Chapter 1 (Human Origins, Early Civilizations)

Question 1

What is prehistory?

Answer 1

Time before the invention of writing, estimated at around 5,000+ years ago.

Question 2

What are some example jobs for people who specialize in investigating prehistory?

Answer 2

Archeologists, anthropologists, and paleontologists.

Question 3

What do Archeologists do?

Answer 3

Learn about the earliest people through excavating their earliest settlements. Through those findings they deduce the life style the people had. They utilize bones and artifacts to come up with their theories.

Question 4

What are some examples of prehistoric artifacts?

Answer 4

Stone knife
Bone fishhook
Clay pipe
Hammerstone
Bone needle
Stone axes
Shell sppon

Question 5

What do Anthropologists do?

Answer 5

Study the cultures of ancient peoples.

Question 6

What do Paleontologists do?

Answer 6

Paleontologists study fossils.
Through looking at old fossils they attempt to analyze how species interacted, and how they went extinct.
Most of their time they are excavating various fossils.

Question 7

Who was Mary Leakey?

Answer 7

Her team found the foot prints of the earliest people in Africa in 1978.

Question 8

What does the word “Lucy” mean in the world of Ancient History?

Answer 8

Lucy refers to the name given to the first female hominid, which was discovered by Donal Johanson in 1974.
It is estimated that she lived 3.5 million years ago.

Question 9

The earliest forms of human beings is in the form of an _______.

Answer 9

Australopithecine

Question 10

What does the “Stone Ages” refer to?

Answer 10

It refers to time period between
2.5 million years ago to 3,000 B.C.

Paleolithic is the Old Stone Age.
Neolithic is the New Stone Age.

Question 11

What are some key points about the life style during the paleolithic era?

Answer 11

Food: was gathered through hunting and gathering.

Government: leaders were the elders in society.

Economy: no sense of private property, everything is communal.

Key Discoveries: religion (especially when burying the dead).

Question 12

What are some key points about the life style during the neolithic era?

Answer 12

Food: sedentary (not moving), farming, settlements.

Government: leaders were often religious leaders and/or military leaders.

Economy: concept of private property emerges.

Key Discoveries: agricultural revolution begins.

Question 13

Who were the Homo-habilis?

Answer 13

The group following australopithecines was the new hominids that a appeared in Africa 2.5 million years later.

These group of species were known as Homo habilis, “Man of skill”, since they utilized tools to survive.

Question 14

Who were the Homo erectus?

Answer 14

Vaguely translates to “upright man”.


Some anthropologists suggest that the Homo erectus was more advanced than the Homo habilis.

• They migrated from Africa,
• First to use fire,
• May have developed the first spoken language.

Question 15

Who were the Neanderthals?

Answer 15

• Very powerful build,
• Developed religious rituals,
• Shorter than Homo sapiens (to adapt to cold weather),
• Built boats,
• How and why they went extinct is a mystery.

Question 16

Who were the cromagnons?

Answer 16

• About 5”1 tall,
• Identical to contemporary human beings in terms of appearance,
• Planned hunting, which was very different from neanderthals,
• Spoke far more than neanderthals.
• Some theories say that they drove the neanderthals to extinction with their superior technology.

Question 17

Who are the Homo sapiens?

Answer 17

The Homo erectus would eventually develop into what human beings are today, Homo sapiens.

• Means “wise men”
• Physically very similar to the Homo erectus, however, has a much larger brain.
• Physically, almost identical to the cromagnons.

Question 18

When did the first Homo sapien appear (debatably).

Answer 18

250,000 B.C.

Question 19

What was the Chad Discovery?

Answer 19

In 2002, scientists discovered a 6 million year old skull in Chad.

The skull was nicknamed “hope of life” and was the earliest human ancestor so far to be discovered.

Question 20

What major change in the neolithic period leads towards population growth?

Answer 20

Increase in farming and agriculture leads towards a major population increase.

Question 21

The nomads who were hunters and gathers used what type of tools?

Answer 21

They had very simple tools.

These tools helped them hunt animals and sew them together (for blankets and clothing)

Question 22

What is slash and burn agriculture?

Answer 22

Clear land through cutting and burning trees.

Then move on to new soil once every 1-2 years, since it is not a sustainable method of farming.

Question 23

What is the major downside of slash and burn agriculture?

Answer 23

It can lead towards massive deforestation and soil erosion

Question 24

Define domestication.

Answer 24

The taming of wild animals such as horses, dogs, goats and pigs.

Question 25

The early civilizations needed rivers to proposer. Which continents had which rivers?

Answer 25

Africa: Nile River
China: Yellow River
Mesopotamia: Euphartes/Tigris River

Question 26

Who was the Neolithic Ice Man?

Answer 26

In 1991, two German hikers accidentally discovered a prehistoric travelers remains that had been there for over 5000 years.

He was nicknamed the “Ice Man”, this early human was not empty handed and had a tool kit including a longbow.

The Ice Man can be seen at a museum in Italy today.

Question 27

Describe the historical significance of Catal Hayuk.

Answer 27

Farming thriving from 8,000 years ago, the popular grows with the growth of crops.
Best preserved neolithic site to date

In 1958, discovered.
Various remains are found including paintings, religious shrines, sculptures.

Question 28

As civilizations developed religion became more organized. The earliest forms of religions focused heavily on
_________ and ______ spirits

Answer 28

Nature and animal spirits

Question 29

For civilizations to develop they must have A.S.C.R.A.

What does each letter stand for?

Answer 29

Advanced Cities
Specialized Workers
Complex Institutions
Record Keeping
Advanced Technology

Question 30

Describe “Advanced Cities” in ASCRA.

Answer 30

The civilization must have a “city center” a type of location, where the main decisions for the city is made.

These areas also tend to have the most dense populations.

Question 31

Describe “Specialized Workers” in ASCRA.

Answer 31

A civilization must have specialized workers. Each worker must be given a specific role such as craftsman, farmer, builder, priest.

Question 32

Describe “Complex Institutions” in ASCRA.

Answer 32

Institutions, especially governments are established in order to guarantee that there is a society with order.
Often institutions include religious institutions as well.

Question 33

Describe “Record Keeping” in ASCRA.

Answer 33

Societies need individuals to keep record of all events that occur.
These records not only include basic events of the history of the civilization, but also business transactions.

Question 34

Describe “Advanced Technology” in ASCRA.

Answer 34

A developed civilization must have new technology, which will helps the civilization thrive as a whole.

Question 35

What makes Sumer a “civilization”? (Think of ASCRA)

Answer 35

There is a major city, Uruk, with a population of over 100,000.

The people in Sumer had specialized jobs such as farmers, merchants and priests.

Formal governments existed with religious priests at the top.

Complex institutions such as temples existed (known as ziggurats to the Sumers).

Scribes existed who took record of the civilization.

The technology in Sumer was cutting edge at the time using technology such as bronze and copper to create weapons and tools.

Question 36

Using ASCRA describe whether or not one would consider South Korea an advanced civilization.

Answer 36

Advanced cities such as Busan, Seoul and Daegu exist.

People have various jobs, such as policemen, firemen, accountants, teachers, bankers and soccer players.

Various complex institutions exist including religious, business and governmental organizations.

Record keeping is done at various levels from business, personal to government.

Question 37

What does the word “Ardi” mean in the world of Ancient History?

Answer 37

Uncovered in Ethiopia, at 4.4 million years old, becomes the oldest remains to be found. What made Ardi unique, is that unlike chimps she moved around upright on two legs on the ground.

Question 38

What are some theories in regards to why people tens of thousands of years ago made paintings inside caves?

Answer 38

1. Spirituality, paintings for shamans and religious purposes.
2. Art for arts sake.
3. Hunting Information. Pictures provide images for hunters in regards to animals they need to hunt for.
4. Marking territory.
5. Initiation rites. Children when reaching a certain age would be taken to the cave to see the paintings.

Question 39

Why is the phrase “We are related to neanderthals” both correct and incorrect at the same time?

Answer 39

There is still a dispute in the scientific community over the origins of Homo Sapiens.

Some scientists say that there was none or close to no breeding of children between Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals. Thus, there is no relationship among Homo Sapiens (us), and the Neanderthals.

Other scientists argue hat there may have been some extensive intermingling between the two groups, which would mean that they bore children who were half Neanderthal and half Homo Sapien. Meaning that human beings today are to a certain degree descendants of Neanderthals.

Question 40

How do Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons differ?

Answer 40

Cro-Magnons have larger brains.

Neanderthals are physically superior.

Question 41

Describe Catal Huyuk.

Answer 41

• No public buildings, all domestic living spaces.
• Mud-brick houses (reenforced with wood).
• Shows how society began to change from hunting and gathering to herding and farming.
• No streets.

Question 42

What is agriculture and diet like today in the 21st century?

Answer 42

Around 1 billion people (1/6 people in the world) go hungry to bed each night.

Obesity has more than doubled since 1989.

40% of the people on our planet work in agriculture.

There are 500 million small farms world wide.