World History / Unit 1: Prehistory and Early River Valley Civilizations
1.2 The Neolithic Revolution
Notes
Beginning about 10,000 BCE, people in several regions learned to farm. This shift is called the Neolithic Revolution (or Agricultural Revolution).
- Farming began first in the Fertile Crescent of Southwest Asia, then developed independently in China, Mesoamerica, the Andes, New Guinea and parts of Africa.
- Domestication: taming plants (wheat, rice, maize) and animals (sheep, goats, cattle) for human use.
- Farming produced a food surplus, so populations grew and people settled in permanent villages such as Çatalhöyük in Anatolia (modern Turkey).
- With a surplus, not everyone had to farm, leading to specialization of labor (potters, weavers, toolmakers), trade and social classes.
- Downsides: more disease in crowded villages, more work hours, and conflict over land and stored food.
| Paleolithic | Neolithic |
|---|---|
| Nomadic | Settled villages |
| Hunting and gathering | Farming and herding |
| Small bands | Larger communities |
Practice
Which change was the most direct result of farming during the Neolithic Revolution?
A reliable surplus allowed people to stay in one place and populations to grow.
A village no longer needs every person to farm, so some people become potters and weavers. This is an example of:
A food surplus freed some people to do specialized jobs.
Which statement about the origins of farming is accurate?
Archaeology shows several separate centers of domestication.
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