and animals; in contrast to an agricultural lifestyle, which relies mainly on domesticated species.
Paleolithic Era
A period of history that spans from 2.5 million to 20,000 years ago, during which time humans evolved, used stone tools, and lived as hunter-gatherers.
Oasis Theory
The theory that humans were forced into close association with animals due to changes in climate.
Feasting model
The theory that displays of power through feasting drove agricultural technology.
Specialization
A process where laborers focused on one specialty area rather than creating all needed items.
Demographic theories
Theories about how sedentary populations may have driven agricultural changes.
Before the Rise of Civilization: The Paleolithic Era
The first humans evolved in Africa during the Paleolithic Era, or Stone Age, which spans the period of history from 2.5 million to about 10,000 BCE. During this time, humans lived in small groups as hunter-gatherers, with clear gender divisions for labor. The men hunted animals while the wome