The Neolithic Period marked the transition from hunting and gathering to settled agriculture, allowing for permanent settlements and the development of crafts and artistic expression. Private property, money, and slavery emerged, as did complex religion and politics. The period also had consequences such as a decline in diet diversity and the evolution of diseases.
The Neolithic Period or New Stone Age was a time in human history when humans were still using stone tools, but had begun to settle into permanent encampments. The exact dates of this period vary according to the culture under discussion, but it is generally dated to around 10,000 BC Several features differentiate it from the Paleolithic or Stone Age, which directly preceded it. This period marked a dramatic transition in the ways humans lived, and is sometimes called the “Neolithic Revolution,” in the spirit of other radical events in human history, such as the Industrial Revolution.
While Neolithic cultures used stone tools like their earlier ancestors, these tools tended to be more complex and refined, and people were beginning to explore metals, albeit informally. More importantly, the period was marked by a transition from a culture of hunting and gathering to settled agriculture, which allowed people to establish permanent cities and villages, and paved the way for a more complex culture.
During the Neolithic period, people began experimenting with crafts such as pottery, weaving and other forms of artistic expression. Because they had settled in farming communities, they could invest more time in these pursuits, since they weren’t living a day-to-day lifestyle as hunter-gatherers. In addition to growing crops, these early humans also began domesticating animals to work for them and to serve as food sources.
The establishment of fixed settlements has brought about some other important changes. The idea of private or personal property and land ownership began to spread, and people also began to hoard artifacts and items that may not have immediate use or value. The concept of money began to emerge and some societies began to keep slaves as well, as cultural roles for various people in society began to emerge.
The practice of religion and politics also became more complex during the Neolithic period as people had more time to invest in thinking about the mysteries of life. Humans also began trading with each other and developing complex uses for animal products such as wool and milk. These events set up human culture for various metal ages, in which humans learned to use and work with an assortment of metals.
There were some interesting consequences for the period. The diversity of the human diet declined dramatically due to agriculture, and some archaeologists believe that Neolithic people actually had a worse diet than hunter-gatherers. The period also sparked a series of epidemics and the evolution of serious diseases, as humans lived in close proximity to each other and a range of animal species.
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