The Neolithic Revolution
A timeline of the agricultural revolution from 10,000 to 5,000 BCE — how farming, settlement, and social complexity transformed human life.
Wild cereal management in the Fertile Crescent
Communities in the Levant begin tending wild stands of wheat and barley — the first step toward deliberate agriculture.
Gobekli Tepe constructed
Hunter-gatherers in southeastern Turkey build the world's first monumental stone architecture — massive carved pillars in a ritual complex, predating agriculture.
Jericho becomes a permanent settlement
A spring-fed settlement in the Jordan Valley grows into one of the world's first towns, complete with a stone wall and tower.
Domestication of wheat and barley
Fully domesticated emmer wheat and barley appear in the Fertile Crescent — recognizable by non-shattering seed heads selected by farmers.
Domestication of sheep and goats
Sheep and goats are domesticated in the Zagros Mountains region, providing meat, milk, and wool to settled communities.
Rice cultivation begins in China
Communities along the Yangtze River begin cultivating wild rice — an independent origin of agriculture in East Asia.
Catalhoyuk flourishes
A dense settlement of up to 8,000 people thrives in central Turkey — one of the world's first proto-urban communities, with remarkable wall paintings.
Pottery invented in the Near East
Ceramic technology emerges, allowing communities to store, cook, and transport food and liquids more effectively.
Maize domestication begins in Mesoamerica
The long process of transforming teosinte into maize begins in the Balsas River valley of Mexico — an independent agricultural revolution.
Cattle domesticated
Wild aurochs are domesticated in the Near East and independently in North Africa, providing draft power, milk, and meat.
Irrigation begins in Mesopotamia
The first simple irrigation channels appear in the plains between the Tigris and Euphrates, making agriculture possible in otherwise arid land.
Copper smelting begins
The earliest evidence of copper smelting appears in the Balkans and Near East, marking the beginning of metallurgy.
Social stratification emerges
Burial evidence from multiple sites shows growing inequality — some graves contain rich goods while others have none, marking the origins of class systems.