Agriculture origin

The Beginnings of Civilization Section 2

Preview

• Main Idea / Reading Focus

• The New Stone Age

• Development of Agriculture

• Map: Growth of Agriculture

• Agriculture Changes Society

The Beginning of Agriculture


Reading Focus

• What new tools and technologies did early humans develop

during the New Stone Age?

• How did early agriculture develop and spread?

• In what ways did the development of agriculture change Stone

Age society?

Main Idea

The development of agriculture was a major turning point in

human history and significantly changed the way in which many

people lived.

The Beginning of Agriculture


As prehistoric people developed more sophisticated tools,

the Paleolithic Era gave way to the Neolithic Era.

• Stones chipped to make

points

• Wood and bone tools

• Nets from plant fibers and

animal sinew

Paleolithic Tools

• Polished stones to make

points

• More specialized tools:

– chisels

– drills

– saws

Neolithic Tools

The New Stone Age


Contrast

How did toolmaking in the New Stone Age

differ from toolmaking in the Old Stone

Age?

Answer(s): Old Stone Age—chipped stones to

produce sharp edges; New Stone Age—polished

and ground stones to shape tools


The development of agriculture, about 10,000 years ago,

radically changed how people lived. This shift to farming is

referred to as the Neolithic Revolution.

• End of Ice Age

• New plants

• New food source

• People learned to

farm

• Domestication

• Larger food supply

Plants

• Domesticating

animals

• Careful selection

and breeding

• 10,000 BC – dogs

• Larger and more

stable supply of

meat, milk, skins,

wool

Animals

• Available plants,

domesticated

animals

• Spread to regions:– Asia: rice

– Africa: cattle

– Mexico: corn

– South America:

potatoes

Growth of

Agriculture

Development of Agriculture



Identify Cause and Effect

How did people benefit from farming and the

domestication of plants and animals?

Answer(s): more reliable food supply; people

could pool labor and resources


• As people began to make items from bronze, the Stone Age gave way to the Bronze

Age, which began as early as 3000 BC in some areas.

• Agriculture dramatically changed Stone Age societies by providing a larger and more

reliable food supply.

• Some people began to live as nomadic pastoralists.

• Others gave up the nomadic lifestyle and formed settlements, pooling their resources.

• Small settlements

• Villages and towns

• Increase in trade

• Societies became more complex

• Social status, authority

• Religion, megaliths

• Warfare, disease increased

Early Farming Societies

Agriculture Changes Society

• New tools and methods

• Animals working in fields

• Grindstones, pestles, pottery

• Wool from sheep for yarn

• Spinning and weaving

• Copper, bronze, tin

New Technologies


Çatal Hüyuk

A Neolithic settlement in what is now Turkey

• Largest Neolithic site found

– Home to 5,000–6,000 people in 6000 BC

– Covered more than 30 acres

– People raised barley, wheat, sheep, goats

• Houses

– One main room with areas for sleeping and

domestic tasks like cooking

– Religious shrines




Discoveries added to our knowledge of Neolithic societies

• 1991- hikers discover frozen male body

• Scientific tests performed

• 5,300 years old, from Neolithic Era

Scientists’ theories

• Diet included coarse grains

• Did not live in location where found

• Might have been murdered

Ötzi and belongings well preserved

• Clothes: three types of animal skins stitched together

• Leather shoes, woven grass cape, fur hat, backpack

• Quiver with arrows, dagger, ax with copper blade

Ötzi the Iceman


Summarize

How did the development of agriculture

affect Neolithic societies?

Answer(s): revolutionary changes; men and

women assumed different roles; led to towns,

government, religion, trade

Education

Agriculture origin