TheNeolithic Period (from 8000 BC to 5000 BC), also called the Age of the Polished Stone is the second of prehistory and its main characteristic is the development of agropastoral societies.
"Dolmen Poulnabrone", Neolithic Tomb Portal, Ireland
This period is called the Polished Stone Age, as instruments begin to be produced by polishing the stone and working on the cutting edge.
In this sense, it is worth mentioning that the previous period, the Paleolithic, is called the Stone Age, since the stone did not receive this treatment. From the Greek, the term Neolithic (neo " new" and líthos "stone") means "new stone" or "new stone age".
In climatic and geological terms, there was a great change in the Neolithic period, since the sea level rose, there was the formation of deserts, leading several populations to move, which began to live close to the rivers.
Divisions of Prehistory
Prehistory is the oldest period in human history, which indicates the emergence of humanity. It is divided into three major periods, also called Ages, ranging from the emergence of human beings to the invention of Writing:
- Paleolithic or Chipped Stone Age (from the dawn of humanity to 8000 BC)
- Neolithic or Polished Stone Age (from 8000 BC to 5000 BC);
- Age of Metals (5000 BC until the emergence of writing, around 3500 BC).
Key Features:Summary
The Neolithic period is mainly related to the sedentarization of man and consequently to the development of agriculture and grazing activities.
Thus, with this change of attitude, a new way of life was inaugurated, from which Neolithic man began to relate to nature by cultivating plants, as well as domesticating animals.
Note that the man of the previous prehistoric period (Paleolithic) was nomadic, that is, he was constantly taking off in search of shelter and food (hunters and gatherers),
For this reason, the Neolithic is considered an important milestone in the development of society and changes in socio-cultural relations, what historians have come to call the “Neolithic Revolution ” or “Agricultural and Pastoral Revolution ”.
Working with the land, growing food (wheat, rice, corn, cassava, potato, etc.) and raising animals (oxen, pigs, sheep, horses, etc.) Neolithic as well as population growth.
This was possible through the mastery of agricultural and pastoral techniques. Men began to stock up on food and, therefore, to survive in the most difficult seasons to find food. Indeed, we can intuit that the life expectancy and quality of life of Neolithic men increased in relation to the previous period.
However, some historians believe that life in the villages in the Neolithic period reduced, in part, the life expectancy of some nuclei of villages, since they could have favored the proliferation of diseases and epidemics, leading to the death of a large part of the population; and even in some nuclei, for example, which only grew cereals, they suffered from nutritional deficiencies.
It is important to make it clear that this process in the change in the life of man occurred slowly and not because of that, all individuals stopped being nomads, hunters and gatherers.
Among the maintechnical innovations seen in the Neolithic period we have:
- Production of polished stone tools (knives, axes, hoes);
- Building houses for shelter (wood, stone, clay, foliage, etc.)
- Ceramic objects (utensils for cooking and storing food)
- Development of weaving (animal fur and leather and plant fibers)
At the end of the Neolithic period, around 4000 BC. metallurgy begins to develop with the production of copper, bronze and iron, which will slowly replace stone, the most important raw material of the Stone Age. The development of metallurgy made it possible to create several very resistant instruments in the most varied forms.
Art in the Neolithic Period
With the creation of new stone polishing techniques, many artistic ceramic and animal skin objects began to be produced in this period. Note that people did not consider these objects works of art, which had a utilitarian character, that is, they were produced to be used, whether for the transport of food, drink, clothing.
On the other hand, the art objects produced by the artists (considered enlightened beings) acquire a religious character, that is, supernatural and magical, for example, in the amulets and religious symbols created in this period.
Thus, many of them were used in rituals and cults, which were involved in an atmosphere of magic. In addition, Neolithic man begins to build shelters and houses, therefore, they are considered the first architects of humanity.
To learn more, read:
- Art in the Neolithic Period
- Art in Prehistory
- Prehistory:periods and characteristics