4. THE NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION

Chronology: 7000 B.C to 3500 B.C Appearance of Writing

Beginning of HISTORY

Location: It has its origin in the Middle East Fertile Crescent

NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION: Important economic and social changes

NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION (Economic and social changes)

Producers:

Agriculture-farming

Sedentary Technical innovation

s: ceramic , fabrics

Specialized tools:

Ploughs,etc

Division of labour

Buried their dead: necropolis

es

Bartering

ECONOMY AND SOCIETY

Natural landscapeThere was a climate change increase temperatures-melting of

iceChanges in flora and fauna: tundra became forest

Increase in plant species: barley, wheat, millet, rice, maize, potatoes

FoodThey became producers:

discovered agriculture and farming( domesticated livestock: sheep,

goats…Obtained: meat, milk..)Appeared bartering ( they produced more than

they needed)

SocietyAn excess in any

production permitted people to

work in different activities: Division

of labour

ReligionThey had religion beliefs:

-Believed in spirits, worshipped their deads

-Buried their dead (necropolis under houses) with personal

possessions

Where did they live?

They became sedentary

Built permanent settlements: houses made

with clay

Barley

Maize

wheat millet

maize

Necropolis

SKILLS

•Developments:•- They added wooden handles•- New tools: ploughs, scythes, axes, sickles•- New materials: marble, granite•New techniques: stone polishing

Stonework

•They used to use: vegetable fibres: cotton, linen.•They wove them on looms.•They knew how to make shoes.Materials

•They made pots by hand and baked them in the fire or in ovens

•Pots were decorated with incisions.•They used watertight containers.

Pottery

Plough

Axe

Stone polishig

Mortar, axes, sickles

scythe

loom

Esparto grass

Ceramic pots

ARTCera

mic P

ots

• Painted and decorated with incisions.

Idols

• Funeral figures

• Materials: Stone Bones

• Characteristics Big round eyes adorned with triangles and lines

Rock paintings

• In the open air or in caves

• Characteristics: - Schematic Body and legs represented by a vertical line Head as circle

• - People represented

• - Hunting scenes, gathering, dancing

• Religious significance

Idols

NEOLITHIC IN SPAIN

Way of life: similar to the rest of the world

Chronology: It began around 5500 B.C ( later than in the Fertile Crescent)

Specific characteristics

Existence of cists: strong

burial cult

They made Cardial pots:

imprinted with shells

East

They dyed pots red

Andalucia

The most significant paintings

are in Levante

cist