The Agricultural Revolution (Historical event)

THE AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION (The Middle East, c. 10,000 BCE)

The Agricultural Revolution (also called the First Agricultural or the Neolithic Revolution) was one of the first recognizable steps toward civilization as we know it today, following such developments as fire and stone tools. Nomadic groups of hunters and gatherers gradually became farmers and herders, creating more settled communities--villages, towns, and eventually cities, the very root of the word "civilization"--and developing a division of labor. Population sizes increased and a surplus in foods led to an increase in leisure time. Writing, religion, government, increased commerce, and greater personal ownership of property followed, for better or for worse.

• It should be noted that this tidy sequence of events has been increasingly challenged as more complex theories are developed to account for new evidence as it comes to light.

• View on Facebook or Instagram

(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)