In the 8th millennium BC, agriculture becomes widely practiced in the Fertile Crescent and Anatolia. Pottery becomes widespread (with independent development in Central America) and animal husbandry ( pastoralism) spreads to Africa and Eurasia. World population is approximately 5 million. Events- c. 8000 BC—Settlement in Franchthi Cave in Pelopponese, Greece, continues. First evidence of seed and animal stocking (lentils, almonds) and obsidian trade with Melos. The settlement was continuously occupied since 20,000 BC and abandoned in 3,000 BC.
- c. 8000 BC—Settlements at Sagalassos in present-day southwest Turkey are established.
- c. 8000 BC—Settlements at Akure in present-day southwest Nigeria are established.
- c. 8000 BC—Settlements at Ærø, Denmark are established.
Environmental changes- c. 7911 BC—Series of seven massive volcanic eruptions give volcanic skies and lowered temperatures for several centuries (ending 7090 BC). Locations not known, but show in polar ice. (NatGeo1986–9)
Inventions, discoveries, introductions- Bladed tools found in southwest Iran date from around 8000 BC. They were made from Obsidian that had been transported from Anatolia.
- Huts, hearths, granaries, and nonportable stone tools for grinding grains Africa
- Houses, kilns, pottery, turquoise carvings, tools made from stone and bone, and bone flutes China
- Clay and plaster are molded to form statues at Jericho and cAin Ghazal Mediterranean
- First evidence of incised "counting tokens" about 9,000 years ago in the Neolithic fertile crescent. Asia
- Japanese potters begin to decorate pottery cooking vessels Japan
- Simple pottery traditions sometimes with cord impressions or other decorative markings Korea
- Evidence of wheat, barley, sheep, goats, and pigs suggests that a food-producing economy is adopted in Aegean Greece
- Franchthi Cave in the Argolid, Greece, attests to the earliest deliberate burials in Greece
- North Sea: North Sea bottoms are largely dry land before this period. England
- Pottery making, burial mound construction, and garden technology Mexico
- World—Between 12,000 BC and 5,000 BC it appears that massive inland flooding was taking place in several regions of the world, making for subsequent sea level rises, which could be relatively abrupt for many worldwide
Cultural landmarks- c. 7193 BC—According to Korean legend, an alliance of northern Altaic tribes under a "Huan" (Hun) ruler predates the establishment of China.
Science fiction- Jebediah of Canaan, better known as the wizard Shazam of DC Comics, is born near the end of the millennium. Some references say 7061 BC.
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