Neolithic

Quick Facts: Who was Neolithic?

Subject:

Neolithic

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Archaeological period marking the transition from hunting to settled farming life.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Neolithic (from Greek νέος néos 'new' and λίθος líthos 'stone'), or New Stone Age, is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BC to c. 2,000 BC). It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts of the world. This "Neolithic package" included the introduction of farming, domestication of animals, and change from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to one of settlement. The term 'Neolithic' was coined by John Lubbock in 1865 as a refinement of the three-age system. The Neolithic began about 12,000 years ago, when farming appeared in the Epipalaeolithic West Asia and Mesopotamia, and later in other parts of the world.

Career & Major Achievements

It lasted in West Asia until the transitional period of the Chalcolithic (Copper Age) from about 6,500 years ago (4500 BC), marked by the development of metallurgy, leading up to the Bronze Age and Iron Age. In other places, the Neolithic followed the Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) and then lasted until later. In ancient Egypt, the Neolithic lasted until the Protodynastic period, c. 3150 BC. In China, it lasted until circa 2000 BC with the rise of the pre-Shang Erlitou culture, as it did in Scandinavia. Following the ASPRO chronology, the Neolithic started in around 10,200 BC in the Levant, arising from the Natufian culture, when pioneering use of wild cereals evolved into early farming.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The Natufian period or "proto-Neolithic" lasted from 12,500 to 9,500 BC, and is taken to overlap with the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) of 10,200–8800 BC. As the Natufians had become dependent on wild cereals in their diet, and a sedentary way of life had begun among them, the climatic changes associated with the Younger Dryas (about 10,000 BC) are thought to have forced people to develop farming. The founder crops of the Fertile Crescent were wheat, lentil, pea, chickpea, bitter vetch, and flax. Among the other major crops to be domesticated were rice and millet. Crops were usually domesticated in a single location and ancestral wild species are still found.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1865: 1865 Milestone — The term 'Neolithic' was coined by John Lubbock in 1865 as a refinement of the three-age system.
2. 2000: 2000 Milestone — In China, it lasted until circa 2000 BC with the rise of the pre-Shang Erlitou culture, as it did in Scandinavia.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Neolithic

True or False: “The domestication of figs is considered by some evidence to have occurred before the first cultivation of grains in the Near East.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): Evidence from Jericho suggests that mutant fig varieties, which could only reproduce from cuttings, mark an early technological invention preceding grain cultivation.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. P. Hill — Historical peer (Died in 1865) (1865): Confederate general who distinguished himself in the American Civil War.
• Abraham Isaac Kook — Historical peer (Born in 1865) (1865): Pioneering Orthodox Rabbi and Father of Religious Zionism.
• A. D. Hope — Historical peer (Died in 2000) (2000): Australian poet and essayist celebrated for his satirical wit and academic career.
• A. E. van Vogt — Historical peer (Died in 2000) (2000): Influential Canadian-American science fiction writer known for bizarre narratives.

Frequently Asked Questions about Neolithic