Week 5 Anthropological Description Of The Neolithic Revoluti

Week 5 Anthropological Description of the Neolithic Revolution

You will choose one civilization from the resource list (Links to an external site.) (also covered in Chapters 10-14 of the textbook), and summarize the impact of the Neolithic revolution on the selected civilization. The textbook also lists and explores seven characteristics of a civilization (pp. ). You will choose three of these characteristics and assess how they are manifested in your chosen civilization. You must use a minimum of one scholarly source from the provided list of Ashford University Library resources, in addition to the text.

In your paper: · Describe one of the civilizations from the list provided (i.e., location, environment, and relevant history of the civilization). · Explain how the Neolithic revolution contributed to the origins of your chosen civilization. · Summarize three of the characteristics of civilizations and assess how they are manifested in your chosen civilization. · Provide supporting archaeological evidence that those characteristics manifested within your chosen civilization. · Explain the factors that led to the downfall of the chosen civilization.

Paper For Above instruction

The Neolithic Revolution marked a pivotal turning point in human history, fundamentally transforming societies from nomadic hunter-gatherers to settled agrarian communities. Its influence extended profoundly into the development of early civilizations, including the ancient Mesopotamian civilization centered in Sumer, present-day Iraq. This essay explores how the Neolithic Revolution catalyzed the emergence of Sumerian civilization, examines three characteristics of civilizations manifested therein, and discusses the factors leading to its decline.

Located in the fertile crescent, Sumer was characterized by its rich agricultural environment, supported by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which provided vital water sources for crop cultivation. The environmental conditions fostered innovations in irrigation and farming techniques that allowed sustained food surpluses, essential for urbanization. The transition from foraging to farming, initiated around 10,000 years ago during the Neolithic period, provided the economic foundation necessary for the rise of complex societies like Sumer. This shift enabled populations to increase, settle permanently in specific locations, and develop social stratification, ultimately leading to the formation of city-states.

The Neolithic Revolution directly contributed to these developments by enabling humans to produce reliable food sources, which supported population growth and societal complexity. This revolution facilitated the domestication of plants and animals, leading to food surpluses that enabled specialization of labor, including artisans, priests, and administrators. These changes created the social hierarchies characteristic of civilizations and laid the groundwork for political organization, monumental architecture, and written language. Archaeological evidence, such as the ancient city of Uruk's massive mud-brick walls and the earliest cuneiform inscriptions, exemplifies these developments and the societal complexity fueled by the Neolithic innovations.

Among the seven characteristics of civilizations discussed in the textbook, three are particularly visible in Sumer: urbanization, social stratification, and written language. Urbanization is indicated by the emergence of city-states with organized layouts, monumental structures like ziggurats, and centralized administrative systems. Archaeological sites such as Ur and Eridu provide evidence of sophisticated urban planning and public architecture. Social stratification is reflected in clearly defined social classes, with rulers, priests, scribes, and laborers occupying distinct hierarchies, as evidenced by burial sites with varying grave goods and the distribution of wealth. The development of written language, exemplified by early cuneiform script, served administrative, commercial, and religious functions, further unifying and controlling these complex societies.

However, despite these advancements, Sumerian civilization declined around 2000 BCE, primarily due to environmental challenges, including salinization of agricultural lands caused by extensive irrigation, which reduced crop yields. Political fragmentation, internal warfare, and external invasions by neighboring peoples such as the Elamites and Amorites further destabilized the region. Over time, these factors contributed to the collapse of the Sumerian city-states, leading to their incorporation into larger empires, such as the Akkadian and Babylonian empires.

In conclusion, the Neolithic Revolution was instrumental in the development of Sumerian civilization, providing the economic and social foundations upon which urbanization, social stratification, and written language were built. These characteristics exemplify the hallmark features of civilizations and their manifestations in early Mesopotamian society. The environmental and political factors that led to Sumer's downfall highlight the fragility of early civilizations and the complex interplay between environmental sustainability and societal resilience.

References

• Copeland, L. (2016). The Sumerians: Their history, culture, and character. Harvard University Press.
• Jacobsen, T. (1976). The Sumerian World. Yale University Press.
• Mitchell, P. (2003). The archaeology of the ancient Near East. Cambridge University Press.
• Pollock, S. (1999). Ancient Mesopotamian religion. American Journal of Archaeology, 103(4), 583-607.
• Roux, G. (2001). Sumer: The dawn of civilization. Thames & Hudson.
• Van De Mieroop, M. (2015). A history of the ancient Near East, ca. 3000-323 BC. Wiley-Blackwell.
• Woolley, C. L. (1934). Ur of the Chaldees. The British Museum Press.
• Yoffee, N. (2017). Myths of the archaic state: Evolution of social complexity. Cambridge University Press.
• Zettler, R. L. (2014). Old Babylonian tablet finds and their implications. Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 73(2), 245–261.