Early Humans
What continent did the first humans appear on?
Africa
What does "nomadic" mean?
Moving from place to place in search of food/resources
About when did the Neolithic period begin?
10,000 BCE
What is barter?
Exchanging goods without money.
What is a "social hierarchy"?
A ranking of people from most to least powerful/important.
Why did humans choose to live near bodies of water?
For drinking water, fishing, transport, fertile soil
What does "sedentary" mean?
Living permanently in one place.
Why did the human population increase after sedentarization?
More stable food supply and safer living conditions
By owning a lot of land
Who would be at the top of Neolithic social structure?
Wealthy/important people that own a lot of land.
Mainly bone, wood, and stone
Name one difference in dwellings between nomadic and sedentary people.
Nomadic: temporary tents/huts; Sedentary: permanent mud-brick or stone houses.
Paleolithic humans were hunters-gathers. What were Neolithic humans?
Farmers/Producers
Name one Neolithic artisan trade
Pottery, basket weaving, weaving cloth, metallurgy
Who would be at the bottom of Neolithic social structure?
Not wealthy/less important people like farmers or labourers.
On which continents can we find the fertile crescent?
Asia and Africa
Name one difference in survival activities (subsistence) between nomadic and sedentary people
Nomadic: hunting, fishing, gathering; Sedentary: farming, herding, producing food.
Why did climate change after the Ice Age help sedentarization?
Milder climate revealed waterways, made farming possible and supported permanent life.
Why was the division of labour important in Neolithic societies?
It supported trade, and made society more complex/allowed for progress.
How do tombs and graves reveal inequality in Neolithic society?
Some contain valuable objects, showing higher status than others.
What evidence do archaeologists study to learn about the lives of early humans?
Artifacts, cave paintings, remains of shelters
Compare the territories of nomadic vs sedentary group
Nomadic: larger territories to follow resources. Not "owned"
Sedentary: smaller, defined territory around their settlement. Land was owned by settlers.
Explain how agricultural surpluses led to a division of labour.
Not everyone needed to farm, so some specialized as artisans or traders
Name two advantages of having domesticated animals.
Food (meat, milk), labour (plowing, transport), materials (wool, hides).
Who was most respected in society before social hierarchies developed?
Elders