Neolith is ... Neolithic Age

What is the Neolithic? This term originated from the Greek words "neos" (new) and "lithos" (stone). Scientists call this term a new era in the development of mankind. In a word, the Neolithic is a new stone age, that is, the final stage of the Stone Age. And he, as is known, had three periods of development: the initial, the middle and the new. Each of them has some special elements. In scientific terms, these periods are called Paleolithic, Mesolithic and, finally, Neolithic. The table of primitive history clearly shows the characteristic features of each.

The famous English archaeologist of the nineteenth century, Lubbock called the Neolithic opposition to the Paleolithic - another period of the Stone Age. Its characteristic features are the presence of polished and drilled tools.

When did the Neolithic period begin?

No one can name a specific date for the beginning of this era, as some cultures entered it earlier, and others later. The first peoples who took a step forward and rose to a new stage of historical development were people who lived in the Middle East for 9.5 thousand years before our era. It is with this period that the transition from the appropriating type of culture (gathering and hunting) to the producer (cattle breeding, horticulture and agriculture) is associated. In the history of mankind the Neolithic is considered a significant leap forward in comparison with the Mesolithic and Paleolithic. When you study the characteristics of each of the periods of the Stone Age, you notice how much new things have happened in the third and final period. However, beyond the invention of stone tools, even very skillfully and skillfully made, in this period of time, humanity has not gone. In a word, the Neolithic era ends precisely when stone tools are replaced by metal tools. After that, as is known, bronze, iron and other ages are coming. Nevertheless, there are still peoples in the world (American tribes and inhabitants of the islands of Oceania), which have not yet completely passed from the Neolithic Age to the Iron Age. And if we proceed from this, then we can state that this period is not yet fully completed for humanity as a whole. In a word, neither the Iron Age nor the Neolithic are chronological periods. As for our region, here this stage began approximately in the fifth millennium BC and lasted to the third, that is, about 2000 years.

What did the Neolithic age give to mankind?

Yes, many things. For example, tools, although they were made of stone, but were not as primitive as in the Paleolithic and Mesolithic. They were polished, making the edges smoother and sharper, if necessary they drilled holes in them (a primitive millstone). Neolithic people also worked on weaving and made for themselves the simplest clothes and bedspreads, those who lived near rivers and lakes, engaged in fishing and other inhabitants of reservoirs. Stocks of fish, as well as meat produced through hunting, along with nuts, berries and various roots, allowed primitive people to stop for a time in one locality, that is, from nomads to become sedentary. And this, in turn, led to the construction of small towns first, and then cities. The sedentary image also contributed to the emergence of ceramics and pottery. The first attempts to use clay as a material for making utensils and other items of utensils were made in the Middle East, in the villages of Jarmo, Chatal-Guyuk and Hadzhilar. But in the Far East, the advanced culture was Jomon. Residents of this region not only began to make and use ceramics, but also brought out some varieties of garden and vegetable plants. As for the European part, in the early stage only in Greece there were Neolithic tribes.

The oldest city in the world, born in the Neolithic period

As already mentioned, the construction of the first cities began precisely during the New Stone Age. The oldest of them was Jericho. This occurred at the very end of the Mesolithic and the beginning of the Neolithic. The city is built on the banks of the Jordan River, on the territory of present-day Palestine. During the construction of the first cities, special emphasis was placed on the siege fortifications. And this shows that in those days, wars were waged between cities. Consequently, regular armies were formed in which military officials stood out. In a word, the Neolithic period is the time when the first civilizations were born, as well as large settlements - city-fortresses.

The Neolithic Revolution

Indeed, what happened in this historical period can be called a revolution. First, it is the transition from the appropriating to the producing economy, the emergence of ceramic products (for the first time in the early Japanese culture), the emergence of cities, the formation of a professional army, the occupation of fishing and farming,

The Neolithic Stage

Scientists distinguish three periods of development of this era: early, middle and late. As noted above, to the early one, it is necessary to refer the regions to the territories of the Near and Far East, and in the European part to Greece. The Middle Neolithic includes the development of ceramics in Eastern Europe and in China. The third, the last stage - the late Neolithic. The focus of development is the locality, located on the territory of modern China.

Features of life in the era of the "new stone age"

The transition to a settled way of life led to the fact that people began to build more durable and sustainable dwellings. With the development of ceramics and pottery for the construction of their primitive houses, primitive people began to make clay blocks. These houses were built next to each other. So tribal communities began to appear . Near the settlement they began to cultivate the land in order to have a supply of food. There was a domestication of some species of animals, which led to the development of cattle breeding. Another branch of the national economy, which originated and was developed during the Neolithic period, is handicraft. For the inhabitants of the newly born settlements, which later turned into cities, it was necessary to make various products: articles of household utensils, clothing items, primitive furniture, jewelry, etc. By the way, an important feature of the Neolithic age is the emergence of weaving. Of course, this did not happen immediately. Before that, people learned to weave baskets, as well as fishing nets.

Exchange

In each of the tribes were allocated artisans, who were the best able to produce some specific objects. That is, they were considered masters of their craft and began to prepare these items not only for their fellow tribesmen, but also for neighboring tribes. So there was the concept of natural exchange.

Flint - the main rock in the Neolithic Age

This breed of people of this historical period was extracted in two ways: gathering on the surface in river valleys and mining in mines, which was the beginning of mining. We worked on flint for the creation of tools in several ways: retouching, bilateral upholstery, cleavage, etc. Later the craftsmen develop new methods, namely, grinding, sharpening and cutting. With the help of these techniques, master gunsmiths begin to manufacture cold steel. At the same time for the tips used bone. Knives combine both bone and flint details. Other objects, which gave rise to the Neolithic Age of new stone tools - are the ax, chisel, adzo, chisel, etc. With the advent of the ax, people were able to build boats, rafts, wooden houses, etc.

Art

People of the Neolithic Age also gravitated toward art. In the images made during this period, there is an awakening of the human thought activity. To the fine arts, one can classify drawings devoted to the description of wars. Rock paintings tell of events that occurred in that era. Especially interesting are the drawings found in the territory of modern Norway. Here the images of people and animals are schematic, which indicates an abstract thinking. Some objects are depicted in the form of geometric figures, that is, they mean these objects, but do not accurately convey them.

Conclusion

Neolithic - a new stone age, the last period before people invented iron tools and out of the Stone Age stepped into the bronze.