Lesson 4: Sections 4, 5, & 6

Establishing Communities (Section 4, Part 1)

The ability to raise food by farming allowed people to settle in permanent shelters. These structures, in turn, enabled people to form larger communities. In Paleolithic times, small bands of perhaps 20 to 60 people wandered from place to place in search of food. As people began harvesting food, they settled down near their farms. As a result, towns and villages grew up, like those at Jericho (in present-day Israel) and Catal Hoyuk (Turkey).

Living in communities made it possible for people to organize themselves more efficiently. They could divide up the work of producing food and other things they needed. While some people grew crops, others built houses and made tools.

Establishing Communities (Section 4, Part 2)

Village dwellers also learned to cooperate to do a task more quickly. For example, toolmakers could share the work of making stone axes and knife blades. By working together, they could make more tools in the same amount of time.

With many of their basic needs now met, people had more time and energy for other things, including cultural and religious activities. They could invent new ways of making their lives more comfortable and much safer. Larger communities could defend themselves more easily against their enemies. For example, strong stone walls protected the Neolithic town of Jericho. All of these changes in farming villages led to growing populations.

Developing New Jobs (Section 5, Part 1)

Having a stable food supply allowed people to develop new kinds of jobs. In Paleolithic times, people’s main job was finding enough food to survive. With farms providing steadier supplies of food, Neolithic people could develop more specialized skills.

A good example is the town of Catal Hoyuk, which dates back to about 6000 B.C.E. Historians believe that the townspeople of Catal Hoyuk worked in a variety of jobs. Besides farmers, there were weavers, basket makers, toolmakers, and traders.

Focusing on one job at a time gave people the opportunity to improve the ways they worked. In Catal Hoyuk, farmers learned how to grow more than 14 kinds of food plants. Clothing makers developed a way to spin and weave. They wove natural fibers such as wool and linen into comfortable cloth. In some regions, people mined flint so that stoneworkers could create sharper tools.

Developing New Jobs (Section 5, Part 2)

Neolithic people didn’t merely want to survive. Like those before, they wanted to make themselves, and their surroundings, more interesting. They decorated their pottery and baskets with geometric shapes. Stoneworkers learned to polish stones to make shiny jewelry and mirrors. House builders added special rooms to honor the gods and goddesses they believed in.

One effect of the development of different jobs was to inspire workers to improve their skills. This specialization led to newer and better ways of doing things. Different jobs added much greater variety to community life but also led to other changes.

Beginning to Trade (Section 6, Part 1)

A final major change introduced in Neolithic times was the growth of trade. Paleolithic hunter-gatherers rarely traded with other groups. They were mostly concerned with the animals, plants, and other resources they found nearby. As people settled in towns and villages, trade became more common.

Usually, people trade to get resources they do not have in their own area. As Neolithic people became more skilled in their crafts, they wanted materials that would improve the strength and beauty of the things they made. Getting those resources became the job of traders.

Beginning to Trade (Section 6, Part 2)

Traders often traveled hundreds of miles in search of these materials. They crossed mountains on foot, rode donkeys across deserts, and sailed the Mediterranean Sea on ships.

What kinds of things were traders looking for? Popular items included flint and obsidian. Obsidian is a black glass found at volcanic mountains. Craftspeople used it to make knife blades, arrowheads, and mirrors. People also traded for “beauty products” like shell ornaments and a red ore called hematite. Some rubbed hematite on their lips and cheeks to make them redder.

The growth of trade allowed people to make use of more resources. It also brought them into contact with people from distant places. These contacts helped spread ideas and knowledge throughout the ancient world.