From Hunters to Farmers

Around 13,000 years ago, people in Central Europe lived as hunters and gatherers. A turning point came with the Neolithic Revolution – between 5500 and 2500 BCE – when they gradually shifted from hunting and gathering to crop cultivation and animal husbandry.

Life of Hunters and Gatherers

Hunters and gatherers in that time lived closely with nature, seasonal rhythms, and wild animal movements. They moved in small nomadic groups, hunting deer, bison, wild boar, and gathering fruits, roots, nuts, and honey. Life was physically demanding but offered a varied diet and active lifestyle. Low population density meant fewer infectious diseases and more egalitarian social structures.

However, food availability depended on seasons and weather, often leading to hunger. Injuries, illnesses, or accidents could be fatal without medical care. Lacking permanent shelters, they were exposed to the weather elements and had to find new refuges. Caring for vulnerable members was difficult. Despite the romanticised image of “living in harmony with nature”, life demanded constant adaptability.

From Wilderness to Permanent Settlement

The shift to permanent settlement was gradual and complex. As early farmers arrived, they coexisted with native hunter-gatherers. These groups created a diverse land-use mosaic – from foraging and hunting to herding and early cultivation.

The settlements of the first farmers emerged near rivers and in fertile areas, while some groups, the native hunter-gatherers, continued their nomadic way of life. This landscape became a zone of contact, exchange, and mutual influence between old and new subsistence strategies.

Beginning of farming in Central Europe 

Farming in Central Europe originated from the Near East between 5500–4900 BCE, as migrating groups introduced herding and crop-growing knowledge. Sheep, goats, and later cattle and horses spread into grassland regions, alongside the cultivation of wheat and barley.

Local domestication in Central Europe included also species like the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) and millet (Panicum miliaceum), as well as partial domestication of wild boar (pig ancestor) and aurochs (cattle ancestor).

Conclusion

The Neolithic Revolution in Central Europe (5500–2500 BCE) marked a long transition from foraging to farming.

Wheat, barley, and domestic animals first took hold in fertile areas. Early agriculture often coexisted with older practices, and full settlement came gradually.

This change wasn’t sudden, but a slow transformation of human relationships with land, animals, and food – continuing until the end of the Bronze Age (c. 2300–800 BCE), when farming became dominant across most of Europe.