Ancient History

Learn how ancient people changed from moving around to living in the first villages.

The ice age ended 12,000 years ago, making life easier for hunter-gatherers. By 11,000 years ago, humans had spread everywhere and the first animal was domesticated.

Hunter-gatherers traveled to find food and stayed longer in places with good food supplies. The Fertile Crescent was special because it had wild wheat and barley.

Some people built the first permanent villages with round stone houses. They were trapped between the sea and desert, so they had to make the best of their land.

The first villages were made by hunter-gatherers, not farmers. These people were amazing at gathering plants and could even make flour and bread from wild grains.

Hunter-gatherers learned to grow fig trees by cutting branches and planting them. Figs were available in early villages but were like a sweet treat, not the main food.

From Hunter-Gatherer to Farmer (Part 1)