A brief overview of the Neolithic Revolution including how the domestication of plants and animals arose independently at different centers across the globe, they types of foods cultivated, and the cultural changes that accompanied this revolution.

1. THE
NEOLITHIC
REVOLUTION

2. MESOLITHIC
• Middle Stone Age
• Broad Spectrum
Economy
• Lots of different
tools (microliths),
specialties, foraging
and gathering
strategies, etc.

3. NEOLITHIC
• New Stone Age
• Economies based
on food production
• Cultivating crops
• Domesticating
animals
• Sedentary lifestyle

4. THE NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION
BROUGHT EMENSE CHANGES
IN…
TOOLMAKING POTTERY HOUSING CLOTHING

5. HUMANS
ACTIVELY
SELECTED
VARIETIES
OF
PLANTS
AND
ANIMALS…
• Increase edible parts of the plant
• Reduction of harmful traits (toxins,
thorns, etc.)
• Loss of means for natural seed
dispersal
FAVORABLE PLANT TRAITS:
• Increased amount of meat (fat)
• Increased amount of wool, fur, thick
hide
FAVORABLE ANIMAL TRAITS:

6. SEVEN AREAS OF THE WORLD WHERE FOOD
PRODUCTION WAS INDEPENDENTLY
INVENTED…

10. sorghum

11. DOMESTICATI
ON OF PLANTS
AND
ANIMALS…
More time for craft
specialization
Ceramics,
textiles,
housing,
methodological
innovation
Occur simultaneously with increased
population
Happened at different times across the
globe
Ultimately led to
decrease in overall
health
Less variety, not
optimal
nutrition,
disease (plants,
animals, and
people)

12. Domestication
City/States
Agriculture

13. THE URBAN
REVOLUTION

14. URBAN
REVOLUTION
(CITIES)
• Large, dense
population
• Monuments
• Writing/document
ation
• Social stratification
• Inequality
• Elite ruling
class
• Taxes
• Long distance

15. CITY LIFE
• Agricultural innovation
• Diversification of labor
• Fulltime specialists
• Central government

16. STATES =
GOVERNMENT
• Interdependenc
e of goods and
services
• Creates
vulnerability
• Central form of
control
• Based on
diverse
qualifications

17. THE RISE AND
FALL…
• Invasion/warfare
• Disease
• Overpopulation
• lack of resources
• environmental
degradation
• Environmental
change (drought)

18. COLONIALISM
• Spread:
• Disease
• Ideas
• Religion
• Genes