What is Neolithic:
The Neolithic is called the last of the periods that make up, together with the Paleolithic and the Mesolithic, the Stone age.
For more information, see the article Paleolithic.
The word neolithic is composed of the Greek roots νέος (néos) which means ‘new’, and λιθικός (lithikós), which is derived from λίθος (líthos) and translates ‘stone’. The oldest record of the term dates back to 1865, when John Lubbock used it in his work Prehistoric Times.
As such, the Neolithic is the period of prehistory that is located, in the timeline, after the Mesolithic, preceding the Age of Metals. Chronologically, it is located approximately between the year 7,000 BC. C. and 2,000 BC. C. The Neolithic, in this sense, constitutes the highest stage of the Stone Age.
The Neolithic is considered the period in which a revolution in ways of life, the customs and abilities of the human being. On a technical level, for example, Neolithic man developed the ability to produce polished and more stylized stone instruments.
For its part, in the social and economic organization, human groups experienced a radical change in their habits. The first population settlements appeared and agriculture and livestock began to develop, which meant that humans stopped depending only on hunting, fishing and gathering. In short, the transition took place between nomadism, seminomadism and sedentary lifestyle.
It can also be used as adjective, in masculine or feminine, to refer to what belongs or relates to this period. In this case, it must be written with lower case. For example: the neolithic man, neolithic tool. When used as nounmust be written with an initial capital letter: Neolithic.
Neolithic art
Neolithic art is called art developed by prehistoric man in the period that includes the last stage of the Stone Age, that is, between the year 7,000 BC. C. and 2,000 BC. of C. Understand painting, ceramics, sculpture and megalithic monuments. It is agreed that in this period there was a shift towards abstraction, that is, the creation of symbols and schematic figures, instead of naturalistic representations, attached to more realistic forms.
Some reference megalithic monuments are preserved from the Neolithic, such as menhirs, occasionally anthropomorphic monoliths; the dolmens, tombs made up of several superimposed stones, and the cromlechs, monoliths arranged in a circular shape, like the one at Stonehenge, for the worship of the Sun.
See also: