Neolithic Period Facts, Worksheets, Era, Inventions & Structures For Kids (2024)

The Neolithic period, also known as the “New Stone Age”, was a time of great cultural and technological development in early human civilization. Dating back to roughly 10,000 BCE, the Neolithic period began in an area of civilization known as the Fertile Crescent, an area of land in modern-day Iran/Iraq between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. It is here that human civilization began to shift from a culture of hunter-gatherers to a more agrarian model, developing skills necessary for farming and animal domestication.

See the fact file below for more information on the Neolithic period or alternatively, you can download our 18-page Neolithic Period worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

PRE-NEOLITHIC ERA

• The Stone Age period preceding the Neolithic period was called the Mesolithic period.
• The Mesolithic period was characterized by a hunter-gatherer dynamic. As such, communities were ever-changing and housing was seldom built for long-term use.

NEOLITHIC BEGINNINGS

• The transition between the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods took place in Mesopotamia, an area of land between Iraq and Iran. This land was particularly good for yielding crops due to its warm climate and continuous access to fresh water. As such, this land was nicknamed the “Fertile Crescent.”
• Neolithic communities recognized the benefits of transitioning from a nomadic lifestyle to a more sedentary way of life. They began building settlements in the Fertile Crescent and learning how to work the land to plant and harvest crops for subsistence farming.
• Neolithic communities also learned how to domesticate animals for consumption and manufacturing. Most communities kept goats and sheep as they were easy livestock to domesticate.

INVENTIONS

• With their new sedentary way of life, Neolithic communities were able to focus their time and energy on developing tools that helped simplify their new trades.
• The Neolithic period most notably introduced the world to the wheel. The wheel allowed for people to transport heavy materials back and forth.
• Another everyday commodity invented during the Neolithic period was the pot. Originally made from either stone or the dried intestines of animals, the pot was used to store food and supplies for later use.
• The Neolithic period also gave birth to the loom, allowing for people to begin making textiles and clothing with the materials they harvested from nature and their livestock.
• To make farming easier, Neolithic communities also began making tools that would help them better plant, grow, and harvest crops. This led to the birth of the rudimentary plow.

NEOLITHIC STRUCTURES

• Neolithic homes were built to last as communities began settling in one area for a considerable amount of time. Families lived all together in one space.
• Neolithic homes were made from hollowed tree trunks, woven branches, and mud bricks (bricks made of dried mud). They were often called long homes due to their long rectangular shape.
• Neolithic society is credited with the construction of Stonehenge, a circular monument of stones in England. To this day, historians and scientists have not been able to figure out what Stonehenge is or why it was constructed.

Neolithic Period Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Neolithic Period across 18 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Neolithic Period worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Neolithic period, also known as the “New Stone Age”, which was a time of great cultural and technological development in early human civilization. Dating back to roughly 10,000 BCE, the Neolithic period began in an area of civilization known as the Fertile Crescent, an area of land in modern-day Iran/Iraq between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. It is here that human civilization began to shift from a culture of hunter-gatherers to a more agrarian model, developing skills necessary for farming and animal domestication.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

• Neolithic Period Facts
• Neolithic Facts
• Mesopotamian Mapping
• A Day in the Neo-Life
• Neo-Modern Life Comparison
• Agrarian Shift
• Neolithic Art Appreciation
• Modern-Day Mesopotamia
• Shark Tank
• The Stonehenge Story
• Neolithic Appreciation

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Link will appear as - KidsKonnect, February 19, 2019