Ulster Museum Dig Into Ancient Ireland

• History
• Primary Education

What did people eat and  

how did they get their food?

Dig into 

Ancient Ireland

What you already know

What you are going to learn

What you are going to do

Reflecting on what you have done

How does it work?

By the end of this lesson:

You will be able to recognize and explain the ways in which early humans lived.

What do you already 

know about how  people collected food during 

the Neolithic?

The adoption of farming started 

during the Neolithic period. 

Hunting animals          Bred and reared animals 

Gathering plants          Grew and harvested plants

People no longer had to move around the landscape in search of food, but instead they could settle in the one location.

The change to a farming lifestyle

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The Neolithic period saw one of the most significant changes in human history - the adoption of farming. Instead of hunting animals, Neolithic people bred them and reared them, and instead of gathering plants from the landscape, they grew them and harvested them. This meant that people no longer had to move around the landscape in search of food, but instead they could settle in the one location.

Which crops were the farmers able to grow?

Drag those crops to the basket.

wheat

barley

lettuce

green bean

oats

potato

tomato

rye

Who worked on the fields on the farms?

1. the father
2. the mother
3. a family
4. a large, organised society

Wild species were gradually domesticated into breeds which could be farmed, a process which resulted in animals with 

traits which humans desired. For example, larger size, reduced aggression, increased reproduction rate.

Can you find out which animals these turned out to be?

Domestication: Types of animals 

Wild species were gradually domesticated into breeds which could be farmed, a process which resulted

in animals with traits which humans desired. For example, larger size, reduced aggression, increased

reproduction rate. Wild boar were domesticated into pigs; aurochs (wild cattle) were domesticated

into cows; and mouflon (wild sheep) became domesticated sheep. The Neolithic domesticated species

would have looked more like the wild species than our modern domesticated animals.

Which animal did the aurochs turn into?

Which animal did the mouflon turn into?

Which animal did the wild boar turn into?

What were the advantages and 

disadvantages of the Neolithic lifestyle?

Advantages

Disadvantages

Life expectancies and stature decreased

Poor nutrition:

the diets of farmers were not very diverse

Larger communities lead to villages, towns, cities and civilisations

Use of other resources, such as milk, wool, and traction.

Life expectancies and stature decreased

Risk of famine

when crops failed

Risk of diseases: many people living in one place

Crops and animals became more readily available

The Neolithic lifestyle

Disadvantages

Advantages

• Crops and animals became more readily available
   
• Larger communities lead to the development of villages, towns, cities and civilisations
   
•  Domestic agriculture also allowed the use of other resources, such as milk, wool, and traction.

• Standards of living did not improve hegely
  
• Poor nutrition: the diets of farmers were not very diverse 
• Life expectancies and stature decreased
• Risk of famine when crops failed
• Risk of diseases: many people living in one place

Wild species were gradually domesticated into breeds which could be farmed, a process which resulted

in animals with traits which humans desired. For example, larger size, reduced aggression, increased

reproduction rate. Wild boar were domesticated into pigs; aurochs (wild cattle) were domesticated

into cows; and mouflon (wild sheep) became domesticated sheep. The Neolithic domesticated species

would have looked more like the wild species than our modern domesticated animals.

What did you learn during this lesson?

How did you enjoy this lesson?

😒🙁😐🙂😃

What did people eat and  

how did they get their food?

Dig into 

Ancient Ireland