1. The Development of Agriculture
Neolithic Revolution
The Development of Agriculture

2. Neolithic Revolution “Neolithic” is Greek for “new stone”
Neolithic Age: Humans achieved the systematic growing and storing of food
Systematic agriculture:
Planting and domesticating crops for food, clothing, and work
Some historians believe that this agricultural revolution was the single most important event in history (?)

3. Results Allowed humans to greater control their environment
Now possible to give up nomadic ways of life and settle into communities
Developed all over the world BCE

4. New settlements Mesoamericans grew beans, squash, and maize (corn)
Permanent Neolithic farming villages
Jericho, Palestine
Çatal Hüyük
(world’s largest) included at least 12 food products
Çatal Hüyük
[chaht-l-hoo-yoo k]
Modern-day Turkey

5. Surplus Increased food production + storage =
Way more food than people needed
Allowed some people to do work other than farming…example?
Artisans made jewelry and weapons
These items fostered trade

6. Changes Shrines to and statues of gods and goddessesm
Religion gaining importance
More complex communities developed
Trade caused people to specialize
Division of labor developed
Basic crops were first cultivated
Cloth first woven

7. Changes (continued) Men Women
More active in farming and herding
Women
More domestic tasks like weaving
How did this affect their roles in society?
Men played more dominant role (more responsibility for obtaining food and protecting settlements)

8. Widespread use of Bronze:
Bronze Age
BCE, people learned to use metals
Used copper
Copper + Tin = Bronze
Widespread use of Bronze:
3000 to 1200 BCE

9. Cities
Government
Art
Civilization
Social Structure
Religion
Writing

10. Civilizations Definition:
A complex culture in which large numbers of human beings share a number of common elements.
Historians have identified the 6 most important characteristics:
Cities, governments, religion, social structure, writing, and art

11. CITIES
River Valleys: where people can carry on large-scale farming to feed large populations
In ea. Civilization, a significant part of the pop. lived in cities

12. Government Organize and regulate human activity
What factors led to the growth of governments?
Growing numbers of people
Need to maintain food supply
Need to build walls for defense
Early Civs. were led by rulers (king/queen)

13. Role of Religion Developed to explain:
the workings of the forces of nature
own existence
Gods and goddesses believed to be crucial to community’s success
Some rulers claimed to be divine

14. Farmers, artisans, craftspeople
New Social Structure
Based on economic power
Ruler
Priests, gov. officials, warriors
Farmers, artisans, craftspeople
Slaves

15. Writing
Used by rulers, priests, merchants, and artisans to keep accurate records
Eventually all civilizations used writing as a means of creative expression as well (first works of literature)

16. Artistic activity
Temples and pyramids built as place for worship, sacrifice, burial of kings, etc.
Painting and sculpture developed to portray gods and goddesses or natural forces

17. Art