(Duiker 5-7)

Questions for quiz: *Describe the most important real change that took place during the “Neolithic Revolution.” Where and when did systematic agriculture first develop? What sorts of crops were grown in the woodlands and tropical forests of central Africa? *When did Mesoamericans domesticate crops, and what were they? *Why did the growing of crops on a regular basis give rise to more permanent settlements? Name two cities that existed before 6,000 BCE. What do the female statuettes found at Çatal Hüyük suggest about its culture? *What were the main consequences of the agricultural revolution? How did relationships between men and women change? *What jobs did women now do besides caring for children? When was the Bronze Age?

Lecture Topics:
Hunter-Gatherers
Neolithic Revolution
Pastoralism

  • Impact on Environment

Agricultural Technology

  • major crops
  • major tools
  • flooding, irrigation
  • women in agriculture
  • pottery kiln, wheel

Early towns:

  • Jericho (Israel)
  • Çatal Hüyük (Turkey)
  • Ban-p’o (China)

Comparison of Eastern and Western Hemispheres
Emergence of social classes

Charts used in today’s lecture

Helpful Hints

  • Remember that in hunter-gatherer cultures women and men gather plant foods together, and not just nuts and berries: roots, leaves, grains, and fruits of all kinds are involved.
  • Be clear that agricultural villages are not all parts of civilizations; agriculture is necessary for civilization, but they are not equivalent.
  • Don’t be misled by Duiker into thinking that women didn’t work in the fields; remember the pictures you see of them doing so. They did most of their work out of doors near home, not “in the home.”
  • Note where the the Neolithic mother goddesses you are shown were found: Anatolia (Turkey)
  • Note the relationship between the bread oven and the pottery kiln.

Supplementary materials:

Return to syllabus