The Neolithic Transition in Europe at 50 Years

TL;DR

This paper reviews 50 years of research on Europe's Neolithic transition, highlighting the spread of farming and herding from Southwest Asia to Europe and its significance in human evolution.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of four decades of research on the Neolithic transition in Europe, emphasizing collaboration since 1970.

Findings

Spread of agriculture from Southwest Asia to Europe over 4,000 years

Key role of human population genetics in understanding the transition

Historical overview of research collaborations and developments

Abstract

One of the last chapters in the long course of human evolution was the shift from hunting and gathering to the production of food or strategies of subsistence based on farming and the herding of animals. In Southwest Asia, the first steps towards the origins of agriculture began some 12,000 years ago and then spread over most regions of Europe during the span of time from about 10,400 years ago (the start of the so-called PPNB on the island of Cyprus) through around 6,000 years ago. The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview on the research that we have done on the question of the Neolithic transition in Europe, which began when Luca CavalliSforza, a leading figure in the field of human population genetics, and I began to work in collaboration at the University of Pavia in November of 1970. This draft forms the basis of my paper as part of the Festschrift prepared for the 45th anniversary of Ryszard Grygiel and Peter Bogucki's scientific cooperation.