Progress! But for whom?

During the Neolithic age, human kind went under a number of changes many for the better, but many for the worse as well. The greatest change was the shift from hunter-gatherers to agriculturists. This enabled them to sustain permanent residences. Also because of agriculture they were able to produce enough food to allow other people to specialize in other crafts, including metallurgy and textile production. In this way technology developed much more quickly, which allowed a great population boom to take place. These small villages formed into thriving city states, with a proper governmental structure. They even developed a class system based on wealth. From the point of view of making strives towards a physically “modern civilization” the Neolithic revolution was an incredibly positive event. However from the point of view of cultural development, many of the changes were not so positive.

One of the main developments in this time period was the social hierarchy. It started to develop during the late Paleolithic era, when men were given more prestige based on the dangers of hunting. During the Neolithic Revolution, the gender gap widened. All of the people in power were male: the king and all of his advisors. The woman were expected to take care of the animals and the children and not interfere with their husband's affairs. This blatant inequality in society is a cultural problem we are still dealing with today. Women in many parts of the world are still being subjugated in this day and age, due to an idea that developed thousand of years ago. If the balance had tipped the other way, where woman would be held in higher esteem for their role in child bearing and gathering food, out society would be very different from how it is today. In separating the work based on gender the Neolithic people started a precedent that woman have been trying to escape from ever since.


In these Neolithic city states very few people had power. Originally all of the able adults would consult in all of the important decisions for the group. In some ways it was almost close to a democracy. Also respect was based on age and experience. When the city states were formed, that structure fell apart. They people in charge were the ones who had taken power early on, they were not necessarily the most qualified or the most experienced, just the one with the most initiative and support. They then proceeded to keep all of the wealth for themselves and kept the rest of the population poor. This became he dominant form of government for hundreds of years. Kings and dictators were all powerful, and only a handful of nobles were even allowed to have any say. Populations came to realize the problems with this form of government, and they now appreciate a more democratic approach.

In some ways our modern culture is reverting back to some of the ideas of Paleolithic times. We now have a proper democracy where all adults are able to have a say, without regard for money or gender. If the Neolithic Revolution had been a true success, then no one would have wanted to revert to the old times. While important and positive parts of our "modern civilization" were invented in the Neolithic Revolution, it has taken hundreds of years to reverse the many mistakes that also took place.