Progress and Limitations of the Neolithic Phase

Around 7,000 B.C., the Neolithic phase started in India. It was the Stone Age’s third and last phase. The Palaeolithic Age and Mesolithic Age were the other two parts. Sir John Lubbock coined the word Neolithic in his publication Prehistoric Times in 1865 to describe an era in which stone tools were more diversified, skilfully crafted, and frequently polished. Following the first two periods, the Neolithic or New Stone Age is characterized by the use of polished stone implements and the development of permanent dwellings. Much progress was seen in the Neolithic age, such as pottery making, animal husbandry of animals and plants, grain and fruit tree farming, and weaving. With progress, there were many limitations seen in the Neolithic phase too. Let us discuss them in detail.

 Origin of the Neolithic Age

There was no specific reason for people to start farming around 12,000 years ago. The Neolithic Revolution’s origins may have differed from place to place.

Around 14,000 years ago, near the end of the last Ice Age, when the Earth began to warm, wild wheat and barley began to grow when the temperature rose in the Fertile Crescent, which is bordered on the west by the Mediterranean Sea and the east by the Persian Gulf. Natufians, a pre-Neolithic culture, began constructing permanent residences in the area.

In the oldest Neolithic villages, religious artefacts and creative artwork — ancestors of human civilization — have been discovered. The Neolithic Era began when certain human groups abandoned their nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle in favour of farming. It took many years for humans to properly convert from a lifestyle based on foraging for wild plants to cultivating tiny gardens and, subsequently, enormous crop fields.

 Progress seen in the Neolithic age

The Neolithic period brought about the Neolithic Revolution, or the “Neolithic package,” which brought changes that made a mark in history. These included a series of behavioural and cultural changes, most notably the introduction of farming and the usage of domesticated animals. Some progress seen in the Neolithic age are:

• The Agricultural Revolution was a huge modification of many human cultures, from hunting and gathering to cultivation and settlement during the Neolithic period, allowing for an ever-increasing population.
• In the Fertile Crescent, cereals like wheat and barley were among the first crops domesticated by Neolithic farming groups. These early farmers also domesticated lentils, peas, and flax.
• There were further advancements in arrowheads throughout the 9600-6900 BCE time in the Near East, but no significant changes in the animals hunted. Arrowheads were discovered embedded in human skeletons.
• Additional improvements in stone tool making proliferated and was adopted by various tribes in far-flung locales, indicating the existence of significant networks of trade and cultural contact.
• People learnt to weave during the New Stone Age. They were able to spin sheep’s fleece, manufacture thread from goat’s hair, and weave yarns into cloth.
• Other stone tools for cultivating the land and the use of grinding stones for harvesting crops were invented as agriculture progressed.
• By heating the clay in a fire, progress was made in pottery manufacture, resulting in more robust pots.
• Pottery, terracotta sculptures, and many smaller pieces used as adornments make up the majority of Neolithic art.
• In addition to carving, the Neolithic sculpture was created using innovative techniques such as moulding it from clay and baking it.

 Limitations seen in the Neolithic phase

The Neolithic revolution came with many limitations with the progress. They are as follows:

• When the humans finally settled down and began farming, they needed someone to keep track of who did what and how things were manufactured. It was at this point that kings entered the picture.
• When monarchs came to power, they brought with them a social hierarchy. The kings or rulers were at the top, followed by the clerics, then the middle-class employees, such as merchants and artisans, then the peasants, and finally the slaves.
• Also, because of the surplus food provided by the revolution, citizens had the opportunity to profit financially.
• Some people were wealthier than others and joined the social elite, while others were unable to repay their debts and became slaves.
• Because both men and women had the same job as food gatherers, gender equality was common in neolithic society. When societies switched to an agrarian lifestyle, however, everything changed.
• Men no longer needed to hunt; therefore, they quit their occupations as hunters to pursue new, specialised opportunities. They earned money and influence through their jobs, while the women remained at home.

 Conclusion

The Neolithic Revolution resulted in many changes that made a mark in history. There was much progress as well as limitations, seen in the Neolithic phase. There were changes, like large groups of people establishing permanent communities based on agriculture and farming. It prepared the phase for the successive Bronze Age and Iron Age breakthroughs, when progress in farming implements and art swept the world, bringing civilizations together through commerce. Copper metallurgy was introduced around the end of the Neolithic era, signalling the start of the Bronze Age, also known as the Chalcolithic Era.