The Neolithic: the New Stone Age
The word Neolithic means new stone. In this period people changed the way they made stone tools: they began to polish them, rubbing them until they were smooth and shiny. It began about 10,000 years ago in the Middle East, and it reached the Iberian Peninsula later. But the biggest changes were in the way people lived.
The great changes
- 1🌾 Farming
People began to grow crops (wheat, barley) and to keep animals (sheep, goats, cows).
- 2🏘️ Sedentary life
Because they had to look after their fields, they settled in one place and built the first villages. They became sedentary.
- 3🔄 Barter
They produced more food than they needed, so they exchanged the extra goods for other things without using money.
- 4🏺 Artisans
Some people stopped farming and became artisans: they made tools, baskets, cloth and pottery.
- 5🔪 Better tools
Tools became more sophisticated, especially for farming: sickles, hoes and knives.
Roll some clay into a smooth ball and hold it in one hand. Press your thumb into the middle until it is about halfway down, then pinch and turn the pot to make the hole wider and the sides even. Smooth out any cracks with a few drops of water, and decorate it with textures using a pencil or a fork. Neolithic potters made pots by hand, without a potter's wheel, and put them in the fire to make them harder. What do you think they used them for? To store food and water!