Unit 1: Global Prehistory (30,000 - 50BCE) Flashcards
anthropomorphic
human-like
art mobilier
small-scale prehistoric art that is moveable
EG: Apollo 11 Cave Stones
avian
something relating to birds
bicephalic
two-headed figures
EG: Tlatilco female figurine
Bovid
biological family of mammals that includes bison, African buffalo, water buffalo, antelopes, gazelles, sheep, goats, muskoxen, and domestic cattle
camelid
member of Camelidae family, such as camels, llamas, and alpacas
dentate
something with a tooth-like/serrated edge
exogenous materials
materials that originated elsewhere
Hominids
primate of family that includes humans and human fossil ancestors
Homo sapiens
anatomically modern humans who evolved from early species of hominids
maize
corn; first domesticated by Indigenous peoples in Mexico c10,000 years ago
Melanesia
region of the western Pacific, includes Fiji, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu
Mesoamerica
diverse civilizations that shared similar cultural characteristics in areas that now include Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica
Middle Stone Age
period of African prehistory between Early Stone Age and Later Stone Age
mortars and pestles
bowl and object used to grind, made of hard material and often used to prepare food
EG: Aubum Stone
Neanderthals
extinct species of human named after the site in which their bones were discovered, from c120,000 - 35,000 years ago
Neolithic period
“New Stone Age”
Neolithic Revolution
c10,000-3,000 BE and refers to when humans began to settle into communities, domesticate animals, and grow crops
nomad
individual who roams about without fixed residence
oryx
large grazing antelope
paddle-and-anvil technique
method of smoothing and finishing walls of hand-made pottery; anvil held against inner walls while paddle used to shape the outer surface
Paleolithic
“Old Stone Age” from c 2.5 million years ago - 10,000 BCE
petroglyph
rock engraving in which an image has been pecked or cut into the rock
Polynesian Triangle
from Hawai’i in the north to Aotearoa (New Zealand) in the south and Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the East
potsherds
fragments of pottery
prehistoric
before the invention of writing
sacrum
large triangular bone at the base fo the spine
EG: Camelid sacrum in the shape of a canine
shaman
a kind of priest of healer with powers involving the ability to communicate with the spirits of other worlds
Shang Dynasty
earliest Chinese dynasty verified by scholars, ruling from c 1600-1050 BCE
simting bilong tumbuna
“bones of the ancestors”, Enga term for class of cult objects used as ritual mechanisms
slipped pottery
made of tiny particles of clay suspended in water and can be coloured with iron oxide or other minerals to decorate pot surface
stele
vertical stone monument or marker inscribed with text or relief carving
EG: Anthropomorphic stele
archaelology
atop over another time
temper
sand or added materials, reduces elasticity of clay and avoid cracking during firing process
Therianthorpe
supernatural creature that is part animal part human
trilithon
pair of upright stones with a lintel stone spanning their tops
twisted perspective
when animal bodies are depicted in profile while the horns are from a frontal viewpoint
EG: Great Hall of the Bulls
