The Agricultural Revolution

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As Earth entered the post-glacial period, the Neolithic Age, or New Stone Age, began. Starting about 11,000 years ago, many people around the world discovered that they could domesticate animals like cattle and sheep. Keep herds of animals, which provide a steady supply of meat and milk. People also learned that they could grow edible plants like grains, fruits and other vegetables for food to feed themselves and other domesticate animals. When that happened, people did not have to migrate continuously to find food.

All of these changes defined the first great revolution in human history, the Agricultural Revolution. Now people could stop their never-ending drifting of finding food if they chose. People could stay in agricultural communities and build permanent homes. Soon small villages were popping up along riverbanks and in mountain valleys. The villagers began to develop new skills, making art, music, weaving baskets and making cloth. They discovered the wheel and learned that they could use animals to pull plows and wheeled carts. When the time the Neolithic Age was ending in some parts of the world, about 5500 years ago, human history was poised to begin a exciting and new era.