Advantages of Neolithic Shelters

Security

• The first Neolithic people to create permanent shelters -- which were simple round structures built of stone and roofed with logs -- were probably not even aware of the extent of their innovation. Peter Bogucki quotes Irving Rouse as stating that the advent of Neolithic housing forms were a radical break from anything that had gone before. From caves and naturally occurring shelters that were used opportunistically by migrant hunters, human society transitioned into intentionally constructed forms. They soon learned that these forms could be defended both with barriers to keep out enemies and with weapons to drive enemies away. This development coincides with the birth of the idea of defended territory.

Warmth

• In an era when the only clothing consisted of animal skins and perhaps bark, outdoor temperature was a major determinant of behavior. Neolithic shelters greatly increased the effectiveness of a fire by capturing and holding its heat. Slowly, the builders of these shelters began to colonize more and more northern climes, using their newly found ability to escape the periodic cold by hiding from it inside of their structures. Building a fire inside of the structure allowed Neolithic people to simultaneously cook their food and keep themselves from freezing, thus decreasing their risk of both food-borne disease and hypothermia.

Stability

• Once a stone structure was constructed, its builders had an investment of labor in it and begin to put down roots. When small societies ceased to be constantly on the move in search of game, they began to develop attachments to and feelings of ownership of their areas. Agriculture further strengthened this attachment to one place, and localized communities began to accumulate wealth, something that they couldn't do before because they were on the move so frequently. In the Neolithic Revolution are found the roots of architecture, agriculture, the nation state and economic inequality -- in other words, many of the roots of the 21st century world.