The Neolithic Revolution

The Neolithic Revolution: Changes in Tools, Housing, and Division of Labor

Part 1: Changes in Tools

• Neolithic Age allowed for cultivation of land, domestication of animals, and gathering of people into permanent villages.
• New tools and techniques allowed humans to plant and harvest crops and herd animals.
• Humans learned to express themselves creatively by making pottery and weaving.
• Neolithic communities made tools by grinding and polishing harder stones, creating stronger and more durable implements.
• Polished stone axes were invented, which were vital for the spread of agriculture and settlement into permanent communities.

Part 2: Changes in Housing

• Çatalhöyük's East and West mounds in Turkey were densely clustered groups of mudbrick buildings arranged around open courtyards.
• Most structures were clustered into room blocks, with walls built so closely together they melted into one another.
• Individual buildings were rectangular or wedge-shaped, tightly packed with no windows or ground-level floors.
• Entry into the rooms was made through the roof, and buildings had between one and three separate rooms.

Part 3: Changes in Division of Labor

• Agriculture enabled the production of food surpluses, but it was fickle and relied on a small selection of crops produced on large scales.
• Greater food surpluses tended to lead to higher levels of inequality.
• Labor roles became more gendered, with men doing fieldwork and women relegated to child-rearing and household work.
• Division of society into roles that supported hierarchy was necessary, including administrator, servant, priest, and soldier.