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Comparison: Life in the Neolithic and Today

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WORLD HISTORY PROJECTORIGINS / LESSON 2.4ACTIVITYCOMPARISON: LIFE IN THE NEOLITHIC AND TODAYUnless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Comparison: Life in the Neolithic and Today”, OER Project, https://www.oerproject.com/1PurposeLearn to use the Comparison Tool to conduct and generate historical comparisons—in this activity, a comparison between life in the Neolithic period (c. 10,000 BCE to 4500 BCE), and the life you live today. As you practice comparison throughout the course, you’ll get better and better at describing and explaining the relevant similarities and differences between specific historical developments and processes. You’ll also get better at explaining the relative historical significance of similarities and differences between the topics of study.Key informationComparison is a key process that historians use to help them better understand the past. Although comparing and contrasting may sound simple, it actually gets really complicated when what you’re comparing is multidimensional, as is the case with historicaltopics. Because comparison is harder than it looks, in this course you’ll use a tool to conduct historical comparisons using the frames you learned about earlier in this unit.Process1.Before you begin this activity, answer this question: Would you rather live the Neolithic period (c. 10,000 BCE to 4500 BCE) or today? Be sure to explain your choice.2.Read the synopsis (summary) of life in the Neolithic. This is a general story of what life was like during this time period; the specifics would change depending on your geographic location and the exact time period, such as in the early, middle, or late Neolithic.
WORLD HISTORY PROJECT ORIGINS / LESSON 2.4ACTIVITYCOMPARISON: LIFE IN THE NEOLITHIC AND TODAY2Synopsis of Life in the Neolithic—A General OverviewThe Neolithic was the time period when many communities made the transition from foraging to farming. However, most people who lived during this time would have continued to supplement their food by foraging, as farming was a relatively recent phenomenon. Yet, as certain regions made the transitionto farming, these communities would have been more settled—they would have been living in one area rather than moving around to follow their food sources. The first communities to make this transition were those located in the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia); the Nile River Valley (Egypt); the Huang He River Valley (China); the Indus River Valley (Pakistan); and in Norte Chico (Peru). These early farmingcommunities would also hunt, fish, and gather some of their food.The peoples who made this transition to farming built more permanent structures in which to live. Some communities built larger structures to use as temples, others to store food, and some to house important people in the society, such as rulers. Specialization of labor emerged as some members of the community began to do jobs other than farming and became potters, builders, priests, merchants, scribes, and soldiers. Social hierarchies and gender divisions also emerged, with some members of the community acquiring more wealth and power than others. While men and women both had to work in order to produce food or generate income for their families, gender differences were beginning to become more rigid, with men generally having more power than women.These communities would have been linked through local networks of exchange as well as through ties based on the community and its beliefs, such as coming together for religious ceremonies. Larger regional networks were also becoming thicker as members of one community became connected to societies outside of their own. The goods produced in one community were exchanged for items that they could not produce or acquire on their own. Transactions between communities, as well as those within the community, such as the production and distribution of grain and the collection of taxes, were recorded through the use of early writing systems. Only a small percentage of the population was literate and trained to create these written records. Life for most people was still very local, as most did not travel outside of their own society. And even though people began doing other jobs, the vast majority of people were farmers. There were, however, some communities that continued to be foragers and pastoralists with nomadic or seminomadic lifestyles. Farming communities, foragers, and pastoralists also interacted with each other, sharing goods, ideas, and information.
WORLD HISTORY PROJECT ORIGINS / LESSON 2.4ACTIVITYCOMPARISON: LIFE IN THE NEOLITHIC AND TODAY33.On the next page (page 3) you’ll find the Comparison Tool. Since this is your first time using it, we’ve helped you with the Cases You’re Comparing, Time Period, and Location boxes, but you’ll fill those out on your own later in the course. Using “Synopsis of Life in the Neolithic—A General Overview,” which you just read, fill out the Neolithic column of the worksheet.4.Now, do the same thing to complete the sections for Today, using your own knowledge of life today to fill out those columns.•Remember that communityfocuses on how people organize into groups, usually with shared values or beliefs as well as being inhabitants of the same region or nation. Production and distribution refers to how people make goods and get them into the hands of other people. For example, do they make goods at home or in a factory? Do they travel to markets to sell these goods, or do they trade with neighbors? Networksis about how people connect with others, sometimes through work-related connections or through trade or, in the twenty-first century, via social media and the internet.5.Your last step in the tool is to fill out the Similarities and Differences boxes. Compare the details you’ve recorded in the Neolithic column and the Today column and think about the similarities and differences you see.
WORLD HISTORY PROJECT ORIGINS / LESSON 2.4ACTIVITYCOMPARISON: LIFE IN THE NEOLITHIC AND TODAY4Topic of ComparisonLife in the Neolithic compared to life todayPart 1: Identifying and DescribingCases you’re comparingNeolithic periodToday Time periodc. 10,000 BCE to 4500 BCE2020 and beyond (twenty-first century)LocationHint: You can choose any location, but it might make sense to pick where you live.Hint: You can choose any location, but it might make sense to pick where you live.P&DHow were goods produced and distributed in each of these periods of time?SimilaritiesDifferences
WORLD HISTORY PROJECT ORIGINS / LESSON 2.4ACTIVITYCOMPARISON: LIFE IN THE NEOLITHIC AND TODAY5NetworksWhat types of networks were people members of in each of these periods of time?SimilaritiesDifferencesCommunitiesHow were communities structured in each of these time periods?SimilaritiesDifferences6.Once you’ve completed the tool, respond to the following questions: •How are these time periods similar?•How are they different?
WORLD HISTORY PROJECT ORIGINS / LESSON 2.4ACTIVITYCOMPARISON: LIFE IN THE NEOLITHIC AND TODAY6•What’s important about those similarities and differences?•Would you change the answer you gave at the start of this activity about which period you’d rather live in? Explain your reasoning.7.Look back at your completed tool and choose onesimilarity and onedifference you think are most significant(important). Then, complete the sentence starters below and defend your choice using evidence.The most significant differencebetween life in the Neolithic and life today is:Because:The most significant similaritybetween life in the Neolithic and life today is:Because: