Before about 10 000 bce, "in the beginning," it was dark, i.e., we, as historians, have little confirmed information, but we can draw on the work of archeologists, paleontologists, anthropologists, etc. What is clear is that the key event in the emergence of civilization was the development of agriculture (8000-5000 bce), which fundamentally altered society and required a new political organization to adapt to life in fixed communities (cities). In different areas of the world, different crops assumed prominence: millet and rice in China, maize in America, cassava in Africa and wheat in the Near East. As people settled into permanent habitation, and villages/towns/cities appeared, the people needed complex tools to farm and someone to make them; new tools such as pots to store grain; complex irrigation systems; cloth; houses; clothing; etc. This meant a new economic structure and hierarchy. This led to further social, religious and political distinctions. Two examples of very early settlements were Jericho in Israel and Catal Huyuk in Turkey