Chapter 1 Summary

Part I The Origins of Civilization Summary. The first human beings appeared over two million years ago, with major stages in physical development ending about 140,000 years ago. They discovered tool using and improving and thus were able to move away from hunting and gathering practices to form larger groups. The key markers for the origins of human societies are the beginnings of agriculture, about 9000 B.C.E., and the achievement of the societies that followed. By 1000 B.C.E. several civilizations were ready for more elaborate political and cultural forms. The Neolithic Revolution. Humans had spread widely long before agriculture was invented. Their hunting and gathering techniques kept them in small bands. Agriculture made larger systems possible, but