The Neolithic Revolution
The earliest period of human history is the Paleolithic age, also known as the old stone age. A period of hunting and food gathering using chipped stone tools. The Paleolithic people were nomads moving from place to place as they consumed game animals and rippening fruits.
The fading of this period offered in a new age, called the Neolithic age, meaning "New Stone Age". A revolution took place during this period, great changes were made to the existence of human life. Man discovered a new way of life. They moved from dependence on hunting, fishing, and gathering the fruits of the wild to crop raising and stock keeping.
This great changes took place during the Neolithic period, hence it is called, "The Food Gathering Revolution" or better put, "The Neolithic Revolution".
Neolithic Revolution is defined as the domestication of plants and animals for food production. It is the change from a food gathering existence to a food producing economy. During the Neolithic age, man discovered new way of survival.
First was the domestication of plants.
They learnt that the seeds of the fruits they consumed and disposed of, sprouted out from the ground (Germination) after a period of time, it grew and reproduced the same kind of fruits. Due to their familiarity with their environment, they noticed similar occurrence in several other plants they consumed. Hence they got the idea of planting seeds in a large number to reproduce food for them. This brought the domestication of different wild fruits and vegetables. Man gradually changed from reliance on nature for food to a more dependable supply of food - Agriculture.
The impact of this new development was sedentary existence. Man now had to settle down in order to care for their newly domesticated plants and animals.
They constructed little thatched huts where they sought for shelter from the harsh sun and rain.
To endure the cold, Neolithic people invented clothes. Wrapped in animal skin, they took refuge in their small huts and huddled near the fire place to keep warm. They no longer had to move from forest to forest in search of food, neither did they need to sleep out in the cold air at night.
The settlement of man in a particular environment brought about development of villages as the basic economic and social units.
Earliest Set of Domesticated Plants And Animals
The first domesticated animal is said to have been the sheep, followed by the goat and pig, and then cattle. The dog is believed to have come later.
The domesticated sheep, goat and cattle (long and short horn cattle) were introduced from South West Asia into Egypt and the rest of Africa between 4500BC and 2000BC.
Guinea corn (sorghum) was domesticated in the area between Sahara desert and the Savannah. Other plants domesticated in the Savannah includes grains, legumes, millets, rice, Shea butter, pumpkin etc.
African rice was domesticated in the inland Delta of the Niger. Oil palm kernel was found in Ghana dating back to 3000BC, and Liberia, dating back to 1500BC.
Asiatic species of yam (water yam) and banana were domesticated in South East Asia. Wheat and barley were in China from the Middle East at about 1300BC. Maize was domesticated in the semi desert valley of the central highlands of Mexico in 7000BC.
Conclusion
The Neolithic Revolution brought great changes to the development of man. It is the first major development that took place in the history of man, followed closely by the technological advancement that launched man into the computer age.
Neolithic Revolution introduced agriculture and paved way for civilization. This shows the relevance of the Neolithic age to the history of man.
