Neolithic Age – Prehistory

The Neolithic Age began around 10,000 BC and ended between 4,500 and 2,000 BC, depending on the region. Around 6000BC, the smelting of metals such as Copper began which was used for raw material to be used in tool production, leading to more advanced chalcolithic era.

Agriculture and Sedentism

This era marked the transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to one based on agriculture and settled communities.  This transition from hunting-gathering to food production is called the Neolithic revolution. Another feature was establishment of permanent settlements and villages.

Technological advancements

The key technological advancements of Neolithic era were polished stone tools; pottery production; weaving and textile production. Another revolutionary advancement of Neolithic era was invention of wheel. The earliest clear evidence of a wheeled vehicle (a wagon with four wheels and two axles) dates from about 3500 BC, in Mesopotamia. The development of the wheel is considered one of the most important technological innovations of human history, profoundly affecting the progress of various civilizations.

Social changes

Sedentism led to Increased population density in specific areas. There was a development of more complex social hierarchies and specialization of labor.

Architectural developments

The age saw construction of permanent dwellings and some of the Megalithic structures (e.g., Stonehenge) were created.

Religious and cultural evolution

Neolithic age saw development of more complex belief systems and emergence of ritual practices and burial customs.

Environmental impact

Deforestation for agriculture and domestication of plants and animals continued in Neolithic age.

Trade

Increased long-distance trade networks and exchange of goods and ideas between communities started in the Neolithic age. The Neolithic Revolution, as this period is often called, laid the foundation for the development of complex societies, urbanization, and eventually, early civilizations.