Week 5 - Early Farming Communities - TEST 2? Flashcards
Test 1
What were the 3 main staples of food production?
potatoes, manioc, and maize.
What is the domestication of animals?
People in Mesopotamia began taming small animals for various purposes. Goats were likely the first domesticated animals, followed closely by sheep. In Southeast Asia, chickens were also domesticated around the same time. Later, larger animals like oxen and horses were domesticated for plowing and transportation.
Where did domestication happen (7 different locations on all the continents. )
Near East (Mesopotamia):Around 10,000 years ago, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Mesopotamia (which includes modern-day Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria), people initiated plant domestication.The first domesticated plants in Mesopotamia included wheat, barley, lentils, and various types of peas.China:In China, rice was one of the earliest crops to be domesticated, dating back to about 6,000 to 10,000 years ago.Southeast Asia:Chickens were domesticated in Southeast Asia around the same time as rice.Africa:People in various parts of Africa also domesticated plants, including crops like sorghum, millet, and yams.North America:In North America, maize (corn) was domesticated by indigenous peoples around 6,000 to 10,000 years ago.South America:Potatoes, quinoa, and other crops were domesticated in the Andean region of South America.Northeastern North America:Indigenous peoples in Northeastern North America domesticated sunflowers, goosefoot, and other plants.
what are broad-spectrum economies?
The period beginning around 20,000 b.p. in the Middle East and 12,000 b.p. in Europe, during which a wider range, or broader spectrum, of plant and animal life was hunted, gathered, collected, caught, and fished; considered revolutionary because it led to food production.
What is the Mesolithic?
The tool-making tradition between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic, based on very small stone tools—microliths.
What is the Neolithic revolution and its timing?
Referring to theNew Stone Age, a term coined to describe techniques of grinding and polishing stone tools; the first cultural period in a region in which the first signs of domestication are present.
What is sedentism?
Settled (sedentary) life; preceded food production in the Old World and followed it in the New World.
What is phytolith?
Phytoliths are rigid, microscopic structures made of silica, found in some plant tissues and persisting after the decay of the plant.
Describe how the domestication of plants happened in Mesopotamia.
Mesopotamia, situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, was a fertile region with abundant natural resources. People collected and planted the seeds of wild plants. These seeds were carefully chosen for their desirable qualities, such as taste or size. They made sure the plants had as much water as they needed to grow, and planted them in areas with the right amount of sun. Weeks or months later, when the plants blossomed, people harvested the food crops.
Explain the revision of the upland theory in America as a result of the discovery of phytoliths.
The upland theory posits that prehistoric Native American populations primarily inhabited upland regions (such as hills, plateaus, and mountains) rather than lowland areas. This theory was based on archaeological evidence, including artifacts, settlement patterns, and soil analyses. phytoliths are often found in direct association with fossil vertebrates, providing valuable paleoecological data.The discovery of phytoliths allowed researchers to revisit assumptions about prehistoric Native American settlement patterns.By analyzing phytoliths, scientists could infer past vegetation and plant communities more accurately.
What are the mysteries of Stonehenge, England and why was it built and for whom?
It is a circle of 30 upright sarsen stones constructed around 2,500 BC Researchers say the site was created based on a solar year of 365.25 days to help people keep track of days, weeks, and months. Weeks were 10 days long and there were more months than what was used today. The Stonehenge site is aligned in the direction of the sunrise of the summer solstice and the sunset of the winter solstice.
