The Neolithic culture began around 10,000 years ago in what we now call the Middle East (The Heritage of World Civilizations 6). The Middle East changed from hunter-gatherer culture to a culture more established in agriculture. Hunter-gatherers obtain their food by collecting plants and hunting animals, while people in an agricultural society relied on domesticated species and crops. The shift to agriculture resulted in advances in technology, such as pottery and metals. Neolithic culture used characteristics, such as agriculture, domestication, technology, and the creation of urbanization to establish civilizations. When Neolithic culture made the shift to agriculture, it coincided with advances in stone tool technology (The Heritage of World