Neolithic Phase

Introduction

• The Neolithic or New Stone Age (c. 10,000 BC to c. 2,000 BC) is the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe, and Africa.

• The period witnessed the Neolithic Revolution, a set of developments that arose independently in several parts of the world.

• This Neolithic package included the introduction of farming, domestication of animals, and a shift from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a settled life.

• The term Neolithic was coined by Sir John Lubbock in 1865, refining the three-age system.

• The Neolithic began about 12,000 years ago, with farming appearing in the Epipalaeolithic Near East and Mesopotamia and later spreading to other parts of the world.

• It lasted in the Near East until the Chalcolithic (Copper Age), around 6,500 years ago (4500 BC), marked by the development of metallurgy, leading to the Bronze Age and Iron Age.

• In other regions, the Neolithic followed the Mesolithic and lasted longer, such as in Ancient Egypt, where it lasted until the Protodynastic period (c. 3150 BC).

• In China, the Neolithic lasted until around 2000 BC, with the rise of the pre-Shang Erlitou culture.

• The Neolithic was a key stage in human culture, where humans began to manipulate nature to their advantage rather than being entirely dependent on it.

• Humans began to distinguish plants and animals that could be manipulated for their needs, such as taming animals and cultivating useful plant varieties.

• Clearing forests and tilling soil for agriculture became essential.

• Nomadic people transitioned to settled life in villages.

• New tool types and techniques emerged.

• Despite the new subsistence strategies of domestication of plants and animals, older modes like hunting and gathering continued.

Background

• In India, the Neolithic Age began around 6,000 B.C.
• The Stone Age’s third and final phase was at that time.
• Palaeolithic Age (500,000 to 10,000 B.C.) and Mesolithic Age made up the other two sections (9,000 B.C. to 4,000 B.C.).
• The development of settled agriculture and the use of tools and weapons made of polished stones are the two main characteristics of the Neolithic Age.
• The term “Neolithic” or “New Stone Age” is most frequently used in reference to agriculture, which is the era during which the domestication of animals and the cultivation of cereals began.
• There is no agreed-upon date for the start of the Neolithic because the development of agriculture occurred at various times in various parts of the world.
• In the Neolithic Age, man transitioned from being a food gatherer to a food producer.
• Additionally, it saw pottery being used for the first time.
• Along with polished stone tools, people also used microlithic blades. Metal usage was unknown.

Changes in Climate and Subsistence

• Prehistory is divided into various cultural periods: Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, and Chalcolithic.

• The Neolithic period succeeded the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods and preceded the Chalcolithic period.

• In the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, humans did not produce food, domesticate animals, or cultivate plants.

• People gathered naturally available plant food such as tubers, fruits, leaves, and nuts, and hunted wild animals and trapped fish.

• It is uncertain if the later Upper Palaeolithic humans practiced horticulture or became friendly with animals.

• The social organization in the prehistoric period was influenced by the hunting-gathering mode of production.

• Since food gathered through hunting and gathering was limited and had to be consumed immediately, smaller bands of people existed, although larger congregations existed in resource-rich areas.

• Several cultural changes occurred around the beginning of the Holocene, leading to the development of Neolithic cultures.

• A major shift in climate occurred during the transition from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene, following the end of the Ice Age, with a warm climate setting in globally.

• These environmental changes affected the distribution of animal and plant populations and influenced the Neolithic cultures.

• People consciously modified their life-ways in response to changing climate conditions.

• Neolithic cultures were pastoral and farming cultures, but without knowledge of metal implements.

• They used polished stone tools, lithic tools, and pottery.

• In the Neolithic period, humans began to cultivate plants and domesticate animals, effectively modifying and controlling natural resources to their advantage.

• These changes increased food security, but also altered ways of life.

• Since humans domesticated animals and plants, they had to settle in one place permanently or temporarily to manage these resources.

• Their economic responsibilities grew, involving the management of plants, pastures, animals, and irrigation.

• Neolithic people practiced selective breeding of plants and animals and developed a good understanding of the environment.

• Despite the advent of Neolithic practices, people continued to hunt wild animals, gather plant foods, and engage in fishing to supplement their diet.

Neolithic Culture

• The term ‘Neolithic’ was first used by Sir John Lubbock in his book Prehistoric Times (1865).

• Lubbock was the first Baron of Avebury (b. 1834 – d. 1913) in England.

• He introduced the concept of the Neolithic Age to refine the Three Age system (Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age), which was proposed by C. J. Thomsen in the 1830s.

• The term ‘neo’ means new, and ‘lithic’ means stone.

• Unlike the Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age) period, people in the Neolithic period began using polished stone tools and axes, often called celts.

• Neolithic tools are more refined than the crude, flaked stone tools of the Palaeolithic period.

• Neolithic people needed a more diverse variety of tools due to their involvement in different activities.

• Palaeolithic tools typically have rough or finely flaked surfaces, with some retaining the natural rolled pebble surface to serve as a butt end for easier handling.

• There is little evidence of tool polishing in the Palaeolithic period.

• In the Neolithic period, people began polishing some of their stone tools, but continued using flaked and unpolished tools as well.

• The concept of Neolithic has evolved over the years and now denotes early pastoral and farming village communities that did not use metal.

The Concept of Neolithic Revolution

• The Neolithic Revolution was coined by V. Gordon Childe in 1941 to describe the agro-pastoral cultural developments of the early Holocene.

• Childe treated the Neolithic and Chalcolithic cultures as food-producing economies.

• The term Neolithic Revolution refers to the origin of agriculture, animal domestication, and a settled way of life.

• It marks the transformation from a hunting-gathering economy to an agropastoral economy.

• The idea of revolution in the Neolithic way of life signifies a major transformation in human cultural adaptation.

• Miles Burkitt identified the Neolithic culture with polished tools, animal, and plant domestication.

• Neolithic does not only denote the use of new tools but also new modes of adaptation and ways of life.

• The introduction of domestication of plants and animals led to the production of a large quantity of grains and animal food.

• Pottery-making emerged as a result of the need to store food.

• People settled in open areas, away from caves, and began building houses.

• Large villages developed with permanent residences, and settlements were fenced to protect cattle and sheep.

• These activities led to food surplus and craft specialization.

• Surplus food production allowed more people to settle in villages.

• These cultural developments of the period are termed the Neolithic Revolution.

• Surplus food production was a key factor for the development of early urban cultures in the subsequent Bronze Age.

• Surplus food enabled the development of various crafts, urban formations, and early states.