Final answer:
The Neolithic Revolution transitioned humans to agriculture and animal domestication, leading to social reorganization, the development of writing, and the foundations of civilization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Neolithic era, also known as the New Stone Age, marked a pivotal shift in human history from a nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle to sedentary agriculture and domestication practices. This transition, often referred to as the Neolithic Revolution, began around 12,000 years ago and significantly altered the structure of human societies. People began to cultivate crops such as wheat and barley in the Near East, maize in Mesoamerica, and millet and rice in China, which were previously gathered in the wild. Moreover, the domestication of animals, including sheep, goats, horses, and llamas, provided additional food and labor resources, fueling the growth of more complex communities with specialized labor.
The influence of the Agricultural Revolution extended far beyond just stable food supplies; it prompted the development of writing systems stemming from the need to manage economic affairs and impacted social organization, leading to new social hierarchies and settlements with complex structures and art, such as those found at Çatalhöyük and Göbekli Tepe. This era of innovation set the foundation for what would become human civilization, with agriculture at its core, forever changing how humanity interacted with the environment and each other.