CHAPTER 6

Development of Agriculture and Technology

IN THIS CHAPTER

Summary: One of the most significant developments in world history was the independent emergence
of agriculture, a process that had already taken place in some locations throughout the Eastern
Hemisphere by 8000 BCE. The so-called Agricultural Revolution, or Neolithic Revolution, was in
reality more of a slow process resulting from the warming of global temperatures. The
accompanying historical period, known as the Neolithic Age (or New Stone Age), was named for its
characteristic tools made from stone.

Key Terms

Agricultural Revolution
animism
artifact
foraging
Neolithic Age
Neolithic Revolution
Paleolithic Age
pastoralism
slash-and-burn cultivation
specialization of labor*

The Transition from Foraging to Agriculture

At the close of the Paleolithic Age (or Old Stone Age), the transition from foraging (hunting and
gathering) arose as nomadic groups returned to favorite grazing areas year after year. Perhaps some
nomadic peoples made an effort to cultivate those crops that they found most appealing; later they