The invention of agriculture marked a significant societal shift known as the Neolithic Revolution. This transformative period transitioned human societies from nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyles to settled farming communities. As people began to cultivate crops and domesticate animals, they established permanent settlements, leading to population growth, the development of social hierarchies, and the rise of complex societies. Agriculture enabled surplus food production, which supported trade, the specialization of labor, and ultimately the rise of civilizations, profoundly shaping the trajectory of human development.