Paleolithic Dwelling
Paleolithic Dwelling
Neolithic Dwellings
Changes in Daily Life: Paleolithic to Neolithic
Assignments to hand in: Changes in Life During the Neolithic Period Chart Comprehension Questions
Overview: Look at the pictures below and read the text that follows:
Painting of two Paleolithic mammoth-bone huts.
Painting of dwellings at Catalhoyuk.
The
Neolithic period was part
of the Stone Age, a time
period in which
hominids primarily used stones as tools and weapons. Dating from
approximately two million years ago to 3000 B.C.E., the Stone Age consisted of
three time periods: the
Paleolithic, or "Old Stone," period from roughly two million years ago to
8500 B.C.E.; the Mesolithic,
or "Middle Stone Age," period from roughly 8500 to 8000 B.C.E.; and the
Neolithic, or "New Stone," period from roughly 8000 B.C.E. to 3000 B.C.E.
The development of agriculture, or farming, during the Neolithic period had a
tremendous effect on human society. Farming changed so many aspects of daily
life that scholars have often referred to it as the "Neolithic Revolution."
However, these changes did not happen suddenly, as the word "revolution"
suggests, but rather took place over thousands of years.
The earliest Neolithic societies arose in the modern-day countries of
Turkey,
Israel, and
Iraq and included such
settlements as Catalhoyuk,
Jericho, and
Jarmo. In these settlements,
people began farming, building permanent shelters, making better tools and
clothing, and developing trade and craftsmanship. each of these changes made
life more stable and comfortable for the people of the Neolithic period.
Step 1: Print out the Daily Life Tokens Handout and cut them along the dotted lines.
Step 2: Print out the Changes in Life During the Neolithic Period Charts.
Step 3: Follow the directions on the chart and paste each token in the corresponding places.
Step 4: Read the following Descriptions to help you fill out the rest of the chart.
Step 5: Answer the following Comprehension Questions on a separate lined piece of paper.
1. What was the main difference between life in the Paleolithic period and life in the Neolithic period?
2. How did people's lives change as they began to domesticate plants and animals during the Neolithic period?
3. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of the changes in daily life that occurred as a result of the development of agriculture?
4. Some historians refer to the development of agriculture as a revolution because of the dramatic effect it had on people's lives. Explain why you agree or disagree with this statement.