Agriculture from Prehistory to 600 BCE - AP World History: Modern

The Neolithic agricultural revolution did entail political changes in human society, but the nation-state concept did not arise for another years.

Whereas prior human generations lived nomadic lifestyles, agriculture requires permanent settlements. The burgeoning human population, the result of a food surplus, settled into towns and villages where a segment of the population did not cultivate plants or animals but rather worked as artisans in a process of economic specialization.

The main difference between the paleolithic and neolithic periods, originating in Mesopotamia but quickly spreading to Egypt and beyond was the domestication of wheat, barley, sheep, goats, and dogs. Not only did this lead to a food surplus in many communities, but it required settled societies rather than migrating bands of humans.

Both agriculture, and animal husbandry, mark the difference between the paleolithic and neolithic.

The advent of writing marks the difference between history and prehistory, not the paleolithic and neolithic.

Horses and oxen are larger, more powerful animals and were not domesticated until later.

Large carnivores, such as lions, are not easily domesticated; they're expensive, requiring huge amounts of meat per day, and remain highly dangerous to their owners even years after being domesticated, and even if they've been born in captivity.

The Paleolithic Era refers to the history of humanity before the Agricultural Revolution. Humans in Paleolithic societies used stone and wood tools, manipulated fire, and spoke to one another in rudimentary languages. The domestication of animals, however, did not take place until the Neolithic (Agricultural) Revolution.

The Neolithic Revolution is another name for the Agricultural Revolution. The Neolithic Revolution is perhaps the greatest and most important shift in human history. It led to the development and growth of agriculture, the establishment of permanent settlements, and the emergence of cities. It took place approximately 10,000 years ago.

The Neolithic Revolution is another name for the Agricultural Revolution - when humans first established permanent agricultural settlements. It led to a surplus of food, which in turn allowed some individuals to pursue artistic or cultural work. It also led to the development of cities and of an organized writing system. Finally, it led to the emergence of political and social hierarchies as some people accumulated wealth and power.

The Old Kingdom of Egypt began circa 2,700 BCE and lasted until 2,200 BCE. The Old Kingdom is the period of Egyptian history that most people think of when asked about Ancient Egypt. Egyptian society was ruled by Pharaohs who had absolute power over their subjects. The famous pyramids of Giza were built during this time period. The Old Kingdom ruled for five hundred years before a series of crop failures led to a catastrophic decline.

The Neolithic Revolution is the name given to the development of agriculture, which first took place approximately ten thousand years ago. It led to the establishment of permanent settlements and the subsequent growth of cities and everything that comes with cities - politics, organized warfare, luxury, social stratification etc.

Fire improved the diet of early humans. It allowed humans to cook meat as opposed to eating it raw, which killed dangerous bacteria that would have otherwise been present in the food. Fire also allowed humans to cook dry meat to preserve, creating a surplus of food that did not previously exist. Humans could also use fire to clear fields and improve fertility of land, allowing them to harvest more crops.

While all of the answer choices are significant to human history, agriculture changed the history of humankind the most dramatically because it allowed people to settle in one place, which before 8000 BCE was not something that humans were capable of doing.

Yu the Great is considered to be the (somewhat legendary) founder of the Xia Dynasty and of the Chinese state. Yu the Great might best be understood as a reforming bureaucrat. His state building efforts were primarily concentrated on combating and preventing the flooding of the Yellow River. In organizing the population to resist the advances of the seasonal floods, Yu helped found the Chinese state.

Horses were first domesticated on the great Eurasian steppes of Central Asia approximately six thousand years ago. The domestication of the horse had a profound impact on the nature of human development - particularly in terms of agriculture, transportation, and warfare.

Sheep were the first animals to be domesticated for food, approximately eight thousand years ago. The domestication of animals like sheep and pigs has been instrumental to the growth of human society.

The domestication of the ox, in many parts of the world, was a significant development. The strength of oxen allowed farmers to work the fields more effectively and provided a massive boost to the productive capabilities of society. In India and southeast Asia, the water buffalo was domesticated for the same purposes.

There are a few staple crops that have been especially vital to the growth of the human population - wheat, barley, rice, potatoes, maize, yams, bananas, beans. Each of these crops first originated in a particular part of the world and then, through human influence, spread around the world. Wheat and barley were first grown in the Middle East during and after the Neolithic Revolution.

Evidence suggests that elephants were first domesticated in India approximately three thousand years ago. The domestication of elephants led to elephants being used on the battlefield by armies in India and by the Carthaginians in North Africa.

Dogs were the earliest animal to be domesticated by human society. In the paleolithic era, before the establishment of the first cities and great civilizations, man and wolf were frequent collaborators - working together during hunting. From this partnership, and the domestication of wolves, emerged dogs.

Sheep were the first animals to be domesticated, over eight thousand years ago, at the same time as the Neolithic Revolution was taking place. They were first domesticated in modern-day Iraq - so the correct answer is the Middle East.

Camels were first domesticated in Arabia approximately four thousand years ago. The domestication of camels has been vital to the development of the Middle East. Camels are particularly useful for carrying cargo over long distances due to their ability to survive in the desert. Camel caravans have been an important part of Middle Eastern Empires since the Persians.

Rice paddy farming is a form of intensive agriculture that developed in southeast Asia during the classical era and spread to China and India. Rice paddy farming provided the food to support a rapidly growing east and south Asian population.