The Neolithic Revolution and the evidence
For students aged 11 and up, and anyone who wants to think like a historian: what changed, how we know, and why the dates move.
At Key Stage 3, one suggested depth study is a significant turning point, for example the Neolithic Revolution. GOV.UK (DfE): National curriculum in England, history programmes of study · checked 29 Oct 2026
What changed?
The Neolithic, or New Stone Age, is marked by polished stone tools, farming, permanent villages, pottery and weaving. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Neolithic The first farmers grew barley and wheat and kept sheep and goats, later cattle and pigs too. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Neolithic
The earliest Neolithic began in the Middle East about 10,000 BC. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Neolithic The Neolithic didn’t happen everywhere at once: different regions started it at different times. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Neolithic
Farming was brought to Britain by migrants from the Continent about 4100 BC, along with pottery. English Heritage: History of Grime’s Graves Current thinking is that his population was mostly replaced by farmers who moved to Britain later. Natural History Museum: Cheddar Man, Mesolithic Britain’s blue-eyed boy
People in Britain today share about 10% of their genetic ancestry with Cheddar Man’s population, but aren’t his direct descendants. Natural History Museum: Cheddar Man, Mesolithic Britain’s blue-eyed boy
How do we know?
Most of what survives from the Palaeolithic is made of flint, stone, bone and antler, because those materials last. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Stone Age Skara Brae in Orkney is a Neolithic village so well preserved that even the stone furniture survives. Historic Environment Scotland: Skara Brae, history
The peat preserved a boat paddle, arrow tips and red deer skull tops worn as masks. University of York: Stone Age remains are Britain’s earliest house (10 August 2010)
In 1868–70 Canon William Greenwell dug a deep shaft and proved Grime’s Graves was a Neolithic flint mine, the first recognised in Britain. English Heritage: History of Grime’s Graves
Dates change when evidence changes
When he was found, some claimed he was 40,000 to 80,000 years old; radiocarbon dating from the 1970s onwards put him at about 10,000 years. Natural History Museum: Cheddar Man, Mesolithic Britain’s blue-eyed boy
In 2010 the Star Carr team said they had found Britain’s earliest surviving house, dating to at least 8,500 BC. University of York: Stone Age remains are Britain’s earliest house (10 August 2010) · checked 29 Oct 2026 The Star Carr house is at least 500 years older than the previous record holder, at Howick in Northumberland. University of York: Stone Age remains are Britain’s earliest house (10 August 2010)
What we still don’t know
Just inside the bank are 56 pits called the Aubrey Holes; experts still debate what stood in them. English Heritage: History of Stonehenge No one knows why village life ended around 2500 BC: some say a huge sandstorm, others a slower change. Historic Environment Scotland: Skara Brae, history
No bones of those first visitors have been found; from the dates, they could have been Homo antecessor. Natural History Museum: First Britons
Sources that don’t quite agree
A good historian compares sources. Here are five places where ours differ: farming, the end of the Stone Age, Star Carr, the end of the Old Stone Age and Cheddar Man.
Next: myths vs facts →