Hunter Gatherers to Neolithic Era

The Neolithic Revolution

From hunters and gatherers to agriculture and domestication.

Review: How did early humans migrate?

• Out of Africa Migration

• Bering Strait/ Land Bridge Theory

• Coastal Migration Theory

Out of Africa Theory

Out of Africa Theory: Commonly held belief that all humans originated in Africa before migrating around the world

Bering Strait/ Land Bridge Theory

This is the theory that humans migrated to the Americas by means of ice walkways that created a land bridge connecting what is now Russia to the Americas. 

Coastal Migration Theory

Theory that early humans populated the earth by traveling along coastal routes due to their moderate climates and available resources.

Recent research suggests this may have been the path of early Native Americans along the Pacific Coast as well.

Open Ended

How is a theory different than a fact?

How did early humans survive the paleolithic era?

• Paleolithic = old stone age

• The Paleolithic Era lasted until the transition to agriculture between 8000-10000 BCE

• Developed civilizations did not emerge until 2000 BCE

• How did early humans live during these times?

Hunter-Gatherer Societies

• Nomadic, self-sufficient and small (30-50 people)

• Groups and little hierarchy. Men hunted and women gathered. Both roles were valued equally (egalitarian).

• Few possessions because they were on the move.

• Hunter-gatherer societies still exist today --> Inuit

How did early humans survive the paleolithic era?

• Political: Egalitarian - groups made decisions together, roles of men and women were valued equally

• Dwellings: Caves because they were nomadic people

• Technology: Digging sticks, spears, axes, & spoken language

• Economic: People provided for themselves & their small community

• Religion & Art: Cave paintings, religious statues, belief in afterlife

How did these people become farmers?

• Over time humans became more sedentary (staying in one place), replacing hunting and gathering with agriculture.

• This was most true in regions rich in resources.

• WHY?: Moderate climate at the end of the Ice Age resulted in changing environment & vegetation. Humans adapted and could settle in these moderate climates.

Where did Agriculture Begin?

• Fertile Crescent, where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flow. -->

• Agriculture appeared here 8000-10000 years ago.

• Why? The region was rich in resources. Both plants for foraging and animals for hunting were easily accessible.

• Why does this matter to us today?

Multiple Choice

What helped make the Fertile Crescent rich in resources?

• Indian Ocean

• Tigris and Euphrates rivers

• Mediterranean Sea

So why does this matter?

• This area bred very important resources for early farmers, impacting how agriculture would exist in other parts of the world.

• Wheat and barley were present… both were essential for agriculture.

• Sheep, goats and cattle were the first domesticated animals.

• Domestication = biological process where physical traits are changed because of human interaction.

DOMESTICATED PLANTS & ANIMALS

Why did agricultural civilizations appear when they did?

• People were growing in knowledge of domestication.

• Methods for gathering, processing, storing food were advancing.

• Environment was changing. Climates were becoming more stable.

• Populations were growing and farming could produce more food!

What systems helped people survive during the Neolithic Era?

• Social: Populations grew larger People became sedentary (stayed in one place) and built homes

• Technology: Stone tools, polished ax heads, arrowheads, weaving cloth, calendar, wheel, textiles, pottery, baskets

• Religion & Art: Jewelry, buried dead in tombs

• Society was more complex as hierarchy and specialized jobs developed because not everyone needed to farm

• Gender roles: Women had more children and were not considered as equal as before

What systems helped people survive during the Neolithic Era?

• Political: Hierarchies of power started, defined land ownership, resulting in warfare

• Economic: Food & trade - Farming, domesticated animals (humans changed physical traits of animals)

• Economic: Food & trade - Food could be preserved (saved), communities began to trade

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What are civilizations? What do they need to survive?

Civilizations: highly organized and complex societies

Open Ended

What are key parts/ systems/ structures of our civilization?

Where were the early civilizations?

• Mesopotamia: 3500 BCE

• Egypt: 3100 B.C.E.  (first dynasty)

• India: 3000 B.C.E.

• China: 2000 B.C.E.

• Latin American Civilizations: (EX: Maya, Inca, Aztec) beginning around 2000 B.C.E.