Neolithic Revolution

The Neolithic Revolution established a new set of standards that made an important change in our way of human living. Between 8000 and 6000 B.C., the Neolithic Revolution was the transition from a food gathering society to a food producing society, when humans settled down to cultivate their food, instead of following and hunting for their food. This lifestyle was both beneficial and costly, but it was very innovative and enlightening for future generations and the technique continues to improve and prosper.

For most of our time on Earth, we humans lived as hunter-gatherers. Every day, groups of people would trap and kill wild animals, while others collected and prepared wild plants, nuts, and berries. If they were lucky and food was abundant, they were able to provide enough food for themselves and their children. If they were unlucky, they starved and died. In order to stay close to their food sources, hunter-gatherers needed to be mobile. Because of the change of weather, animal migrations, and the long seasons, starvation could happen at any place or time. People had little time to do anything other than find food, warmth, and shelter for themselves and their families.

Domestication allowed humans to be in control of the food produced, instead of not knowing when they would have food and when they would not. This completely changed the society. Lifestyles changed from moving around a lot and low value on possessions, to the opposite. This was the case because groups and clans could remain in the same place for long periods of time. Humans started to settle and produce their own food, rather than following herds of animals. Material possessions such as farms tools, food, clothes, and pottery were all highly valued. This allowed for technology to stimulate and improve. Populations also started to grow. Women started to have more children since it was no longer a burden to carry them. Before the Neolithic revolution, it was difficult to carry children around the area, which was necessary because animals moved, forcing humans to move with them. It was not a limitation to have children when farming because