This lesson explains the causes and effects of the
Neolithic Revolution (aka The
Agricultural Revolution).
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Below is the outline of the slides used in the lesson:
The Neolithic PeriodAka—The Neolithic or Agricultural Revolution
Neolithic—"neo"=new
Neolithic Revolution
Took place during the
New Stone Age
AGRICULTURE
More consistent food supplies
Less variety of food supplies, especially protein, vitamins, and minerals
Sedentary—related to the word for sitting—i.e. staying in one place
Urban—meaning there were early cities
Natural Selection and
Artificial Selection
Natural Selection (evolution)
Environmental
Factors: population pressure,
adaptation, disease resistance
Artificial Selection
Done by humans, for humans (aren't humans natural?)
Domestication
Artificial selection done on plants and animals by humans to make those species fit to be in the home (think about your dogs and cats)
Only some plants and animals can be domesticated
Pastoral-Nomads
Pastoral—"pasture"=green fields of grass, sheep, horses, cows, etc.
Nomad—people who move from place to place and don't build fixed homes or cities
Pastoral-Nomadic versus Sedentary-Urban
Agents of trade and cultural transmission
Militarily
Powerful and Raiders
Less of a focus in this course, except for the
Mongols
Sedentary
Civilizations
"Sedentary" means you sit and don't move around much—like people in cities (as compared to pastoral-nomads and hunter-gatherers
Sedentary Civilizations are the big, city-making civilizations—
Rome,
China,
The USA,
England,
Russia, Aztecs, etc.
These are mostly what we'll be studying in this class
Sedentary Civilizations
River Valley Civilizations (especially in the
Fertile Crescent)
The
Olmec People (
Eastern Mexico)
The
Chavín People (
Andes Mountains;
Peru,
Chile)
Mohenjo-Daro and
Harappa, the
Indus River Valley (
Western India and
Pakistan)
The Yellow (
Huang He) River Valley (North-Central China)
Egyptian Civilization (
Nile River;
Egypt)
Feedback Loops—
The Beginning of
Civilization
Feedback Loop: where one good, or bad, thing causes another better or worse
Technology Improvements: metals, architecture, sewers (feedback loops)
Literacy, record keeping, accounting
Population increases: food, lowered reproductive wait-time
Surplus Labor and Surplus
Goods (surplus=more than is needed at the time) allowed for the specialization of labor—feedback loop
Neolithic Population
Changes
Increased food supply and lowered mortality due to starvation
Shrinking of reproductive cycle from four years to two years
Greater shelter and clothing
Military superiority over hunter-gatherers and a "population arms race"
Changes in
Class Structure and
Politics
"Those who think; those who work; those who fight."
Soldiery, Clergy, Peasantry & Artisans
Priestly class generally supported and ratified the ruling class; both controlled labor and resources (peasants and artisans)
Neolithic Social Changes
Patriarchy—
Men are in control
Control of
Land=Control of Men=Control of
Food=Control of
Women
Political Changes
Land ownership as the basis of society
People in proximity (living close together)
People created laws
Neolithic
Interactions with the
Environment
Pottery
Plows
Woven Textiles
Metallurgy
Wheeled vehicles
Interactions with the Environment—
Horses
Labor—"beast of burden"—plowing, transportation of goods
Military—especially chariots, mounted archers
Cultural Changes
Early religions were generally polytheistic ("poly"=many & "theos"=god (both parts are
Greek)) or animistic (everything has a spirit (an "animus")
Early religions were pre-literate (before reading and writing)
Early religions were organized by cults (local variations of the religion)
Major religions
Religious-Cultural Changes
Religions became "official" by being supported by kings and emperors
Writing allowed religions to be the same across big distances
Temples and priests made religions more organized
Cultural Changes—Architecture
Big Buildings, especially temples, pyramids, palaces, and statues
Impressive—especially to hunter-gatherers, pastoral-nomads, and one's own subjects
Cultural Changes—Writing
Record keeping
Taxation
Long-distance control of the masses by elites
Military organization
Economic Changes
Labor
Specialization: specific people have specific jobs (like modern civilizations)
Potters focus on making better pottery (artisans)
Soldiers can become better trained in warfare and rule (soldiers)
Farmers increase
STEM know-how (peasants)
Development of a scholar or learned-priestly class (clergy)
Economic Changes—
Trade Routes
Nubia-to-Egypt: primarily based on
Nile trade
Mesopotamia-to-India: via
Persia (
Iran)
Both highly dependent on water transport and domesticated animals
Lesson Complete
- published: 11 Feb 2014
- views: 1846