Posted: March 20th, 2017

Neolithic Vs Paleolithic

Life changed dramatically between the Paleolithic and Neolithic times. Paleolithic is the early phase of the Stone Age, lasting about 2. 5 million years, when primitive stone implements were used. The Paleolithic Period was also called the Old Stone Age. Neolithic is the later part of the Stone Age, when ground or polished stone weapons and implements prevailed. The Neolithic Period was also called the New Stone Age. The Neolithic Revolution was the world’s first traditionally, provable revolution in agriculture.
It involved the wide-scale change of many human cultures from a lifestyle of hunting and gathering to agriculture as well as settlement, which supported larger population. Important events significantly changed the way of life between Paleolithic and Neolithic times. Although life changed dramatically between these two times there are still some similarities and differences amongst them. Paleolithic and Neolithic times have a lot of things in common. Both of these times were dependent on natural resources. In Paleolithic times they moved with food supply.
In Neolithic times they used need water and good soil for crops. Paleolithic and Neolithic both had a government. In Paleolithic times the males ruled the families. In Neolithic times there was a Chief with council. Both of Paleolithic and Neolithic times had a religion. They had religions, which meant they believe in life after death. Socially in both time period’s men hunted and farmed and women gathered. Neolithic and Paleolithic periods had technology. For Paleolithic, they used stone tools, and in Neolithic they had farming, baking and firing pottery, specialized tools, and bronze tools and weapons.

Both Paleolithic and Neolithic evolved. As found in Document 2 during Paleolithic times the Ice Age forced man to move and change. Mankind was forced to depend less on plants and animals. In Neolithic, they farmed allowing them to settle in one place, which gave them time to develop settlements and new trades. Also both of these periods had accomplishments. In the Paleolithic Age they developed language, controlled fire and made and used tools. In the Neolithic Age they accomplished making the wheel, and farming.
Although there are many similarities between Paleolithic and Neolithic times there are still several difference between them as well. One difference is that Paleolithic is the Old Stone Age and Neolithic the new Stone Age. Another difference that is found in Document 1, was that Paleolithic tools were used for hunting; they were heavy and basic whereas, Neolithic tools were used for clearing land and farming; they where sharper, lighter, more variety, and polished. The main difference between these “tool kits” is the purpose they were used for.
Paleolithic man was a nomad, food gatherer, and a hunter. Neolithic men settled as found in Document 3. The people were agriculturist, who domesticate animals, and grew a variety of crops. The houses of Paleolithic man were skin tents or caves. The houses of Neolithic man were made of mud, wood and thatch. The Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages also have differences in the form of artwork. As found in the Document 4 the Paleolithic Age they had cave paintings showing the hunting of a larger animal and the danger of hunting. As found in Document 5 the Neolithic Age they domesticated plants and animals.
In the Paleolithic Era, plants were used for medicines and food. Animals were used for hunting. However, in the Neolithic Era, plants were used for food in the New Stone Age, however, the difference was that plants were grown on farms. Animals were used for domestication as well as other purposes. Document 5 also displays another difference between the Paleolithic Era and Neolithic Era. Their artworks are very different from one another. In the Paleolithic Era they had paintings of cows, and they had small portable art. Their art is also represented by cave wall drawings.
In the Neolithic Era they had megaliths and 3-D art. They were represented by structures and sculptures. These different artworks show change between Paleolithic and Neolithic times. The Neolithic Era was more advanced because based on their artwork it seemed they were harder to build, more complex and took more time. The diets of these two periods were also different. The Paleolithic man consisted of meat, fruits, berries and wild grain. Neolithic man had dairy products like milk, cheese, meat and grains like wheat, barley and rice.
The clothing for Paleolithic man was made of animal skins and leaves, while Neolithic man made clothes of cotton wool. In the Paleolithic age there was no specialized occupation. As found in Document 3, in Neolithic age there was division of labor, and some specialization occupations so that that there was more variation of crafts like carpentry, weaving and pottery. In Document 6 it shows that the Neolithic architecture was different then Paleolithic architecture because the Neolithic architecture had settlements and villages while the Paleolithic architecture did not.
Finally due to the invention of agriculture, farming and the wheel in the New Stone Age there where many revolutionary changes and progress that came upon man’s life, which was nonexistent in the Old Stone Age. In both Paleolithic and Neolithic times there were many events that helped change their way of life. If it weren’t for those events, today would not have been the same. For example the Paleolithic people invented fire. The fire helped the Paleolithic people move into colder regions, protected them animals, and helped them with their cook their food.
The Neolithic people invented weaving, pottery, metalworking, and the wheel. They also discovered agriculture. Because of agriculture people can now farm instead of hunting and gathering. This permitted and allowed people to settle down and live in one place, which led to settlements. Because people settled they now lived closer to other, this allowed them to start using communication. This later developed into language. Also past experiences have led up to the structure of the Neolithic house. For example in Document 6, it says how discarded items, such as bits of pottery, were pilled around each house.
This was to keep harsh North Sea winds from blowing through the stonewall through small gaps. This is an example of experience. Document 2 shows how the Ice Age changed the way of living, especially hunting. Because of the Ice Age it forced man to depend less on plants and more on animals. This event caused man to make adaptations to survive. All in all important events significantly changed the way of life between Paleolithic and Neolithic times. Even though these two time periods were very far apart and had a dramatic change in life these two times still have similarities and differences amongst them.
There were similarities in government, religion, social, technology, and evolution. There were differences in architecture, diets, artwork, tools, dwellings, clothes and lifestyle. The events in the Paleolithic Era led up to the Neolithic Revolution. The Neolithic Revolution was the transformation that reformed people from being hunter gathers into being farmers. Because of the Neolithic Revolution, our world is the way it is. Both Eras had different drives and commitments to strive, but at the end of the day they’re foremost objective and aim was to survive.

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