Final answer:
The Neolithic Revolution led to less leisure time, not more, due to increased labor in agricultural activities. It resulted in population growth, food surpluses, and profound social and religious transformations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Consequences of the Neolithic Revolution
The Neolithic Revolution was a significant turning point in human history as societies transitioned from a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle to settled agriculture. Not one of the consequences of the Neolithic Revolution was an increase in leisure time—on the contrary, the switch to agriculture actually resulted in less leisure time for many people. In the hunter-gatherer societies, it is estimated that the time required to acquire enough food was about twenty hours per week, whereas agricultural societies often spent thirty or more hours engaged in farming.
The shift to agriculture brought about many profound social changes, including a reduction in the diversity of diet due to reliance on staple crops like wheat, barley, maize, and rice. This sometimes led to vitamin deficiencies but was also associated with positive changes such as a dramatic increase in population, the emergence of labor specialization, and the rise of hierarchical social structures, which allowed some individuals to accumulate wealth and status. Additionally, with the stability provided by agriculture, there was an increased emphasis on religious practices and a priestly class that often guided the construction of monuments and the performance of rituals centered on agricultural fertility.
It is crucial to not confuse the increase in food surpluses and population with an increase in individual free time. Instead, the switch to agriculture entailed a commitment to more time-consuming and labor-intensive farming activities, reshaping the human experience and paving the way for the complex societies we know today.