Question

In a short paragraph, discuss one positive effect and one negative effect of the Neolithic Revolution.

Answer 1

The Neolithic Revolution happened at around 10000 B.C. The earliest humans learned how to plant seeds, basic agriculture and how to domesticate animals. It started the transition from a hunting-gathering society to an urban and agricultural one.

One positive effect of the Revolution was the development of farming. Before, early humans were nomadic hunters and gatherers that moved their place of living frequently according to their food supply. It was a very dangerous lifestyle due to the inconsistent food source. With farming, they found a sustainable and reliable food source that allowed them to settle in one place.

One negative effect was the creation and establishment of gender inequality. Before farming, both genders were considered equal as they had the same role: food gatherers. With the transition to an agrarian lifestyle however, women continued to stay at home to work as farmers and child raisers. Men, on the contrary, had to adapt to a new role in life as they did not need to hunt any more. They had to find new, specialized jobs away from home, jobs that gave them money and power. This was considered the foundation of the patriarchal society.