What did I learn from this amazing experience?

The Neolithic Revolution was when societies changed from hunting and gathering, to settled agriculture societies. With this revolution or major change, food supplies became more reliable as people domesticated animals and plant seed. Social and political systems developed in the settled societies. Stone-age nomads began to settle down in river valleys. They began developed agriculture and domesticate animals. With these developments came stunning advances in technology, especially in metallurgy and writing. The Neolithic Revolution occurred first in river valleys because conditions there were the most condusive for agriculture. The Neolithic Revolution involved far more than the adoption of a limited set of food-producing techniques. During the next millennia it would transform the small, mobile  groups of hunter-gatherers, into sedentary societies based on built-up villages and towns, which radically modified their natural environment by means of specialized cultivation and storage technologies that allowed extensive surplus production. 

Environmental Effects

Agricultural communities had to work cooperatively to clear land and create the water control systems needed for crop production. These agricultural practices drastically impacted environmental diversity. Pastoralists also affected the environment by grazing large numbers of animals on fragile grasslands, leading to erosion when overgrazed.

During the Neolithic Revolution the environment was affected. The soil was overused, deforestation occurred to make more land available, overgrazing, and animals became more suited to human needs.

Pastoralism/ Food Supply

Pastoralism began during the Neolithic Revolution, where people made there living by tending herds of large animals. During the revolution, humans began domesticating for plants and food and started forming cities. Some of the plants and animals domesticated were maize, beans, squash, rye, wheat, barley, potatoes, rice, goats, llamas, and sheep.

Pastoralism and agriculture led to more reliable and abundant food supplies, which increased the population. Once pastoralism began food supply became more reliable and there was eventually a surplus of food. Food supply also made class distinctions. The people with more land and food were on the higher end of the social hierarchy while the ones with less land and food were at the bottom. With the surplus of food and goods more jobs were created such as artisans ,merchants, and warriors. 

Day 2: Why did the Neolithic Revolution start? and How did the Neolithic Revolution affect human societies economically & socially?

 There are many reasons why the Neolithic Revolution began but a prominent reason why is the need for a long term reliable source of food to nourish a rapidly growing society.

The Neolithic Revolution began the era of sedentary permanent societies. Due to the closed nature of society, the demographic of farmers was less diverse than of the demographic of herders as they mostly mated within their population.Gender roles also became more prevalent. Before, during the Hunting and Gathering time period men and women were equal in that they both shared work. After the transition from hunting a gathering to Neolithic, women stayed indoors to take care of there children. So women became lower than men because they did not work like men did. During the Neolithic period there was a reliance on the limited about of land everyone had which gave to the idea of a political organization.Political organization caused social organization which was divided by amount of property and power.
As socities began to focus on agriculture, social classes began to develop  This can be seen during burials. Lower classes had simple burials while the higher classes had elaborate burial with carvings and other expensive items such as jewelry. 

Day 1: The Past and the New Technology

During the  Paleothic Period, which lasts from the beginnings of human life until about 10,000 BCE, people were nomads . They lived in groups of 20 -30, and spent most of their time hunting and gathering. In these groups, work was divided between men and women, with the men hunting game animals, and women gathering fruits, berries, and other edibles. These early peoples developed simple tools such as, spears and axes made from bone, wood, and stone. Human beings lived in this manner from earliest times until about 10,000 BCE, when they started to cultivate crops and domesticate animals.The Neolithic Revolution was a fundamental change in the way people lived. The shift from hunting & gathering to agriculture led to permanant settlements, the establishment of social classes, and the eventual rise of civilizations. The Neolithic Revolution is a major turning point in human history.

In response to the new way of living new tools were created in order to increase production of crops which lead to an increase of population. Neolithic farmers created a simple calendar to keep track of planting and harvesting. They also developed simple metal tools such as plows, to help with their work. Some groups even may have used animals such as the ox to pull these plows, making work easier.  Metal weapons  were developed as villages needed to protect their valuable resources. Granaries and store houses were created to preserve food. Irrigation was also used in order to supply water to the soil and plants.

 Work Cited: http://regentsprep.org/regents/
global/themes/science/neo.cfm
http://resourcesforhistoryteachers.wikispaces.com/Key+Concept+1.2

Background Information: What was the Neolithic Revolution?

Neolthic Revolition was the first agricultural revolution, the transition from hunting and gathereing communities and bands, to agricultureal settlement.

Taking things for granted is something that just about all people do. We never really take the time to think about how things got the way that they are, or take the time to understand how we get some of these things. For example, a thing that a lot of people take for granted is water. A lot of us just expect to turn on the facet, and have water. Another thing that many people expect to have is food. Although we usually expect to have food, many of us never think about where it came from. The Neolithic Revolution was a time in which many things changed. Even though some of these changes occurred many years ago, they still affect us today and have helped to dictate the way that humans do things now. Economical and geographical factors of the Neolithic Revolution have had a major impact on the way that people lived back then, and also on the way that people are living now. Geography and economics both had a very large impact on the Neolithic Revolution.

Work Cited:
http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/neolithic-revolution/
http://kolin1a.blogspot.com/2012/01/neolithic-revolution.html

.