0:00:00.000,0:00:02.300 0:00:02.300,0:00:05.100 (narrator)[br]As the world left the Paleolithic Period 0:00:05.100,0:00:07.566 and traveled through the Mesolithic, 0:00:07.566,0:00:10.632 it would not be long,[br]historically speaking, 0:00:10.633,0:00:13.199 before humans started to settle down 0:00:13.200,0:00:17.700 in permanent farmsteads,[br]villages, and communities. 0:00:17.700,0:00:20.733 The Neolithic, or New Stone Age, 0:00:20.733,0:00:23.566 was the final chapter of the Stone Age 0:00:23.566,0:00:26.499 and the first step[br]towards what we would consider 0:00:26.500,0:00:28.200 to be civilization, 0:00:28.200,0:00:30.000 loosely. 0:00:30.000,0:00:34.366 Part of the Neolithic[br]was the first agricultural revolution, 0:00:34.366,0:00:37.432 where many human communities[br]began transitioning 0:00:37.433,0:00:40.099 away from life as hunter-gatherers 0:00:40.100,0:00:43.600 in favor of farming crops and livestock. 0:00:43.600,0:00:47.133 This, in turn, allowed for populations[br]to grow, 0:00:47.133,0:00:50.066 and some settlements spread out[br]to support this, 0:00:50.066,0:00:54.599 forming the world's first[br]large-scale communities. 0:00:54.600,0:00:58.900 The Neolithic began[br]roughly 12,000 years ago, 0:00:58.900,0:01:02.433 and is actually marked[br]by the first evidence of farming 0:01:02.433,0:01:06.633 taking place in the fertile crescent[br]of Western Asia. 0:01:06.633,0:01:10.999 These early farms[br]cultivated a small range of crops, 0:01:11.000,0:01:15.233 such as spelt, wheat, einkorn, and millet, 0:01:15.233,0:01:17.666 and still kept dogs in their settlements 0:01:17.666,0:01:20.566 to assist with hunting for meat. 0:01:20.566,0:01:23.666 It wasn't until 8,000 BC 0:01:23.666,0:01:25.799 when modern domesticated animals, 0:01:25.800,0:01:28.800 such as pigs, goats, and sheep, 0:01:28.800,0:01:32.300 were brought into human settlements. 0:01:32.300,0:01:34.066 Where the Neolithic ends 0:01:34.066,0:01:36.599 depends on where you're located. 0:01:36.600,0:01:38.633 These West Asian cultures 0:01:38.633,0:01:41.633 were the first[br]to progress out of the Neolithic 0:01:41.633,0:01:43.766 with the advent of metallurgy 0:01:43.766,0:01:47.032 as they headed into the Bronze Age. 0:01:47.033,0:01:50.599 Other regions of the world[br]took longer to advance 0:01:50.600,0:01:52.200 with cultures in Africa 0:01:52.200,0:01:57.266 first progressing at around 3,150 BC, 0:01:57.266,0:02:00.832 and Europe in 2,000 BC. 0:02:00.833,0:02:05.666 Today, we will be examining[br]these cultures in greater detail. 0:02:05.666,0:02:08.432 How did the Neolithic humans of Europe, 0:02:08.433,0:02:11.433 Asia, and Africa live their lives? 0:02:11.433,0:02:14.999 How did they progress, learn, and thrive 0:02:15.000,0:02:17.400 in the early historical landscapes 0:02:17.400,0:02:19.433 they would grow to call home? 0:02:19.433,0:02:22.799 Join us as we answer[br]these questions and more 0:02:22.800,0:02:25.000 exploring the Neolithic, 0:02:25.000,0:02:28.333 the mysterious and ancient New Stone Age. 0:02:28.333,0:02:31.199 0:02:31.200,0:02:34.800 Asian cultures were[br]by far the first to show evidence 0:02:34.800,0:02:36.900 of stable farming communities 0:02:36.900,0:02:40.500 and the earliest forms of civilization. 0:02:40.500,0:02:42.766 This technology first came to light 0:02:42.766,0:02:45.366 in Western Asia and the Levant, 0:02:45.366,0:02:48.899 encompassing regions[br]making up modern day Turkey, 0:02:48.900,0:02:52.500 Syria, Iraq, and Jordan. 0:02:52.500,0:02:54.800 This is suspected to have begun 0:02:54.800,0:02:58.000 when hunter-gatherers[br]began to understand the process 0:02:58.000,0:02:59.933 in which plants grew. 0:02:59.933,0:03:02.433 It is thought that, in the first instance, 0:03:02.433,0:03:05.599 these hunter-gatherers[br]would simply scatter seeds 0:03:05.600,0:03:07.666 around the region they found them 0:03:07.666,0:03:10.866 in order to prompt the growth[br]of more plants, 0:03:10.866,0:03:13.799 thus resulting in more food. 0:03:13.800,0:03:15.833 There would have been a great deal 0:03:15.833,0:03:18.299 of trial and error involved in this, 0:03:18.300,0:03:22.300 as is the way with any new technology. 0:03:22.300,0:03:25.733 Hunter-gatherers are thought[br]to have finally made the leap 0:03:25.733,0:03:29.099 when localized climate change[br]forced parts of the planet 0:03:29.100,0:03:31.200 into long dry seasons, 0:03:31.200,0:03:33.300 a climate that favors plants, 0:03:33.300,0:03:36.733 which complete their life cycle[br]in one year. 0:03:36.733,0:03:40.833 Certain grains and pulses[br]were available to be harvested 0:03:40.833,0:03:42.666 at differing points in the year, 0:03:42.666,0:03:47.832 leading to a wide variety of food[br]ready to eat year round. 0:03:47.833,0:03:49.666 It was off the back of this 0:03:49.666,0:03:53.032 that the first settlements[br]were able to arise. 0:03:53.033,0:03:55.866 Neolithic communities in the Levant 0:03:55.866,0:03:58.332 are thought to have had a basic grasp 0:03:58.333,0:04:00.966 over seed selection and reseeding, 0:04:00.966,0:04:04.832 allowing the finest crops[br]to be cultivated and harvested 0:04:04.833,0:04:07.466 based on preferences. 0:04:07.466,0:04:10.566 Some grains were ground down into flour 0:04:10.566,0:04:12.532 using mortar and pestles, 0:04:12.533,0:04:14.733 which, as technology progressed, 0:04:14.733,0:04:19.333 would eventually be used[br]to make a range of new foods. 0:04:19.333,0:04:21.933 There is evidence from Jericho, however, 0:04:21.933,0:04:27.233 that figs were in fact the first crop[br]to be cultivated by humans. 0:04:27.233,0:04:30.466 Fig remains were discovered[br]in an ancient settlement 0:04:30.466,0:04:35.699 which dated back to around 9,400 BC. 0:04:35.700,0:04:38.566 These figs were a domesticated variety 0:04:38.566,0:04:41.399 from trees that are only able to reproduce 0:04:41.400,0:04:44.200 from cuttings selected by humans. 0:04:44.200,0:04:47.866 Unless another crop is discovered[br]that predates them, 0:04:47.866,0:04:49.799 scientists have reason to believe 0:04:49.800,0:04:54.233 that fig trees[br]were the first domesticated plant. 0:04:54.233,0:04:56.566 Agriculture is not a technology 0:04:56.566,0:04:59.832 that was discovered once[br]and spread across the globe, 0:04:59.833,0:05:02.399 but one that was invented independently 0:05:02.400,0:05:04.333 by many different cultures 0:05:04.333,0:05:08.733 who were progressing technologically[br]at the same time. 0:05:08.733,0:05:10.933 There would have been plenty of spread 0:05:10.933,0:05:13.866 in the immediate regions[br]it was developed in, 0:05:13.866,0:05:16.832 but agriculture is thought[br]to have been instigated 0:05:16.833,0:05:21.766 over 11 separate times[br]by different cultures across the globe, 0:05:21.766,0:05:24.732 starting in Western Asia. 0:05:24.733,0:05:26.733 Neolithic humans in Asia 0:05:26.733,0:05:30.466 were also the first[br]to have set up a place of worship. 0:05:30.466,0:05:32.532 A temple-like building located 0:05:32.533,0:05:36.933 in the ancient Turkish archeological site[br]of Gￃﾶbekli Tepe, 0:05:36.933,0:05:40.966 established around 9,500 BC, 0:05:40.966,0:05:43.932 is thought[br]to have been the first of its kind, 0:05:43.933,0:05:45.599 and was actually developed 0:05:45.600,0:05:48.966 before the buildings around it[br]were established. 0:05:48.966,0:05:51.099 The people who built this structure 0:05:51.100,0:05:54.933 were still very much living[br]as hunter-gatherers. 0:05:54.933,0:05:58.266 Around the temple lie seven stone circles, 0:05:58.266,0:06:01.199 some of which[br]are made up of limestone pillars 0:06:01.200,0:06:04.933 engraved with depictions[br]of various species of mammal, 0:06:04.933,0:06:07.999 bird, and invertebrate. 0:06:08.000,0:06:10.066 Amazingly, hundreds of people 0:06:10.066,0:06:12.632 are thought to have worked[br]on these structures, 0:06:12.633,0:06:16.766 which may have once been shrines[br]adjacent to the main temple 0:06:16.766,0:06:20.266 covered by basic roofing mechanisms. 0:06:20.266,0:06:23.899 Similar but slightly younger sites[br]have been uncovered 0:06:23.900,0:06:29.333 in what is now[br]Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon. 0:06:29.333,0:06:34.199 As Asian settlements[br]in the early Neolithic became long term, 0:06:34.200,0:06:37.600 people started[br]to abandon the nomadic lifestyle 0:06:37.600,0:06:39.733 in favor of a solid structure 0:06:39.733,0:06:43.333 that would keep them warm[br]and sheltered year round. 0:06:43.333,0:06:46.566 These early houses were circular in shape, 0:06:46.566,0:06:50.999 with only one room[br]that served as a multi-purpose bedroom, 0:06:51.000,0:06:53.600 living area, and makeshift kitchen 0:06:53.600,0:06:57.300 to prepare food from cultivated crops. 0:06:57.300,0:07:01.033 These earliest houses[br]were made of mudbrick, 0:07:01.033,0:07:05.666 air-dried blocks[br]composed from mud bound with straw. 0:07:05.666,0:07:09.799 In some cases, early communities[br]had basic stone walls 0:07:09.800,0:07:12.300 and even stone towers. 0:07:12.300,0:07:14.900 These basic defenses were sufficient 0:07:14.900,0:07:17.833 to keep communities safe[br]from wild animals, 0:07:17.833,0:07:19.799 rival groups of humans, 0:07:19.800,0:07:24.433 and natural hazards[br]such as floods and storms. 0:07:24.433,0:07:26.899 Smaller walls can be found within 0:07:26.900,0:07:29.633 that may have served as animal pens 0:07:29.633,0:07:31.466 or food storage areas 0:07:31.466,0:07:35.432 that would have been used[br]by the whole settlement. 0:07:35.433,0:07:38.999 Around 8,800 BC, 0:07:39.000,0:07:42.000 we start to see evidence[br]of what has been coined 0:07:42.000,0:07:45.900 "the pre-pottery Neolithic B period." 0:07:45.900,0:07:49.700 One major change taking place[br]around this time 0:07:49.700,0:07:51.300 is that round houses 0:07:51.300,0:07:54.566 typically switch to rectangular[br]or square houses 0:07:54.566,0:07:56.632 with multiple rooms. 0:07:56.633,0:08:01.133 This would have allowed families[br]residing within further privacy 0:08:01.133,0:08:05.533 and would form the bases[br]of the houses we live in today. 0:08:05.533,0:08:08.066 We also start to gain a better insight 0:08:08.066,0:08:10.199 into early human religions, 0:08:10.200,0:08:13.566 beliefs, and cultures at this time. 0:08:13.566,0:08:16.499 Figurines of both men and women 0:08:16.500,0:08:19.266 found made from gypsum and stone 0:08:19.266,0:08:23.966 have been discovered in settlements[br]within what is now Syria, 0:08:23.966,0:08:27.532 and there is evidence[br]that these early mudbrick houses 0:08:27.533,0:08:30.266 were the places of religious spectacles 0:08:30.266,0:08:33.999 that would be considered obscene[br]in the modern day. 0:08:34.000,0:08:38.266 Human remains found within[br]and outside these houses 0:08:38.266,0:08:40.566 suggest that these people worshiped 0:08:40.566,0:08:43.499 or venerated their dead in some way, 0:08:43.500,0:08:46.300 preserving their skulls within the houses 0:08:46.300,0:08:51.266 and plastering them with dried mud[br]to form facial features. 0:08:51.266,0:08:54.632 Perhaps this was a way[br]of keeping the deceased loved one 0:08:54.633,0:08:57.499 with them after death,[br]albeit a way 0:08:57.500,0:09:01.933 that would be considered[br]very strange in today's world. 0:09:01.933,0:09:04.566 When families preserve their loved ones, 0:09:04.566,0:09:07.666 they would leave the rest of the body[br]outside to decay 0:09:07.666,0:09:09.832 to nothing but bones. 0:09:09.833,0:09:11.866 These bones would then be buried 0:09:11.866,0:09:15.399 underneath the floor of the abode. 0:09:15.400,0:09:17.466 Following on from this period, 0:09:17.466,0:09:19.699 we enter the late Neolithic 0:09:19.700,0:09:23.933 focused around the Fertile Crescent[br]of the Middle East. 0:09:23.933,0:09:25.733 This time is characterized 0:09:25.733,0:09:28.066 by the first experiments with pottery, 0:09:28.066,0:09:31.799 developed in the southern reaches[br]of the Levant. 0:09:31.800,0:09:35.766 These experiments are centered[br]around North Mesopotamia 0:09:35.766,0:09:40.632 and include sites such as Tell Hassuna[br]and Jarmo. 0:09:40.633,0:09:43.866 Thick, handmade pottery[br]was developed here, 0:09:43.866,0:09:47.932 alongside clay figurines[br]of humans and animals, 0:09:47.933,0:09:50.666 some of which depict pregnant women, 0:09:50.666,0:09:54.799 entities that were revered[br]as fertility goddesses. 0:09:54.800,0:09:56.900 Later, pottery would be decorated 0:09:56.900,0:09:59.533 with geometric shapes and patterns, 0:09:59.533,0:10:01.599 which were traded with other settlements 0:10:01.600,0:10:04.633 for food and other resources. 0:10:04.633,0:10:07.033 0:10:07.033,0:10:10.033 Some early communities within Africa 0:10:10.033,0:10:13.233 followed the same processes[br]as the ones listed 0:10:13.233,0:10:15.533 in the previous segment of this video, 0:10:15.533,0:10:19.233 just after they took place[br]in Western Asia. 0:10:19.233,0:10:22.166 Far Eastern Africa, for example, 0:10:22.166,0:10:26.366 were the first to develop agriculture[br]and farming capabilities, 0:10:26.366,0:10:29.132 and agrarian societies started to appear 0:10:29.133,0:10:32.466 around 8,000 BC. 0:10:32.466,0:10:35.866 Domestication[br]of more advanced animal species, 0:10:35.866,0:10:38.466 specifically sheep and goats, 0:10:38.466,0:10:42.999 is thought to have reached Egypt[br]in around 6,000 BC 0:10:43.000,0:10:46.200 as a direct spread[br]from Western Asian societies 0:10:46.200,0:10:48.400 who were perhaps trading with them 0:10:48.400,0:10:52.033 via the land bridge[br]connecting the two continents. 0:10:52.033,0:10:53.899 In some regions, however, 0:10:53.900,0:10:56.033 the domestication of crops and animals 0:10:56.033,0:11:00.333 is thought to have happened independently,[br]with no influence 0:11:00.333,0:11:04.333 on early hunter-gatherers[br]from outside cultures. 0:11:04.333,0:11:07.799 This is still a topic of debate[br]among scholars, 0:11:07.800,0:11:11.966 with some arguing that crops[br]were domesticated indigenously, 0:11:11.966,0:11:14.599 and others claiming that migrant farmers 0:11:14.600,0:11:16.933 settling in Africa from Asia 0:11:16.933,0:11:20.233 brought some technologies with them. 0:11:20.233,0:11:23.199 Whilst Egypt[br]and the regions that surrounded it 0:11:23.200,0:11:27.233 were the first[br]to enter the Neolithic period in Africa, 0:11:27.233,0:11:31.933 other areas of the continent[br]took slightly longer to progress. 0:11:31.933,0:11:36.133 In areas such as Algeria and Morocco,[br]for example, 0:11:36.133,0:11:39.899 agrarian societies cropped up[br]as a result of farming 0:11:39.900,0:11:42.133 being introduced by Europeans 0:11:42.133,0:11:44.599 living on the Iberian Peninsula 0:11:44.600,0:11:48.533 who had already discovered[br]the technologies. 0:11:48.533,0:11:51.433 As humans traveled across to Africa, 0:11:51.433,0:11:54.066 they would have brought[br]domesticated grains, 0:11:54.066,0:11:55.999 as well as knowledge, with them 0:11:56.000,0:11:58.033 to the early African cultures 0:11:58.033,0:12:01.166 who adopted the lifestyle for themselves. 0:12:01.166,0:12:04.066 This led to some North African societies 0:12:04.066,0:12:06.566 leading pastoralist lifestyles, 0:12:06.566,0:12:10.632 relying on the wide open plains[br]and scrublands of the continent 0:12:10.633,0:12:13.799 to allow their livestock to graze. 0:12:13.800,0:12:18.433 Pastoralism is practiced[br]in many modern day mountainous regions, 0:12:18.433,0:12:23.599 and was vital to the lifestyles[br]of these early North Africans. 0:12:23.600,0:12:27.000 Some pastoralists will occasionally move 0:12:27.000,0:12:30.366 with the seasons[br]and availability of resources, 0:12:30.366,0:12:32.766 herding their animals to new locations 0:12:32.766,0:12:35.332 when pastures are fully grazed. 0:12:35.333,0:12:38.399 This leads to a great degree[br]of flexibility, 0:12:38.400,0:12:41.166 and, as a result,[br]some of these early people 0:12:41.166,0:12:46.066 were not fixed to the regions[br]in which they initially settled. 0:12:46.066,0:12:50.132 Morocco was the earliest[br]non-Egyptian region of Africa 0:12:50.133,0:12:52.899 to adopt pottery making technologies, 0:12:52.900,0:12:56.300 most notably at this site[br]known as Kaf El Ghar 0:12:56.300,0:12:59.366 in the modern country's Taza province. 0:12:59.366,0:13:01.999 There is also extensive evidence here 0:13:02.000,0:13:05.800 for the early adoption[br]of cereal grain domestication, 0:13:05.800,0:13:08.233 as well as animal husbandry, 0:13:08.233,0:13:11.066 as sheep and goats were brought[br]into the region 0:13:11.066,0:13:14.632 from both Europe and the Levant. 0:13:14.633,0:13:18.533 The people of Sub-Saharan Africa[br]adopted pastoralism 0:13:18.533,0:13:20.433 as their main way of life, 0:13:20.433,0:13:23.633 rather than becoming wholly agrarian. 0:13:23.633,0:13:27.599 This spread across the regions[br]surrounding the Rif Valley, 0:13:27.600,0:13:30.733 where sheep, goats, and eventually cattle 0:13:30.733,0:13:35.399 were domesticated[br]for their meat, skins, and milk. 0:13:35.400,0:13:38.566 Earthenware pots[br]were developed in these areas, 0:13:38.566,0:13:40.632 as were mortars and pestles, 0:13:40.633,0:13:44.066 grindstones, and stone bowls. 0:13:44.066,0:13:46.566 The dead were buried in "cairns," 0:13:46.566,0:13:49.499 a type of communal indoor graveyard, 0:13:49.500,0:13:53.333 as opposed[br]to within the settlements themselves. 0:13:53.333,0:13:56.433 Eventually,[br]this way of life would spread south 0:13:56.433,0:14:00.099 to tribes[br]such as the KhoeKhoe, a group of people 0:14:00.100,0:14:05.066 we have covered previously[br]on this channel. 0:14:05.066,0:14:08.266 Farming technologies are thought[br]to have entered Europe 0:14:08.266,0:14:11.232 as early as 7,000 years ago, 0:14:11.233,0:14:14.633 as the technology[br]spread throughout the Mediterranean 0:14:14.633,0:14:17.333 from the Near East and the Levant. 0:14:17.333,0:14:21.599 Between 5,000 and 4,000 years ago,[br]this technology 0:14:21.600,0:14:24.733 would then reach[br]the western parts of the continent, 0:14:24.733,0:14:27.699 running through what is now[br]Germany and Poland, 0:14:27.700,0:14:29.033 through to France, 0:14:29.033,0:14:33.966 as well as South through Italy[br]and the Iberian Peninsula. 0:14:33.966,0:14:36.732 Scandinavia and the British Isles, 0:14:36.733,0:14:39.433 as a result of their relative isolation, 0:14:39.433,0:14:42.333 were the last[br]to have developed the technology, 0:14:42.333,0:14:44.633 as migrant farmers traveled north 0:14:44.633,0:14:48.466 from what is today France and Germany. 0:14:48.466,0:14:51.932 Regardless of the time[br]they entered the Neolithic, 0:14:51.933,0:14:54.033 many cultures and communities 0:14:54.033,0:14:56.999 that sprung up across Europe in this time 0:14:57.000,0:15:00.433 shared several basic characteristics: 0:15:00.433,0:15:02.799 they lived in small villages, 0:15:02.800,0:15:04.766 often in family groups, 0:15:04.766,0:15:09.066 with a divided labor[br]between both animals and plant farmers, 0:15:09.066,0:15:13.599 as well as hunters, potters,[br]and woodworkers. 0:15:13.600,0:15:16.633 Wood was chopped using basic stone axes 0:15:16.633,0:15:21.199 from the dense surrounding forests[br]of Europe, which was then applied 0:15:21.200,0:15:24.033 to the infrastructure[br]of houses and buildings, 0:15:24.033,0:15:26.733 as well as fires to keep communities warm 0:15:26.733,0:15:30.099 in the long, cold winters. 0:15:30.100,0:15:34.066 Some Neolithic communities[br]from around the Mediterranean 0:15:34.066,0:15:36.632 took their settlements a step further, 0:15:36.633,0:15:41.666 reinforcing their villages[br]with palisade walls and sentry towers, 0:15:41.666,0:15:45.466 likely to ward off[br]and scout out approaching invaders 0:15:45.466,0:15:49.432 or raiders from neighboring settlements. 0:15:49.433,0:15:52.133 Some communities in Neolithic Britain 0:15:52.133,0:15:54.899 favored a pastoralist lifestyle. 0:15:54.900,0:15:57.333 They would herd cattle[br]across the hills 0:15:57.333,0:15:59.833 and forests of this ancient land, 0:15:59.833,0:16:01.333 subsiding on their meat 0:16:01.333,0:16:05.033 and supplementing their diet[br]with plant matter. 0:16:05.033,0:16:07.499 There is also evidence to suggest 0:16:07.500,0:16:11.433 that the Neolithic peoples of Europe[br]were religious. 0:16:11.433,0:16:14.899 An artifact discovered[br]at an archeological site 0:16:14.900,0:16:18.233 in what is now[br]the Vidin province of Bulgaria 0:16:18.233,0:16:20.499 was identified in 2018 0:16:20.500,0:16:22.666 as the head of a figure that is thought 0:16:22.666,0:16:25.832 to have represented a mother goddess. 0:16:25.833,0:16:29.766 These figures have been found[br]across Europe and Asia, 0:16:29.766,0:16:34.366 and are argued by some[br]to represent the embodiment of fertility. 0:16:34.366,0:16:36.066 Others disagree, 0:16:36.066,0:16:38.266 stating that these are figurines 0:16:38.266,0:16:42.432 that are intended[br]to represent wisdom and wealth. 0:16:42.433,0:16:47.466 Some cultures are also known[br]to have constructed huge megaliths. 0:16:47.466,0:16:52.032 These structures can be composed[br]of a single or multiple stones, 0:16:52.033,0:16:56.199 often arranged in intricate patterns[br]or shapes. 0:16:56.200,0:17:01.666 The most famous of the over 35,000[br]located in Europe alone 0:17:01.666,0:17:04.199 is, without a doubt, Stonehenge, 0:17:04.200,0:17:07.200 located on what is now the Salisbury Plain 0:17:07.200,0:17:09.900 of Wiltshire in England. 0:17:09.900,0:17:13.500 Constructed in the late Neolithic,[br]some of the stones 0:17:13.500,0:17:16.366 are thought to have been[br]brought to the location 0:17:16.366,0:17:20.366 from over 150 miles away. 0:17:20.366,0:17:22.499 It was constructed using joints 0:17:22.500,0:17:25.933 that are not found[br]in any other megalithic structure, 0:17:25.933,0:17:28.633 making it one of the most sophisticated 0:17:28.633,0:17:30.866 and advanced pieces of architecture 0:17:30.866,0:17:33.532 of the entire Neolithic. 0:17:33.533,0:17:36.533 Its purpose is thought[br]to have been religious, 0:17:36.533,0:17:39.033 perhaps used as an ancient temple 0:17:39.033,0:17:41.999 aligned with the sun's movements. 0:17:42.000,0:17:45.133 The sun rises directly over the Heel Stone 0:17:45.133,0:17:48.733 on both the shortest[br]and longest days of the year, 0:17:48.733,0:17:52.433 the Summer and Winter solstices. 0:17:52.433,0:17:55.633 By the time the Neolithic came to an end, 0:17:55.633,0:17:59.999 the people of Europe had settled[br]into more agrarian societies, 0:18:00.000,0:18:04.033 complete with a whole host[br]of animals on their farms. 0:18:04.033,0:18:06.499 As well as cattle, sheep and goats 0:18:06.500,0:18:09.733 provided milk, meat, and wool, 0:18:09.733,0:18:12.233 whilst wild pigs were kept in the woods 0:18:12.233,0:18:14.633 and farmed for their meat. 0:18:14.633,0:18:17.533 Dogs, domesticated much longer ago, 0:18:17.533,0:18:19.799 were trained to help on farms, 0:18:19.800,0:18:22.333 herding sheep and keeping a close eye out 0:18:22.333,0:18:24.633 for predators or raiders. 0:18:24.633,0:18:26.966 0:18:26.966,0:18:29.699 So, that's a rundown of the key events 0:18:29.700,0:18:32.366 and happenings of the Neolithic. 0:18:32.366,0:18:36.166 The Neolithic was[br]to be the last instance in history 0:18:36.166,0:18:41.232 when stones were used[br]as a primary construct in technologies. 0:18:41.233,0:18:43.433 The forthcoming Chalcolithic, 0:18:43.433,0:18:46.333 the subject of our next part[br]in this series, 0:18:46.333,0:18:49.333 would see the introduction[br]of the very first metals 0:18:49.333,0:18:52.099 harnessed and applied by ancient peoples: 0:18:52.100,0:18:54.600 copper and tin. 0:18:54.600,0:18:57.566 As people moved into this new age, 0:18:57.566,0:19:01.532 they would experience a whole host[br]of new technologies, 0:19:01.533,0:19:03.899 weapons, and ways of living, 0:19:03.900,0:19:06.700 all of which[br]would contribute significantly 0:19:06.700,0:19:11.100 in laying the foundations of the world[br]we recognize today.