The Neolithic & the Metal Ages

An Introduction for College Students

D. K. Jordan

This portion of the web site contains some essays intended as a very general introduction to the "Neolithic," a troubled term referring to the time (or stage) when humans shifted from being primarily foragers to being primarily food producers.

There are three essays:

1. The “Agricultural Revolution” (Link)
2. Beyond Wheat (Link)
3. Living the Revolution (Link)

The Neolithic brought on substantial increases in population, and was followed in many parts of the world by the "Metal Ages," particularly the Copper Age or Chalolithic, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. A separate essay is provided as an introduction to this topic, with special reference to Mesopotamia.

1. After the Neolithic: The Metal Ages (Link)

In connection with this, you may also wish to read a general overview of metal and metallurgy in the ancient world (Link).

Given the intended use of these essays as a course readings, I have avoided citations to the published literature as much as possible. For expansions on most of the topics useful materials can be found on the Internet, and especially as a first step in Wikipedia, although the discussion here tells the "story" more smoothly.

I have extensively rewritten these four essays(originally a single essay) several times over the years for use in the Making of the Modern World course at UCSD's Eleanor Roosevelt College. However in its very earliest version it made up part of one chapter of a 1976 textbook written collaboratively with my colleague Marc J. Swartz. I am pleased to express my gratitude to Professor Swartz for his trenchant criticisms of the earliest versions some decades back, and for his gracious willingness to allow its continued modification and free access by all interested readers.

An earlier version of these files, as a consolidated single reading, remains available for instructors who have already linked to it, but it is no longer subject to correction or updating. (Link)

DKJ