Neolithic People
Watch our summary video of the Neolithic people and how their descendants were kicked off their land by the Romans.
The People
The Neolithic people were alive from 4000 – 2500 BC. They didn’t move around as much as earlier Mesolithic people did, meaning their houses were much more solid and permanent.
We have found lots of tools at Neolithic sites all over the country. Because there were few good sources for stone and flint at this time, we think there may have been some kind of early trade between people.
Neolithic people are amongst the first to start properly burying their dead. They built monuments and shrines. Stonehenge in England, and the Ring of Brodgar in Orkney were built at this time. Little did they know these monuments would still be around today!
At the end of the Neolithic period, people began to decorate themselves with beaded necklaces, and boar tusks. Boars are ancient wild pigs. Neolithic people also started making ceramics and pottery. The designs on the ceramics were usually unique to a certain area. Balls, such as the one pictured, were decorated with various swirls and spots; about 425 balls like this were found across Scotland! We’re not really sure what they were for, they look similar to sink stones found in Denmark which were used to sink fishing nets. They could have also been some kind of weapon or just Neolithic ornaments. Or they could just be really early footballs!? What do you think?
The Environment
Neolithic people had a major impact on Tentsmuir's environment, as their stationary lifestyles encouraged them to become farmers. They cleared land to make way for their own needs, causing a decline in Scottish trees, except hazel. Instead, crops like barley became abundant around Tentsmuir. They also domesticated pigs, sheep and cattle, which caused grazing to increase and prevented woodland regrowth. This was the first time that people began to change the landscape for themselves.
ACTIVITY
Want to deck yourself out in some Neolithic bling? Then follow these instructions.
What you will need:
Some white modelling clay
Something to poke holes with
Elastic or string to thread through the beads
To make the tusks roll out a piece if dough about the size of your finger into a sausage and make one end pointed. The use something thin to poke a hole in the wider end of the tusk. To make the round beads just roll a small ball of clay and poke a hole through the middle. Leave the beads to dry. Once they've dried, thread through some string or elastic and tie the end to make a bracelet or necklace. You're all done! Now you look like chief of the village!