What is the Neolithic Era

Uncovering the Beginnings of Civilization: A Journey through the Neolithic Era and the Advancements that Shaped Human History

The Neolithic Era (also known as the New Stone Age) was a period of prehistory that began around 10,000 BCE and lasted until roughly 3,000 BCE. During this time humans transitioned from nomadic hunter-gatherers to settled agriculturalists who created permanent settlements. This transition marked the beginning of civilization with the development of pottery production, animal husbandry practices and changes in tool technology such as polished stone tools for more efficient food processing.

During this time humans began transitioning away from nomadic lifestyles and settling down in small communities where they cultivated their own food sources or hunted wild animals for sustenance. As such, it is widely agreed upon that the Neolithic diet included anything that was available locally; be it plants grown through farming practices or meat obtained by hunting.

In terms of plant-based foods consumed during the Neolithic period, grains were likely some of the most prolifically used ingredients due to its relative ease when compared with other forms of agricultural production (like dairy products). Commonly eaten grains included barley and wheat which could be prepared in numerous ways including baking breads like flatbreads and pitas as well as porridge-type dishes made with boiled grain mixtures similar to oatmeal today. Other types of vegetable crops often found on plates across early settlements include legumes like lentils and beans along with root veggies such as potatoes, onions, carrots and turnips. Fruits would have been enjoyed too although not nearly at the same quantities seen today since a lack of refrigeration meant utilizing them in a timely fashion in harvest season before they went bad.

Meat consumption was also increasingly popular around this time, coinciding with the rise of domestication of farmable species of animals. Hunting was still more common and was necessary so that people could obtain their necessary proteins, minerals, vitamins, etc. Hunting activities typically focused on large game mammals like deer, elk, bison, and boar, while smaller creatures like birds, fish, insects, reptiles, and amphibians served to supplement dietary requirements. On rare occasions ancient peoples successfully located edible seafood items such as shellfish or crustaceans, particularly in coastal regions. Overall aquatic resources remained largely untapped until further periods of human development though.

All these different elements combined to provide us what can be considered a prototypical version of the modern day nutritional blueprint. Before processed convenience meals wildly varying in their amounts of carbs, fats, sugars, and complex carbohydrates populated shelves there existed a highly nutritious, diverse array of nutrient-rich, wholefood options underpinning the diets of far flung individuals populating distant corners of our planet ages ago.

During this time people generally lived in small communities which often shared resources among each other such as plants or animals used for domestication purposes; there was also likely trade between different tribes/villages. Additionally, new forms of religious belief emerged during Neolithic times including ancestor worship along with ideas about spirits inhabiting natural places like mountains, rivers, etc. Many archaeological sites have been found containing physical evidence relating to early burial rituals indicating something beyond primitive animism may have existed at least by 5,000 BCE.

While some areas saw dramatic population growth others experienced drastic declines due largely to environmental destruction leading to famines and migrations away from certain regions. In order to adapt many societies had begun practicing agriculture rather than hunting and gathering, they also developed irrigation systems and metal working methods all while managing their environment better through effective crop rotation techniques 

The most iconic remains left behind are monuments constructed out of large stones called megaliths. These usually took form as menhirs, dolmens, chambered tombs, alignments, cairns, henges, etc. It's believed such structures served not only practical purposes but also symbolic ones related to ceremonial activities regarding death fertility or astrology. Other artifacts commonly associated with Neolithic times include jewelry, weapons, tools, pottery, figurines, textiles and beads, making it clear that societies were becoming more complex by utilizing craftsmanship for functional ornamental objects.

Examples can be seen across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and South America where these civilizations flourished during this early period before further progressions into the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and eventually modern day civilization.