There are so many different time periods throughout world history. Each different period tells their own story and is a building block to what we consider life today. The two time periods I will be discussing in my essay are the Paleolithic and the Neolithic age, also referred to as the Old and New Stone Age respectively. In my essay you will read information about both time periods and the differences between the two The Paleolithic age last from 2. 5 million to 8000 B. C. It mostly occurred during a period where the earth was cold known as the Ice Age.
The primary source for food during this time was hunting and gathering. It was typical for the males to go out hunting for animals while the women collected plant foods. Since there was a constant need to search for their next food source, many of the people of the Paleolithic age were nomads, meaning that they wandered from place to place instead of making any permanent settlement. Because of this fact, people didn’t live in permanent structures. Instead they would find a cave or some other form of shelter to live in until they moved again.
The people of this age were often trying to figure a way to increase their food supply. They invented tools such as knives to butcher and kill game and harpoons to catch fish, out of stone, bone, and wood. There weren’t real communities since most of the people of this age were nomadic and traveled in groups of no more than two to three dozen people. The change from the Paleolithic age to Neolithic age spawned a major improvement in how the people of the time acquired their food. This brought about many other differences such as the technology that was used and the communities they lived in.
The shelter of people from the Paleolithic age to the Neolithic age changed dramatically as well. These changes and shifts from the Old Stone Age to the New Stone Age is often referred to as the Neolithic Revolution. The Neolithic age last from 8000 to 3000 B. C. Farming became increasingly popular and the domestication of animals also started during this time period. Farming and domestication of animals provided a steady source for food for many. This made it possible for people to settle down in one area. These areas became known as villages.
The growth of agriculture made permanent buildings possible as well. One identifying trait of the Neolithic age was the use of polished tools. Many tools were created for use in farming such as sickle blades and grinding stones. This time period also marked a notable change in population growth, with it skyrocketing between the end of the hunting and gathering phase to the end of if the agricultural revolution. The Neolithic age was the building ground for modern civilization. The increasing population caused by the agricultural shift of the Neolithic age made a system of government necessary.
People recognized that they needed to keep records as religion, economy, and government became increasingly complex. Since larger groups of people were beginning to live together, new technology were needed in order to help solve problems that emerged. Also the Neolithic age brought with it the rise of advanced cities where trading would take place. As the cities grew so did the need for people who specialized in different fields and skills. All of these are characteristics of what a civilization is. What began in the Neolithic age were the building blocks to what we consider civilization today.