Fertile Crescent, Transition from Paleolithic to Neolithic Time - Essay Example

Fertile Crescent Introduction The Fertile Crescents gets its from its shape. It is a region in the Middle East, which curves like a quarter-moon shape, from the Persian Gulf, through modern day south Iraq, Lebanon-Syria, Jordan, Israel and Egypt. In 1916, is when the Egyptologist James Henry Breasted coined the term in his work Ancient times. He wrote that this fertile crescent is approximately a semi-circle, with the open side toward the south, having the west end at the southeast corner of the Mediterranean, the center directly north of Arabia, and the east end at the north end of the Persian Gulf. Through publication, the phrase widely circulated becoming the common designation for the region. Fertile Crescent The physical location of Garden of Eden is traditionally associated with the Fertile Crescent. Due to its fertility people settled around the area and as people settle, they were forced to engage in different activities to make their life comfortable. The Fertile Crescent is considered as the birthplace of urbanization, trade, science, writing, agriculture and organized religion. It was first populated c.10,000BCE when the domestication of animal and agriculture began in the region. By 9,000 BCE, the cultivation of cereals and wild grains was widespread, and irrigation of crops was fully developed by 5,000BCE. The farming of wool-bearing sheep was practiced widely around 4,500BCE. Cities began to rise Eridu being the first according to Sumerians in 5,400 BCE, and then Uruk and the others followed. These cities started to increase around 4,500 BCE and cultivation of wheat and grain was practiced in addition to the further domestication of animals. Image of the variety of dog known as the Saluki regularly appeared on vases and other ceramics as well as wall paintings by the year 3,500 BCE. Due to the fertility of the soil, people were encouraged for further cultivation of barley, wheat as well as rye and legumes. Some of the first beer in the world was brewed in the great cities of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Ancient evidence of beer brewing comes from the Sumerian Godin Tepe settlement in modern-day Iran. From 3,400BC, the priests were in charge of the distribution of food and the careful monitoring of surplus for trade. Soap produced from tallow and ash was used to enhance hygiene by 2,300 BCE. Sargon of Akkad ruled over the first multi-cultural empire in Mesopotamia allowing for the growth of high building, artworks, religious literature and projects from 2,334 to 2,279 BCE. Fertile Crescent and the region saw improvements in law literature, religion, science, and math after Babylon took control in 2,000 BCE. From 1,900 to 1,400 BCE Fertile Crescent started to trade with Europe, Egypt, Phoenicia, and the Indian sub-continent was flourishing. This resulted in spreading of culture, religion and literacy. Assyrians controlled the Fertile Crescent by 600BCE and by 580 BCE the Neo-Babylonian under Nebuchadnezzar, the second ruled the region. After Babylon had fallen Achaemenid Empire ruled it. Alexander the Great invaded the area and after Parthian ruled. After the temporary Roman occupation, the Sassanid in c.226 BCE conquered the precinct. Finally, the Arabian Muslims ruled in the 7th century CE. The over the use of the land leads to its exhaustion. The city of Eridu, considered by the early Mesopotamians to be the first city on earth. It was built and inhabited by the gods, and it had been abandoned since 600 BCE, Uruk, the city of Gilgamesh, since 630 CE and Babylon, the city, which gave writing, law, and culture to the ancient world was a vacant ruin. The National Geographic News in 2001 reported that the Fertile Crescent was rapidly becoming so only in name as, due to extensive damming of the rivers as well as a massive draining works program initiated in southern Iraq from the 1970’s on, the fertile marshlands. The environmental group tried to stop damming, and drainage projects but they were ignored (Shenfeld, 56). Transition from Paleolithic to Neolithic Time During the transition from Paleolithic to Neolithic age changes occurred. A small change in culture to bigger changes like economics and agriculture were experienced. Paleolithic dates from 2,000,000 B.C to 10,000 BC and is the earliest period man has been alive, and the longest of the Stone Age. During this period, people lived a simple life, which involved primarily of survival. The man was involved in hunting, eating and surviving. The woman’s job was to watch over the children and gather. During this period, people were nomad meaning they had to travel everywhere and follow their migration of animals. They depended on caves, and tree trunk as their shelter. Animals were their food, and they used a weapon to kill these animals. The tools were stones, ivory and bone. The use of tools is an important development in this period. In this period, technology and religion made a step forward. Discovery of how to control fire and use it in their daily activities was a great achievement. These needs include heat, protection and cooking. Scientists are still not sure whether people of this time had religion as we do today, but artifacts show that they had a primitive type of worship. The Neolithic period, which is also called the New Stone Age extended from 10,000 B.C to 3,000 BC. Many new advances and changes took place in this time of New Stone Age. Centrally to the Old Stone Age the New Stone Age was the dawning of decided life. People existed more towards lakes and rivers instead of caves, and tree trunks. Cereal cultivation and animal domestication was introduced in this period. Pottery is another element associated with the New Stone Age. By adopting a sedentary way of life, the Neolithic groups increased their awareness of territoriality. Between 9,600 and 6,900 BCE, there was innovation in arrowheads, yet no substantial changes in the animal hunted were detected. Permanent settlements brought new ways of social organization. The support artifices of Neolithic societies became more efficient, and the population of the different settlements rose. We know from personal activities that the larger the group, the less egalitarian and more hierarchical a society becomes. Those in the community who were involved in the management and allocation of food resources increased their social importance. Archeological evidence has shown that during the early Neolithic, houses did not have individual storage facilities (Gopal and Srivastava, 133). Birth of Civilization The origin of civilization cuts across four major river valleys of the world from the prehistory establishment and utilization of written records. From 600,000 to 10,000 B.C.E., people were hunters, fishers, and gatherers, but not producers of food. During the Neolithic Period, agriculture was developed. Around 3000 B.C.E. writing started to grow in the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys in Mesopotamia, which was then followed in the Nile valley. Later urban life developed in the Indus Valley of India and the Yellow River basin in China. This development did not eradicate the nomadic life of the people. Culture started to develop in different areas. The Sumerians established the social, economic and intellectual foundation of Mesopotamian culture and were followed by the Akkadians and Babylonians who united the region. Advancement in writing, law, religious thought and education was experienced. The civilization, however, was pessimistic in outlook, an investigation based mainly on the evidence of religious sources that depict a black representation of the afterworld as a "land of no return.” Egyptian civilization progressed in a different manner and remained, for the most part, optimistic in its long history. The Nile river reduced the movement of the people enabling settlement bring in the need to have a political leader. The Aryan culture superseded Indian civilization developed in a unique fashion as the early literate culture after a few years. Development of the Indus civilization in the region of modern Pakistan, and excavated sites dating from 2,500- 1,500 BCE shows that an unusual conformity in the culture based upon similar city layout, building construction and floodwalls. The Aryan culture refounded the Indian culture and mostly depended on stockbreeding and agriculture. Bronze emerged in China about 2000-1800 B.C.E., much later than in Mesopotamia or India. This later Bronze period developed into the Chou 1050-771B.C.E.), which continued the basic structure created by the Shang Dynasty. In America, four areas of dense settlement were recognized. This included Puget Sound, Mississippi Valley, Mesoamerica and the Andean region of South America. The achievements of this civilization are mainly usually remarkable in light of the technologies they lacked. References Gopal, Lallanji, and V. C Srivastava. History of Agriculture in India, Up To C. 1200 A.D. New Delhi: Jointly published by CSC and Concept Pub. Co. for the Project of History of Indian Science, Philosophy and Culture, 2008. Print. Kriwaczek, Paul. Babylon. New York: Atlantic Books Ltd, 2014. Print. Shenfeld, Karen. The Fertile Crescent. Toronto: Guernica, 2005. Print. Read More