Barbarism

Barbarism, according to Engels, is a transitional period between primitive communism and class society characterized by the domestication of animals and development of agriculture. It can be divided into three stages:

• The lower stage begins with the development of pottery.
• The middle stage involves domestication of plants and animals and use of bricks and stone for construction.
• The upper stage begins with the smelting of iron ore and involves the use of plows, wagons, chariots, and walled cities.