Neolithic Period: what it is, features, summary

O neolithic period, chronologically, it extended from about 10,000 a. Ç. up to 3000 a. Ç. It was one of the periods of Prehistory, this periodization being carried out in the nineteenth century. The Neolithic was marked by being when the human being became sedentary, starting to survive from the agriculture, and new tools were produced from polished stone.

Accessalso: Mesopotamia – one of the cradles of humanity

Summary about the Neolithic period

  • The Neolithic period extended from 10,000 BC. Ç. up to about 3,000 a. Ç. and it was one of the prehistory periods.

  • In the Neolithic, human beings started to use tools made of polished stone.

  • One of the great advances of this period was the Neolithic Revolution, which allowed for sedentarization.

  • With the sedentarization, the first cities began to appear.

  • Other technical advances took place in areas such as architecture, arts and ceramics.

Video lesson on the Neolithic period

What is the Neolithic period?

the Neolithic it was one of the periods of Prehistory, and it is understood that it lasted from about 10,000 BC. Ç. up to 3000 a. Ç

. The periodization of this phase of human history was made by nineteenth-century scholars who divided the prehistoric period into Paleolithic, mesolithic and Neolithic.

The two great landmarks that guide the Neolithic are the neolithic revolution, that is, the sedentarization process of the human, and the development of writing, made by the Sumerians, around 3000 BC C., when cuneiform writing was developed.

It is important to point out that this periodization is only a reference and that we must always take into account that the advances of humanity were happening at different speeds in each region of the planet. Thus, the advances of the Neolithic Revolution, for example, will only happen in certain places very late.

Characteristics of the Neolithic period

in which he was to adapt it to human habitation.modify the landscape who helped him on a daily basis, and he managed to produce better toolsThe Neolithic period was marked by several advances that took place in the survival and adaptation capacity of human beings. During this period, the human being managed to

  • neolithic revolution

The first major change that took place during this period concerns the sedentarization of human beings. In the Paleolithic, human groups were nomadic and lived by hunting, fishing and gathering food in nature. Beginning with the Neolithic, this changed, and historians called this shift the Neolithic Revolution.

Basically, human beings became sedentary, that is, they settled in a place and began to act to adapt it to their needs. Therefore, human groups started to intervene in the places where they lived, and the first step towards this is related to the food production.

If before the human being was a hunter-gatherer, from the Neolithic onwards he gradually became a farmer. Thus, it started to produce, through planting, everything that was necessary for its survival. This was the emergence of agriculture, as human beings discovered that it was possible to obtain the necessary food through planting.

Another remarkable event in this process was the domesticationFromanimals, some of which became useful as pack animals, and others became important as a complement to food. It is important to mention that sedentarization did not represent the end of hunting and gathering, which still remained as a means of sustenance for human groups.

In general, it is argued that the sedentarization of humanity was a result of the climate changes that took place on Earth. The warming of the planet allowed these groups to settle in one place.

However, this process was not a uniform event that mobilized human groups in general to make this lifestyle change suddenly. As well defined by historian Paul Kriwaczek, human sedentarization represented a greatchangecultural and "no major cultural change has ever taken place without dispute"|1|.

Sedentarization was understood by Paul Kriwaczek as “the greatest mass destroyer of skills, cultures and languages” because it represented a very profound change in the human lifestyle|1|. He also claims that this process probably fostered deep disputes between human groups, as it was too sudden a change for it to have occurred without questioning.

The difficulties imposed by the adaptation to sedentarization were enormous, and the researcher claims that the Neolithic human he promoted these changes were physically less robust than the nomad because the diet of those first groups to become sedentary was still quite poor. Although difficult, this transition process was fleeting.

Some historians question the idea of ​​the Neolithic Revolution, pointing out that the changes brought about by sedentarization did not happen abruptly, but were the result of a long process in which human beings mixed the two lifestyles: sedentary and nomadic.

Accessalso: Understand the periodization of history

  • Urbanization in the Neolithic period

In the Neolithic, the first cities and first stone buildings began to appear.

The sedentarization of the human provided countless changes in the long term, and one of them was the process of urbanization. The Neolithic saw the emergence of the first cities. From then on, civilization was established and a series of other changes took place, such as the population growth, the rise of an aristocracy, the possession of power by a very small group, between others.

The sophistication of the human and the development of more efficient tools allowed, for example, the developmentgivesarchitecture. Thus, already in the Neolithic period, architecture allowed the development of constructions with religious purposes, such as Stonehenge, but also allowed the construction of the first stone houses.

  • Technical skills in the Neolithic

Ceramics was another field that saw advances during the Neolithic period.

Human technical capabilities have advanced, allowing humans to improve their lifestyle, ensuring survival, even in adverse situations. One of the great advances of this period was the transition from chipped stone to polished stone. Thus, human beings started to produce their day-to-day tools by polishing the stone.

With that, the tools became better, which allowed the improvement of hunting, for example. THE ceramics developed, allowing the human being to store the food he had produced. THE weaving it also developed, and the human became able to make better clothes in order to protect itself from the cold.

  • Other features of the Neolithic period

It is important to mention that the Neolithic is not limited to what was mentioned in the text. The richness of this period goes beyond and passes through the Art, and the buildingsmegaliths are great examples of the artistic capacity of the human being. In addition, some of the drawings produced during this period were highlighted.

The Neolithic also witnessed the manifestationin practicesreligionthe. A series of buildings began to house religious rituals, and the beliefs of human groups involved issues such as soil fertility, ancestor worship, etc. Along with religion, many funerary practices were also established.

Grades

|1| KRIWACZEK, Paul. Babylon: Mesopotamia and the birth of civilization. Rio de Janeiro: Zahar, 2018. p.36.

Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932

Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932

THE Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932 it was a revolt that took place in the state of São Paul...

read more
Brazil in World War II: participation and summary

Brazil in World War II: participation and summary

THE Brazilian participation in World War II it began on September 16, 1944, lasted seven months a...

read more
Lei Áurea: summary on the abolition of slavery

Lei Áurea: summary on the abolition of slavery

THE Golden Law (Law nº 3.353), was sanctioned by Princess Dona Isabel, daughter of Dom Pedro II, ...

read more
instagram viewer