The technology of the first farmers
In the fertile plains of Myanmar's central dry zone, including the area around Tilin Township, a technological shift that redefined human society lies scattered in the soil. Farmers tending their rice paddies occasionally unearth smooth, polished stone tools—axes, adzes, and chisels that were last used thousands of years ago. These artifacts are the technology of the Neolithic period, or "New Stone Age," which began in Myanmar between 7000 and 6000 BCE. This era saw a transition from mobile hunting and gathering to settled village life based on agriculture.
The creation of a polished stone axe was a multi-stage process. First, a suitable fine-grained rock, like siltstone or schist, was selected. The toolmaker would roughly shape the stone by striking it with another rock, a technique called knapping. The rough form was then refined by pecking it with a hammerstone. The final and most laborious step was grinding and polishing the tool against an abrasive surface, like sandstone, often with water and sand. This process created a durable, sharp cutting edge effective for felling trees and working with wood. These implements were used for clearing forests to create agricultural fields for crops like rice, which evidence suggests was cultivated in the Irrawaddy Valley by 2500 BCE.