Neolithic peoples were skilled farmers, manufacturing a range of tools necessary for the tending, harvesting and processing of crops (such as sickle blades and grinding stones) and food production (e.g. pottery, bone implements). They were also skilled manufacturers of a range of other types of stone tool and ornaments, including projectile points, beads, and statuettes. Neolithic peoples in the Levant, Anatolia, Syria, northern Mesopotamia and Central Asia were also accomplished builders, utilising mud-brick to construct houses and villages ...

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Neolithic, Neolithic - Origins and regional development, Neolithic - Social organization, Neolithic - Farming, Neolithic - Technology, Neolithic - Neolithic Religion, Neolithic - Origins, Neolithic - Deities and Spirits, Neolithic - Others

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See also:

Neolithic, Neolithic - Origins and regional development, Neolithic - Social organization, Neolithic - Farming, Neolithic - Technology

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The Neolithic Religion was the major religion during the main Neolithic Period in Europe. There appeared to be veneration of a Mother Goddess/Father God, the Serpent, the Sun and the Moon. This religion appears to have been the ancestor of the Indo-European Religion and the Afro-Asiatic Religion (See Indo-European/Semitic religious similarities). Neolithic - Origins. The Neolithic Religion probably has its roots in the Upper Paleolithic, the Mother Goddess herself from the Venus figurines of Eurasia. < ...

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Neolithic, Neolithic - Origins and regional development, Neolithic - Social organization, Neolithic - Farming, Neolithic - Technology, Neolithic - Neolithic Religion, Neolithic - Origins, Neolithic - Deities and Spirits, Neolithic - Others

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The Neolithic, (Greek νέος (neos) = new + λίθος (lithos) = stone, or "New" Stone Age) was a period in the development of human technology that is traditionally the last part of the Stone Age. The name was invented by John Lubbock in 1865 as a refinement of the three-age system. The term is more commonly used in the Old World and its application to cultures in the Americas and Oceania is problematic. It follows the terminal Pleistocene Epipalaeolithic and early Holocene Mesolithic periods, beginning ...

Including:

• Neolithic - Origins and regional development
• Neolithic - Social organization
• Neolithic - Farming
• Neolithic - Technology

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The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric time period during which humans widely used stone for toolmaking. Stone tools were made from a variety of different kinds of stone. For example, flint and chert were shaped (or chipped) for use as cutting tools and weapons, while basalt and sandstone were used for ground stone tools, such as quern-stones. Wood, bone, shell, antler and other materials were widely used, too. During the most recent part of the period, sediments (like clay) were used to make pottery. A series of metal technology innovations characterize the later Cha ...

Including:

• Stone Age - The Stone Age in archaeology
• Stone Age - Modern use of the term
• Stone Age - Human development during the Stone Age
• Stone Age - Palaeolithic
• Stone Age - Epipalaeolithic/Mesolithic
• Stone Age - Neolithic
• Stone Age - Stone Age material culture
• Stone Age - Food and drink
• Stone Age - Shelters and habitats
• Stone Age - Art
• Stone Age - Stone Age rituals and beliefs
• Stone Age - Remnants of Stone Age living in modern times
• Stone Age - The Stone Age in popular culture
• Stone Age - Notes

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The term Neolithic Revolution was first coined in the 1920s by Vere Gordon Childe to describe the first in a series of agricultural revolutions to have punctuated human history. This period is described as a "revolution" not so much in the sense that its uptake or spread was rapid, but rather to denote the great significance and degree of change brought about to the communities in which these practices were gradually adopted and refined. This involved a gradual transition from a hunter-gatherer mode of subsistence which was pra ...

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Neolithic Revolution, Neolithic Revolution - Agricultural transition, Neolithic Revolution - Incentive to settle, Neolithic Revolution - Emergence of civilization, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of plants, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in Asia, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in the Fertile Crescent, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in Africa, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of animals, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of animals in China's yellow river valley, Neolithic Revolution - Social change, Neolithic Revolution - Disease, Neolithic Revolution - The beginnings of technology, Neolithic Revolution - Subsequent revolutions

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Once agriculture started gaining momentum, humans were unknowingly altering the genetic make-up of certain cereal grasses (wheat and barley) that would favour greater caloric returns through larger seeds. Plants that possessed traits such as small seeds, or bitter taste would have been seen as undesirable. This process known as domestication allowed crops to adapt and eventually become larger and more useful to the human population. Once early farmers perfected their agricultural techniques, their crops would yield surpluses which nee ...

See also:

Neolithic Revolution, Neolithic Revolution - Agricultural transition, Neolithic Revolution - Incentive to settle, Neolithic Revolution - Emergence of civilization, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of plants, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in Asia, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in the Fertile Crescent, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in Africa, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of animals, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of animals in China's yellow river valley, Neolithic Revolution - Social change, Neolithic Revolution - Disease, Neolithic Revolution - The beginnings of technology, Neolithic Revolution - Subsequent revolutions

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When hunter-gathering began to be replaced by sedentary food production it became more profitable to keep animals close at hand. Therefore, it became necessary to bring animals permanently to their settlements. The animals' size, temperament, diet, mating patterns, and life span were factors in the desire and success in domesticating animals. Animals that provided milk, such as cows and goats, offered a source of protein that was renewable and therefore quite valuable. The animal’s ability as a worker (for example ploughing or towing), as ...

See also:

Neolithic Revolution, Neolithic Revolution - Agricultural transition, Neolithic Revolution - Incentive to settle, Neolithic Revolution - Emergence of civilization, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of plants, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in Asia, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in the Fertile Crescent, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in Africa, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of animals, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of animals in China's yellow river valley, Neolithic Revolution - Social change, Neolithic Revolution - Disease, Neolithic Revolution - The beginnings of technology, Neolithic Revolution - Subsequent revolutions

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The underlying technology was invented in the last half of the 20th century and became economical for widespread adoption after the invention of the PC. The digital revolution transformed technology that previously was analog into a binary representation of ones and zeros. By doing this, it became possible to make multiple generation copies that were identical to the original. In digital communications, for example, repeating hardware was able to amplify the digital signal and p ...

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Digital Revolution, Digital Revolution - Brief history, Digital Revolution - Technological basis, Digital Revolution - Socio-economic impact, Digital Revolution - Concerns

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Agriculture gave humans more control over their food supply, but required settled occupation of territory and encouraged larger social groups. These sedentary groups were able to reproduce at a faster rate due to the added convenience of raising children in such societies. The children accounted for a denser population, and introduced specialization by providing diverse forms of labour. The development of larger societies called for a means of governmental organization. Food surpluses made this possible by feeding chieftains as they focused on work, rather than producing sustenance. In addition, domesticated ...

See also:

Neolithic Revolution, Neolithic Revolution - Agricultural transition, Neolithic Revolution - Incentive to settle, Neolithic Revolution - Emergence of civilization, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of plants, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in Asia, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in the Fertile Crescent, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in Africa, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of animals, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of animals in China's yellow river valley, Neolithic Revolution - Social change, Neolithic Revolution - Disease, Neolithic Revolution - The beginnings of technology, Neolithic Revolution - Subsequent revolutions

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While there have been huge benefits to the digital revolution, especially in terms of the accessibility of information, there are a number of concerns. For those living in the present, the digital revolution has ushered in an new age of mass surveillance, generating a range of new civil and human rights issues. From the perspective of the historian, a large part of human history is known through physical objects from the past that have been found or preserved, particularly in written documents. Although digital information is e ...

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Digital Revolution, Digital Revolution - Brief history, Digital Revolution - Technological basis, Digital Revolution - Socio-economic impact, Digital Revolution - Concerns

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The economic impact of the digital revolution has been large. Without the World Wide Web (WWW), for example, globalization and outsourcing would not be nearly as viable as they are today. The digital revolution radically changed the way individuals and companies interact. Small regional companies were suddenly given access to much larger markets. Concepts such as On-demand services and manufacturing and rapidly dropping technology costs made possible n ...

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Digital Revolution, Digital Revolution - Brief history, Digital Revolution - Technological basis, Digital Revolution - Socio-economic impact, Digital Revolution - Concerns

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Pottery is an ancient technology, and is one of the key technologies in the formation of civilization. The creation of pottery has been advanced as new tools became available to the potter, such as the electric potter's wheel and the electric kiln. Potters also take advantage of more modern innovations in the fields of chemistry and plastics. Broken pottery in archaeological sites, called potsherds, help identify the resident culture and date the stratum, by the formation style and decoration. The relative chronologies based on pottery are essential for dating the remains of non-literate cultures and help in the dating ...

See also:

Pottery, Pottery - Types of pottery, Pottery - Techniques, Pottery - Forming techniques, Pottery - Decorative and finishing techniques, Pottery - Glazing and firing techniques, Pottery - Production stages, Pottery - History, Pottery - Palaeolithic pottery, Pottery - Neolithic pottery, Pottery - Reference

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Lower Paleolithic: Europe was populated by species of Homo since c. 900,000 years ago (Homo erectus), associated with the pebble-tools technology and later to the Acheulean one (since c. 300,000 BP). Middle Paleolithic: Eventually these European Homo erectus evolved into another species: Homo neanderthalensis (since c. 200,000 BP), associated with the Mousterian technologies. It must be noted that our ancestors Homo sapiens also participated in this tool-making technique for a long time and they may have first settled Europe while this Mid-Paleolithic technique wa ...

See also:

Prehistoric Europe, Prehistoric Europe - Paleolithic, Prehistoric Europe - Neolithic, Prehistoric Europe - Chalcolithic, Prehistoric Europe - Bronze Age, Prehistoric Europe - Iron Age

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Image:Shaman.jpg Shamanistic practices are sometimes claimed to predate all organized religions, and certainly date back to the Neolithic period. Aspects of shamanism are encountered in later, organized religions, generally in their mystic and symbolic practices. Greek paganism was influenced by shamanism, as reflected in the stories of Tantalus, Prometheus, Medea, and Calypso among others, as well as in the Eleusinian Mysteries, and other mysteries. Some of the shamanic practices of the Greek religion were l ...

See also:

Shamanism, Shamanism - Etymology, Shamanism - History, Shamanism - Asia, Shamanism - Americas, Shamanism - Aspects of the practice, Shamanism - Initiation and learning, Shamanism - Shamanic illness, Shamanism - Practice and method, Shamanism - Shamanic technology, Shamanism - Gender and sexuality, Shamanism - Shamanism and New Age

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Though the use of bronze started much earlier in the Aegean area, it is not before 1800 BCE that it reaches southern Spain, while Central Europe will wait another century (c. 1700 BCE) and the Atlantic region will remain Chalcolithic until 1300 BCE (noticeably Egypt remained in the same backward technological state until much later). In any case, the date of 1800/1700 BCE can be considered typical for the start of this stage in Europe in general, although some scholars claim earlier dates for the introduction of bronze (this may be caused by the slim barrier be ...

See also:

Prehistoric Europe, Prehistoric Europe - Paleolithic, Prehistoric Europe - Neolithic, Prehistoric Europe - Chalcolithic, Prehistoric Europe - Bronze Age, Prehistoric Europe - Iron Age

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Though the use of iron was known to the Aegean peoples about 1100 BCE, it didn't reach Central Europe before 800 BCE, giving way to the Hallstatt culture, an Iron Age evolution of the culture the Urn Fields. Probably as by-product of this technological superiority of the Indo-Europeans, soon after, they clearly consolidate their positions in Italy and Iberia, penetrating deep inside those peninsulas (Rome founded in 753 BCE). Around that time the Phoenicians, benefitting form the disappearance of the Greek maritime power (Dark Ages) f ...

See also:

Prehistoric Europe, Prehistoric Europe - Paleolithic, Prehistoric Europe - Neolithic, Prehistoric Europe - Chalcolithic, Prehistoric Europe - Bronze Age, Prehistoric Europe - Iron Age

Read more here: » Prehistoric Europe: Encyclopedia II - Prehistoric Europe - Iron Age

Shamanistic practices are sometimes claimed to predate all organized religions, and certainly date back to the Neolithic period. Aspects of shamanism are encountered in later, organized religions, generally in their mystic and symbolic practices. Greek paganism was influenced by shamanism, as reflected in the stories of Tantalus, Prometheus, Medea, and Calypso among others, as well as in the Eleusinian Mysteries, and other mysteries. Some of the shamanic practices of the Greek religion were l ...

See also:

Shamanism, Shamanism - Etymology, Shamanism - History, Shamanism - Asia, Shamanism - Americas, Shamanism - Aspects of the practice, Shamanism - Initiation and learning, Shamanism - Shamanic illness, Shamanism - Practice and method, Shamanism - Shamanic technology, Shamanism - Gender and sexuality, Shamanism - Shamanism and New Age

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The Japanese Paleolithic is also highly original in that it incorporates the earliest known ground stone tools and polished stone tools in the world, dated to around 30,000 BCE, a technology typically associated with the beginning of the Neolithic, around 10,000 BCE, in the rest of the world. It is not known why such tools were created so early in Japan, although the period is associated with a warmer climate worldwide (30,000-20,000 b ...

See also:

Japanese Paleolithic, Japanese Paleolithic - Paleolithic environment, Japanese Paleolithic - Earliest Japanese tools, Japanese Paleolithic - Ground tools and polished tools, Japanese Paleolithic - Paleo-anthropology, Japanese Paleolithic - Japanese archeology of the Paleolithic period

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The date range of this period is ambiguous, disputed, and variable according to the region in question. While it is possible to speak of a general 'stone age' period for the whole of humanity, some groups never developed metal-smelting technology, so remained in a 'stone age' until they encountered technologically developed cultures. However, in general, it is believed that this period began somewhere around 3 million years ago, starting with the first hominid tool-making in Africa. Most australopithecines probably did not use stone tools (a ...

See also:

Stone Age, Stone Age - The Stone Age in archaeology, Stone Age - Modern use of the term, Stone Age - Human development during the Stone Age, Stone Age - Palaeolithic, Stone Age - Epipalaeolithic/Mesolithic, Stone Age - Neolithic, Stone Age - Stone Age material culture, Stone Age - Food and drink, Stone Age - Shelters and habitats, Stone Age - Art, Stone Age - Stone Age rituals and beliefs, Stone Age - Remnants of Stone Age living in modern times, Stone Age - The Stone Age in popular culture, Stone Age - Notes

Read more here: » Stone Age: Encyclopedia II - Stone Age - The Stone Age in archaeology