The Beginnings of Village Life

Ice Age/Stone Age ended at same time: c. 8,000 B.C.

The climate of the earth changed and became warmer

Warmer weather brings the birth of farmingPlants and animals prospered and food

supply increasedPpl able to stay in one place (no longer

nomads)The birth of farming marks the end of the

Old Stone Age and brought about the New Stone AgeThe New Stone Age will last for about

5,000 years

The End of Two Ages

Began around 8,000 B.C.; marked the true beginning of civilization

Ppl began to domesticate animals such as goats, sheep, and cattleProvided them with milk, meat, and

hidesAnimals were also used to work and hunt

The New Stone Age

The birth of farming and domestication of animals helped village lifePpl were no longer nomadicThey could build permanent shelters

They learned to cultivate the landTypes of housing depended on materials

availableWood or clay bricks were common

Rivers were very important for water and transportation (this is a theme we will see again and again…)

The First Villages

Catal Huyuk was a village found in present-day Turkey

Homes were built close to one anotherPpl got around by climbing up and down

ladders and across roofsEntered homes through openings in roofsInside homes, there was very little light

Courtyards were centers of culture and socialization

Shrines were religious centersThis is where they worshipped their godsDecorations were bright and colorful to note

their importance

Living in Catal Huyuk

Ppl were beginning to specialize, or be trained to do particular jobs, in villages

This was a huge turning point in early civilizations

People have learned unique skillsWeavers provide villages with clothingFarmers provided villagers with foodArtisans, or craftworkers, provided villagers

with new tools or technology, such as obsidian knives

All of these unique skills lead to trade beginning in villages

Specialization

Technology advances in big ways in the New Stone AgeRemember, civilizations always improve

upon and make new technology, based on older civilizations

Pottery was becoming a new form of technologyWoven baskets were being replaced by

clay pots and bowlsPottery was a difficult skill to learn

The Growth of Technology