Western CIV Flashcards
Vocab
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 3000 B.C. in some areas, during which people began using bronze rather than stone.
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 soil.
Hunter gatherer
A member of a nomadic group whose food supply depends on hunting animals and collecting plant foods
Artifact
A human made object such as a tool weapon or piece of jewelry
Hominid
a member of a biological group including human beings
Paleolithic Age
A prehistoric period that lasted from about 2,500,000 to 8000 B.C., during which people made use of crude stone tools and weapons - also called the Old Stone Age.
Neolithic Age
A prehistoric period that began about 8000 B.C. and in some areas ended as early as 3000 B.C., during which people learned to polish stone tools, make pottery, grow crops, and raise animals - also called the New Stone Age
Technology
The way in which people apply knowledge, tools, and inventions to meet their needs
Homo Sapiens
The biological species to which modern human beings belong.
Domestication
The taming of animals for human use.
Civilization
A form of culture characterized by cities, specialized workers, complex institutions, record keeping, and advanced technology.
Specialization
The development of skills in a particular kind of work, such as trading or record keeping.
Artisan
A skilled worker, such as a weaver or a potter, who makes goods by hand.
Scribe
One of the professional record keepers in early civilizations.
Cuneiform
A system of writing with wedge-shaped symbols, invented by the Sumerians.
Barter
A form of trade in which people exchange goods and services without the use of money.
Ziggurat
A tiered, pyramid-shaped structure that formed part of a Sumerian temple.
Fertile Crescent
An arc of rich farmland in Southwest Asia, between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea.
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
rivers of the Fertile Crescent that frame the Mesopotamian Civilization
Mesopotamia
region of Fertile Crescent where the first civilization arose and first empire arose
City-state
A city and its surrounding lands functioning as an independent political unit.
Dynasty
A series of rulers from a single family