Archaeologically, this is the last stage of the Stone Age. The development stage of human material culture is marked by the use of grinding stone tools. This name was first put forward by British archaeologist lubbock in 1865. This era has entered the Holocene in geological age and developed after the Paleolithic Age or the transition of the Mesolithic Age, belonging to the late Stone Age. The age began about 6.5438+0.8 million years ago, and the ending time ranged from more than 5,000 years ago to more than 2,000 years ago.

Basic characteristics and stages

It is generally believed that the Neolithic Age has three basic characteristics:

1. Start manufacturing and using grinding stone tools.

2. Invented pottery

3. Agriculture and animal husbandry appeared.

Some scholars especially emphasize the significance of the origin of agriculture, which is regarded as the main feature of the Neolithic Age or the main content of the Neolithic Revolution. The development path of this era is very different in the world. Some places did not have pottery for a long time after agriculture came into being, so they were called pre-pottery Neolithic Age or pottery-free Neolithic Age. Pottery appeared in some places 1 10,000 years ago, but there was no trace of agriculture, and even the ground stone tools were underdeveloped. Therefore, it is not necessary for all three features to be complete in order to be called the Neolithic Age.

Because the Neolithic situation in different places is very inconsistent, there is no unified staging standard. In some places, there are two periods in the morning and evening, while in others, there are three periods in the morning, middle and evening. Some people listed a Bronze Stone Age as a transitional period from Neolithic Age to Bronze Age. A small number of bronzes appeared in the late period of this period, but they could not consciously make bronze alloys. Others classify this stage as the late Neolithic period.

Neolithic Age in Different Places

The Neolithic Age in West Asia, North Africa and West Asia in Europe developed earlier, and the archaeological research was also deeper. This is the area with the earliest origin of agriculture, followed by the earliest appearance of metal utensils and the earliest entry into civilization, which occupies a very important position in the history of world culture.

West Asia first entered the Neolithic Age in the Levant (now Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and Syria), Anatolia (now Turkey) and Piedmont in Zagros Mountain, which is the so-called crescent zone of agricultural origin. This area has a typical Mediterranean climate, with rainy and humid winters and hot and dry summers. There are wild grains suitable for farming and animals that are easy to domesticate. From the Paleolithic Age to the Mesolithic Age, the development of culture had a considerable foundation, so it became the earliest area where agriculture and animal husbandry appeared. About 9000 ~ 8000 BC, it entered the primitive Neolithic age, and there was the bud of agriculture and animal husbandry. From 8000 BC to 7000 BC, it entered the pre-pottery Neolithic Age or the non-pottery Neolithic Age. Wheat, barley, lentils and peas were planted, and sheep and goats were raised. Some sites also have pig bones. Jericho site is a typical site in this period, and semi-basement houses built of adobe have been seen. There are stone walls and trenches outside the village, and there are stone towers inside the walls. This is the earliest similar product in the world. From 7000 BC to around 6000 BC, all parts of West Asia successively entered or developed the Neolithic Age with pottery and Neolithic tools. The earliest pottery can be called pottery, with extremely low temperature; Later, there were plain gray-brown pottery with a thick fetus, and finally painted pottery appeared. At this time, agriculture has been further developed, and some places have irrigated agriculture. Houses are generally multi-room and flat-topped, and some rooms have cow head statues. From about 6000 BC to 5000 BC, there were bronzes in some sites here (the copper needles made by cold forging in some sites can reach as early as 7500 BC), and they entered the bronze age.

During its development, the Neolithic culture in West Asia had an obvious influence on the surrounding areas, one was to spread to the Nile valley in North Africa, and the other was to expand to the southeast of Europe. The Neolithic culture in the Nile valley can be divided into three stages, from the early stage, it is the stage of pottery and Neolithic utensils. Neolithic culture in other parts of North Africa can be divided into three systems: Saharan Neolithic culture, Mediterranean Neolithic culture and Kapsa traditional Neolithic culture. In Greece, Crete, and even Crimea on the northern shore of the Black Sea in Europe, there are Neolithic cultures in the pre-pottery era. Since the appearance of pottery, southern Europe is mainly printed pottery culture, while the Danube River basin is full of pottery culture. Painted pottery culture appeared in these areas since they entered the Bronze Stone Age (see Terry Paulier-Ku Coutney Culture). However, in the northern part of Eastern Europe, in the Neolithic Age, the small nest grate pottery culture was popular.

Central Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Central Asia entered the Neolithic Age from about 6000 BC to 5000 BC, and its representative was Tong Zhe culture. This culture is distributed in Turkmenistan. Most of the stone tools have inherited the local traditions of the Middle Stone Age, and there are many exquisite stone tools. At the same time, new stone axes and grain grinders appeared. Wheat and barley were planted and goats were raised. Pottery is hand-made, with grass powder mixed in the tire, and some painted pottery besides plain noodles. From the overall cultural outlook, it is obviously influenced by the Neolithic culture in West Asia. The Neolithic culture in northern Central Asia is relatively late, and its representative is the Kerger Minar culture, which dates from about 4000 BC to 2000 BC. The economy is dominated by fishing, hunting and gathering. Pottery is decorated with scratches or marks, and painted pottery is rare.

The early Neolithic culture in the South Asian subcontinent began around 6000 BC and distributed in Baluchistan and Indus River basins. Residents grow wheat and barley and raise sheep, goats and cattle. It was not until around 4500 BC that pottery appeared, and soon painted pottery appeared. He entered the Bronze Stone Age around 3500 BC.

In Southeast Asia, Indonesia and other places, there is a Neolithic culture that mainly grows potatoes and taro, but no real agricultural economy has been developed.

North Asia, Northeast Asia and Japan are the earliest areas where pottery appeared in the world. There are also some sites in Mongolia and Siberia where the pottery age is close to 1 10,000 years. However, the grinding stone tools in this area are not very developed, and agriculture appeared very late, which is just the opposite of the situation in West Asia. The pottery in this area has a similar feature, that is, cylindrical cans are particularly popular, generally taupe, decorated with carved or embossed patterns. In Japan, there are many rope patterns on pottery, so the Neolithic age in Japan is also called the rope pattern age. Pottery in North Korea and Siberia is often ground.