Neolithic and Metal Ages: Dawn of Civilization
The Neolithic: The First Human Revolution
About 10,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age, the human way of living began to change. Some hunter-gatherers settled and learned to cultivate plants and keep animals in small herds. This was a big change and one of the most relevant developments in human history. It has been aptly called the Neolithic Revolution.
Farming
The first farmers lived in warm countries. They settled near big rivers because they needed a good supply of water. The very first farmers probably lived beside the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the Middle East, in a region called the Fertile Crescent. From there, farming spread very slowly to Europe and Africa. Meanwhile, people had begun farming in other parts of the world. The main crops were:
- Middle East & Europe: Cereals, legumes
- Asia: Cereals
- America: Corn, beans, and potatoes
They raised goats, sheep, and later horses, pigs, and cattle, which provided regular supplies of meat and other useful products.
Crafts
When people began to settle in villages, two main specialized crafts were developed:
- Pottery: Clay was used to make pots, jugs, and other vessels (for storing or cooking food).
- Weaving: The second great craft developed in the Middle East in Neolithic times was spinning and weaving wool into cloths. The cloth was woven on a loom.
Tools
As they became more skillful, they developed specialized tools such as hoes, sickles, and grindstones for processing grains. These tools were still made of stone.
Metal Age: The Discovery of Metal
About 7,000 years ago, humans learned how to use new materials: Metal. They discovered how to use metals, which was made of different times and in different parts of the world. Metal was more useful than stone because it could be easily shaped into weapons and beautiful ornaments. Metal made better tools, but it was hard to get. People found rocks with metal ore inside and heated them to get the metal out. The ore melted and drained out.
Copper was the first metal to be used, but it was too soft to make good tools. When they used iron, it was better, but it was difficult to get.
Inventions
Some 5,000 years ago, three inventions were produced in the Middle East which we still use today: the wheel, the sail, and the plough.
- The wheel: Soon had a lot of uses, such as on transport carts pulled by oxen and on potter’s wheels to produce ceramic.
- The sail: Was used in boats to take advantage of the strength of the wind.
- The plough: Signified that a lot more ground could be worked than with the hoe.
The search for raw materials to make new tools led to the growth of trade as people exchanged the goods they needed.
The First Cities
The development of farming, together with the appearance of new techniques, improved the quality of life. Because of this improvement, the population grew. Some village settlements enlarged and became small cities. These cities, surrounded by walls, were made up of buildings with different functions: housing, stores, workshops. The houses were made of adobe or stone, and their roofs of straw.
Megalithic Monuments
In the last years of the Neolithic, huge stone monuments called megaliths were built throughout Europe. The main megalithic monuments were the menhirs, the dolmens, and cromlechs.
- Menhirs: Were large, lengthened stones stuck vertically in the ground. It is possible that their construction is linked with the worship of the sun.
- Dolmens: Were formed with large vertical stones covered with horizontal slabs. They were used as collective graves.
- Cromlechs: Were circular enclosures formed from groups of menhirs. They were probably used as shrines.