Key Concept 1.2 The Neolithic Revolution and Early Agricultural Societies
I. Beginning about 10,000 years ago, the Neolithic Revolution led to the development of new and more complex economic and social systems.
A. Possibly as a response to climatic change, permanent agricultural villages emerged first in the lands of the eastern Mediterranean. Agriculture emerged at different times in Mesopotamia, the Nile River Valley and Sub-Saharan Africa, the Indus River Valley, the Yellow River or Huang He Valley, Papua New Guinea, Mesoamerica, and the Andes.
B. Pastoralism developed at various sites in the grasslands of Afro-Eurasia.
B. Pastoralism developed at various sites in the grasslands of Afro-Eurasia.
C. Different crops or animals were domesticated in the various core regions, depending on available local flora and fauna.
D. Agricultural communities had to work cooperatively to clear land and create the water control systems needed for crop production.
E. These agricultural practices drastically impacted environmental diversity. Pastoralists also affected the environment by grazing large numbers of animals on fragile grasslands, leading to erosion when overgrazed.
II. Agriculture and pastoralism began to transform human societies.
A. Pastoralism and agriculture led to more reliable and abundant food supplies, which increased the population.
B. Surpluses of food and other goods led to specialization of labor, including new classes of artisans and warriors, and the development of elites.
C. Technological innovations led to improvements in agricultural production, trade, and transportation. Required examples of improvements in agricultural production, trade, and transportation:
• Pottery
• Plows
• Woven textiles
• Metallurgy
• Wheels and wheeled vehicles
D. In both pastoralist and agrarian societies, elite groups accumulated wealth, creating more hierarchical social structures and promoting patriarchal forms of social organization.
• Pottery
• Plows
• Woven textiles
• Metallurgy
• Wheels and wheeled vehicles
D. In both pastoralist and agrarian societies, elite groups accumulated wealth, creating more hierarchical social structures and promoting patriarchal forms of social organization.