New
New
Year 3

Skara Brae and life in the Neolithic Era

I can explain why archaeologists think humans began to farm in Britain during the Neolithic Era.

New
New
Year 3

Skara Brae and life in the Neolithic Era

I can explain why archaeologists think humans began to farm in Britain during the Neolithic Era.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The Neolithic Era saw lots of changes for early humans in Britain.
  2. Animal bones found during excavations suggest that this is when humans began to domesticate animals such as cattle.
  3. This was the first time that people started deliberately planting and harvesting crops.
  4. Excavations at Skara Brae have unearthed barley seeds, suggesting cultivation.
  5. New technologies developed: this is the first period from which archaeologists find pottery, including at Skara Brae.

Common misconception

That all Neolithic houses were built from stone.

Explain that many Neolithic house in Britain were built from wood and daub. Houses at Skara Brae were built from stone as no wood was available.

Keywords

  • Neolithic Era - the Neolithic Era is also known as the New Stone Age and is the third and final part of the Stone Age

  • Domesticated - a domesticated plant or animal is under human control

  • Pottery - items made out of clay are called pottery

Look at images of Neolithic pots. Support children to use air drying clay to make their own thumb pots and decorate with patterns.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Some clay to make pots.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which Stone Age Era began approximately 12 000 years ago?
Paleolithic Era
Correct answer: Mesolithic Era
Neolithic Era
Q2.
Which Stone Age Era is sometimes called the Middle Stone Age?
Paleolithic Era
Correct answer: Mesolithic Era
Neolithic Era
Q3.
How did Mesolithic humans find food?
They were farmers who planted and harvested crops.
Correct answer: They were hunter-gatherers who hunted animals and picked berries.
They were shoppers who went to the bakers, butchers and grocers.
Q4.
The Stone Age is divided into parts.
Correct Answer: three, 3, Three
Q5.
Nomadic means...
someone who settles in one place to live
Correct answer: someone who doesn't settle in one place to live
someone who plants and harvests crops for food
someone who farms animals such as sheep, cows and pigs
Q6.
The time period before written records were kept is called ...
Correct Answer: prehistory, pre history

6 Questions

Q1.
Match each era to its alternative name
Correct Answer:Paleolithic Era,Early Stone Age

Early Stone Age

Correct Answer:Mesolithic Era,Middle Stone Age

Middle Stone Age

Correct Answer:Neolithic Era,New Stone Age

New Stone Age

Q2.
In which part of the Stone Age do archaeologists believe humans began farming?
Early Stone Age
Middle Stone Age
Correct answer: New Stone Age
Q3.
What is pottery?
Correct answer: items made from clay
items made from glass
items made from metal
items made from wood
Q4.
Which animals do archaeologists believe Neolithic humans domesticated?
Correct answer: cattle
elephants
hippos
Correct answer: sheep
Q5.
What do archaeologists believe seeds discovered at Skara Brae are evidence of?
Correct answer: Neolithic humans planted and harvested crops.
Neolithic humans were hunter-gatherers.
Neolithic humans hunted wild animals.
Q6.
What shape do archaeologists believe Neolithic homes were?
Correct answer: circular
rectangular
hexagonal
octagonal

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