Chapter 1 Unit Test Flashcards
institution
a long lasting pattern of organization in a community
nomad
a member of a group that has no permanent home, wandering from place to place in search of food and water
bronze age
a period in human history, beginning around 3000BC in some areas, during which people began using bronze, rather than copper or stone, to fashion tools and weapons
slash-and-burn farming
a farming method in which people clear fields by cutting and burning trees and grasses, the ashes of which serve to fertilize the soil
hunter-gatherer
a member of a nomadic group whose food supply depends on hunting animals and collecting plant foods
specialization
the development of skills in a particular kind of work, such as trading or record keeping
artifact
a human made object, such as a tool, weapon, or piece of jewelry
hominid
a member of a biological group including human beings and related species that walk upright
technology
the way in which people apply knowledge, tools, and invention to meet their needs
cuneiform
a system of writing with wedge shaped symbols, invented by the Sumerians
civilization
a form of culture characterized by cities, specialized workers, complex institutions, record keeping, and advanced technology
a skilled worker such as a weaver or a potter, who makes goods by hand
artisan
a prehistoric period that began about 8000BC, during which people learned to polish stone tools, make pottery, grow crops, and raise animals- also called the New Stone Age
Neolithic age
a peoples unique way of life, as shown by its tools, customs, arts, and ideas
culture
one of the professional record keepers in early civilizations
scribe
a prehistoric period that lasted from about 2,500,000 to 8000BC, during which people made use of crude stone tools and weapons- also called the Old Stone Age
paleolithic age
the taming of animals for human use
domestication
a form of trade in which people exchange goods and services without the use of money
barter
a tiered, pyramid shaped structure that formed part of a Sumerian temple
ziggurat
the biological species to which modern human beings belong
homo sapiens
A region in old Southwest Asia with a curved shape and incredibly fertile farming land
Fertile Crescent
the land between rivers
Mesopotamia
cities that shared the same culture but developed their own governments and independence
city state
a series of rulers from a single family
dynasty
