The Stone Age Old Stone Age Paleolithic Age 2,500,000 to 8000 BCE Made stone chopping tools Hunter-gatherers Humans migrated across the globe End of the Paleolithic coincided with the end of the last ice age Cave paintings and small carvings New Stone Age Neolithic Age BCE Humans made numerous tools, as well as jewelry, from bone, wood, stone, tusks, etc. Pottery Permanent settlements Agriculture (farming) Animal domestication Modern human beings left as the only hominids on the planet

Neolithic Village: Skara Brae in Scotland

Agriculture Around the World Africa (Nile River Valley) Wheat, barley Central America and Mexico Beans, corn, squash China Rice India (Indus River Valley) Cotton Iraq (Mesopota mia - Fertile Crescent) Wheat, barley Peru Tomatoes, potatoes, cotton squash, beans

Think: What could be some of the consequences of farming?

What are some of the consequences of farming? ProsCons Produced more food and required less land than hunting More people were able to build permanent settlements Provided new sources of material for clothing Planting crops and herding animals took a great deal of time Farming was uncertain. If crops failed, families could starve Nomads sometimes attacked villages to steal food. Clearing areas for farming could lead to deforestation, clearing an area of trees

The Effects of Farming

Catalhoyuk One of the world’s very first permanent settlements – Populated more than 8,000 years ago Located in what is now Turkey Population of approximately 6,500 people – 1,000 dwellings crammed together – No need for complex government – No streets – people climbed out through ladders in their ceilings Supported by agriculture and animal domestication – Barley, peas, wheat – Cattle, sheep Famous because it is so well-preserved Trivia: The oldest-known village in the world existed in Jericho (in modern-day Israel) in 9000 BCE.:

Catalhoyuk Typical Catal Huyuk interior (restoration). Mother goddess from Catal Huyuk. Wall mural of Catal Huyuk.

What would be the pros and cons of living in a settled community? ProsCons

Why Live in a Settled Community? Pros Common culture expressed Mutual protection Near farms Grain and seed storage Cons Disease spreads more rapidly among a dense population Grain stores were tempting to raiders Permanent settlements suffered from natural disasters (drought, fire, floods)