Hunters and Gatherers to

FarmersHow did the development of agriculture change life in the Neolithic

Age?

Paleolithic Age

The “Old Stone Age” from 2 million years ago to 8000 B.C.E.

Begins with tool-making hominids (Homo Habilis)

Hunter-gatherers, nomads wandering from place to place

Shortage of Food – Paleolithic Age

No stable or dependable food supply

Plants and animals scarce when people stayed in one place too long

Hunting was dangerous due to close-up nature of hunting prey; hunters often killed or injured

Neolithic Age

The “New Stone Age” from 8000 B.C.E. to 3000 B.C.E.

Begins when people start to farm and produce their own food

Over 1000s of years people gradually learn to raise animals and plant crops

No longer need to roam long distances; can settle in one place

Dawn of Agriculture

Eventually people discover they can plant seeds and harvest crops

Farmers also observe which seeds grow better in their climate and soil

Farmers learn to domesticate animals, to raise and use them for people’s needs

Raised sheep, goats and cattle for meat; goats and cattle also provided milk; mules carry heavy loads

Neolithic Age begins with agriculture, the business of growing crops and raising animals; people now have some control over their food supply

Permanent SheltersDuring Paleolithic Age people lived in

temporary shelters, like caves, because they moved often looking for food

In the Neolithic Age, with the dawn of agriculture, people built more permanent shelters out of mud bricks

Permanent shelters gave people protection from harsh weather and wild animals

Long-lasting shelters enabled people to settle together in larger communities

CommunitiesAgriculture led to permanent shelters;

permanent shelters led to larger communitiesLiving in communities or villages allowed people

to organize themselves more efficiently, resulting in the division of labor (some people grow crops, others build houses and make tools, etc.)

Villagers also learn to cooperate to do tasks more quickly

With their basic needs met, people spent time and energy on other activities: inventing new ways to make life more comfortable and safer

These changes lead to growing populations

New Jobs

In Paleolithic times, people’s main concern was finding enough food to survive

Farming on the steadier supply of food, allows Neolithic people to develop specialized skills

Focusing on one job gave people the opportunity to improve the ways they worked

Neolithic people didn’t only want to survive, they wanted to make themselves and their surroundings beautiful (decorated pottery, polished stones for jewelry, etc.

Beginning to TradePaleolithic hunter-gatherers rarely tradedAs Neolithic people settled in communities, trade

became a more common activity (people trade to get resources they do not have)

Neolithic people wanted materials to improve the strength and beauty of the things they made; getting these resources became the job of traders

Traders traveled hundreds of miles looking for materials and resources (i.e., flint, obsidian, shells)

Trade brought people into contact with people from distant places; spreading ideas and knowledge

ReviewWhat does Paleolithic mean?What does Neolithic mean?How did Paleolithic people survive?What marked the beginning of the Neolithic Age?What is agriculture?What two main factors allowed

communities/villages to develop? What did trade allow people to do?

Constructed Response – Exit Ticket

“Identify and explain three ways the development of

agriculture changed daily life in the Neolithic Age.”

Cite specific evidence from your presentation/Cornell notes.