WORLD HISTORY - CBE A ULTIMATE STUDY GUIDE Flashcards
What is the significance of the Great Rift Valley?
Many researchers believe it is the birthplace of humankind
What is the scientific name for human beings and when did they first appear on the planet?
Homo sapiens. Between 400,000 and 200,000 years ago.
What advantages did humans have over animals?
Superior intellect, the use of hands to make tools, the ability to communicate through speech.
How did human beings’ ability to communicate, remember and make things contribute to how the first human cultures developed?
Humans had ways of communicating, remembering and making things, so they were able to pass on what they learned and their way of doing things from one generation to the next.
Define culture.
Culture refers to a people’s way of life. Culture includes such things as a people’s language, types of clothing, homes, family organization, system of government, and methods of obtaining food. Culture also includes people’s crafts, arts, music, and religious beliefs.
Define hunter gatherers.
Hunter-gatherers did not know how to grow their own food. Instead, they relied on hunting, fishing and gathering wild plants for food. They learned to make fires, to make spears with pieces of bone or stone, and to make canoes and boats out of logs.
Define the Stone Age and describe why it was called this.
Because these people made tools of stone, historians refer to these early societies as Stone Age cultures. The Stone Age lasted until 3,300 B.C., which is when the Bronze Age began.
Define the Ice Age and describe what happened during the Ice Age.
An Ice Age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth’s surface and atmosphere. During the Ice Age, people migrated out of Africa to other parts of the world. Eventually, people even migrated to the Americas and Australia.
What developments led to humans changing from hunters and gatherers to producers of food?
Two important developments brought about this change: people learned how to grow food and how to herd animals.
What is the Neolithic Revolution?
The Neolithic Revolution refers to when people began to change from hunters and gatherers to producers of food. People noticed they could spread the seeds of grains like wheat and barley and grow their own crops. They also learned how to herd farm animals such as goats, sheep, and cattle. Anthropologists believe this change first occurred in parts of the Middle East. The Neolithic Revolution started around 10,000 B.C.
What were the benefits and problems of the Neolithic Revolution?
+ Wherever agriculture was introduced, people no longer had to wander in search of food.
+ Instead, they could build permanent homes and villages and establish a fixed way of life.
+ Populations grew.
+ People could grow more food than they had been able to gather or hunt, but
- they were also more vulnerable to attack by other peoples.
Thus changes in economics – how these people met their needs for food and shelter – led to social and political changes.
What social classes resulted from the Neolithic Revolution and what was the purpose of each class?
The introduction of agriculture and settlements led to the emergence of two new social classes: warriors and priests.
Defense of the village became a major concern, resulting in the emergence of a warrior class.
A priesthood emerged to conduct religious rituals in order to promote a good harvest and to protect the village from danger.
Define civilization.
Around 3,500 B.C. the first civilizations arose. A civilization is a form of human culture in which some people live in cities, have complex social institutions, use some form of writing, and are skilled at using science and technology.
When did the first River Valley Civilizations come about?
3,500 B.C.
Why were rivers so important to the rise of the civilizations in the four regions?
The first civilizations developed in four separate river valleys. Each of these river valleys offered a mild climate and a water highway to other places. Water from the rivers also could be used for drinking and for cooking food. Each of these valleys was also a flood plain where an overflowing river deposited fertile soil. This rich soil led to abundant harvest and food surpluses.
