Humanity and agriculture - the Neolithic revolution
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
This course has now started
- Course Code: HWH145
- Dates: 25/04/24 - 13/06/24
- Time: 18:30 - 20:00
- Taught: Thu, Evening
- Duration: 8 sessions (over 8 weeks)
- Location: Online
- Tutor: Simone Chisena
Course Code: HWH145
Duration: 8 sessions (over 8 weeks)
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
It might seem hard to think, but two of the most basic characteristics of civilization as we know it – stable settlement and food production – have been part of human life in the Mediterranean for only one third of our presence in the continent. Up until that point a hundred centuries ago, our subsistence was reliant on hunting and gathering of what nature offered spontaneously, thus forcing us to migrate across Europe in pursuit of prey and favourable habitats.
In this course, we will look at what has generated this epochal switch we nowadays call the “Neolithic Revolution”, how fast it did take place and how differently across the Mediterranean and Europe.
This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.
What will we cover?
- The end of hunting-gathering and the dawn of agriculture;
- The passage from nomadism to settlement and the birth of cities;
- From East to West – the spread of the Revolution;
- Settlement dynamics across the Mediterranean;
- Art and symbolic behaviours in Neolithic Europe.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Understand the difference between Neolithic and the previous periods of prehistory;
- Identify the main characteristics of this period and their impact on civilization;
- Recognize the patterns and variations across time and space during the full span of the Revolution.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is suitable for all levels and everyone is welcome. Rather than any particular skills, you should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught online with slide presentations and group discussions. Handouts will be provided by your tutor to support your learning on the course; these handouts will be available online/digitally for download via the college’s Google Classroom. You will be sent an invitation to join the Google Classroom within a week of the course start date.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
There are no additional costs but you might wish to bring a notebook for taking notes.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Please explore our section on global and imperial history as well as our sections on courses in human evolution and geology for additional summer and term 1 courses.
Simone Chisena gained a BA in Classics (dissertation on Greek Vascular Painting) from the University of Pavia and an MSc in Archaeology (dissertation on anthropomorphic menhirs from the Alps) from the University of Rome "La Sapienza". After moving to the UK, his research has focused on prehistoric art of the Upper Palaeolithic (35k-10k years ago), on which he is completing his PhD at the University of York. Alongside teaching for the University of York's Department of Archaeology, he has taught courses on prehistoric art at the Centre for Lifelong Learning and, since 2022, at CityLit. A natural eclectic, his current research focuses on the transmission of artistic skills in European prehistory, but he has not forgotten his Classics background and has never stopped cultivating his interests in Ancient Greek and Roman art.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
