Klas 1 prehistory 2.3: The Fertile Crescent: from village to city

• Geschiedenis
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 1

Today's planning

• A major change
• From village to city
• Life in the city

And some question about what I explained.

A major change

From Africa, homo sapiens spread out across the earth. For over two million years, the way of life of hunter-gatherers changed very little. Change came around 11,000 BC, when the climate became warmer and drier. They learned how to grow their own crops of these grains. This is called crop cultivation or arable farming. They also managed to tame and keep wild animals; sheep and goats first, and later, cows as well. The transition from hunting and gathering to farming is called the Neolithic Revolution.

The first transition to an agrarian society took place near the river Nile in Egypte and the rivers Euphrates and Tigris in present-day Iraq. This region is called the Fertile Crescent. The emergence of agriculture had three consequences:

• The people in the Middle East gave up their nomadic lifestyle. The grain they grew and the meat and milk from their animals were enough to live on, so they settled in one area instead of travelling around.
• Because there was enough food, the population grew. And because more people lived in one area, the number of huts grew too. There was enough time to build better huts. Small settlements grew into villages.
• Because there was enough food, not everybody had to work on the land anymore. This led to a new division of labour in the villages. Some people became artisans: they learned a specific craft, specialising in basket weaving, smithing, or baking. This is called specialisation of labour.

And it took thousands of years for agriculture to spread to other areas of the world. Today, small groups of people are still living as hunter-gatherers in the rainforests of South America and in Africa and Asia.

From village to city

Mesopotamia gets its name from its location between two rivers: Euphrates and Tigris . Vegetation flourished in this area with its fresh water and warm climate. This form of agriculture is called irrigation farming. Thanks to irrigation, the farmers could produce much more food. More and more people found other means of livelihood than farming.

Life in the city

In the cities, the number of artisans grew, and a new means of livelihood emerged: trade. Artisanal products were traded for grain, milk, or cheese. Potters and blacksmiths traded their goods with each other. Some were so good at trading that they started to trade for a living. Farmers who owned a lot of land, artisans who were very skilled, and a number of smart traders became rich and gained influence in the city's government. To maintain the irrigation networks and public safety, cities needed a government and rules. To prevent fights and arguments, more and more things were documented. People drew marks on clay tablets to keep track of how much grain they had, or to send short messages. From these marks, the first script was developed.

When did the change come?

1. 12000 BC
2. 1200 AC
3. 11000 BC
4. 1100 AC

Why did the change happen?

1. When the climate got warmer.
2. When the climate got drier.
3. When there was a fight between the homosapiens and the neanderthalers
4. When the people became older.

What was the transition from hunting to farming called?

1. Neolight revolution
2. Neolithic Revolution
3. French revolution
4. Neolithic revision

Where did agrarian society first take place?

1. In Egypt
2. In the Greek
3. By the Nile
4. By a river

What is agriculture called near fresh water?

1. Agriculture
2. Irrigration
3. nomads
4. Homo sapiens

What was the new livelihood?

1. friendliness
2. work
3. trade
4. school

How was the first script made?

1. drawing on wood
2. drawing on clay
3. drawing on paper
4. drawing on trees

The end!

Make your homework. Only 10 minutes in silence.