Definition
Refers to the final stage of Stone Age development of a human culture, characterized by sophisticated stone tools created by polishing or grinding, wide-spread domestication of animals and plants, settlement in permanent villages, and the appearance of pottery and weaving. Neolithic cultures first appeared during the Holocene Epoch, around 9,000 BCE, and survived in certain remote areas of the world into the 19th century. Artistic products include wooden and stone houses, religious monuments, fortifications, carvings, paintings, textiles, and pottery.