Paleolithic Era
What is another name for the Paleolithic Era
The Old Stone Age
What is another name for the Neolithic Era?
The New Stone Age
What two rivers surround Mesopotamia?
Tigris & Euphrates Rivers
What major river did the Indus Valley Civilization develop around?
The Indus River
What river did the Shang Dynasty develop near?
The Yellow River
What did Paleolithic people use to make tools?
Stone
What was the main way Neolithic people got their food?
Farming
What was the writing system of Mesopotamia called?
Cuneiform
What were the two major cities of the Indus Valley Civilization?
Harappa & Mohenjo-daro
What is one strategy the people of the Shang Dynasty used to protect their communities from dangerous flooding from the Yellow River?
Houses on stilts, walls / levies, ditches & canals, etc.
What type of lifestyle did Paleolithic people have?
Nomadic / Hunter-Gatherer
What major change allowed people to settle in permanent communities?
Agriculture
What is the meaning of the term "city-states"?
A system of rule where each city has their own leader, government and laws, instead of one unified government for the region
What two major features were in Indus River Valley cities?
Grid layout & drainage / sewer systems
How were oracle bones used?
Religious leaders would heat up animal bones until they cracked, reading those cracks to obtain messages from spirits
What discovery helped Paleolithic humans survive and cook food?
Fire
What is the domestication of plants and animals?
Taming/raising plants and animals for human use
What was cuneiform written on?
Clay tablets
Identify two specific goods the Indus River Valley people traded.
Seals, weights, pottery, tools, etc.
What belief system did people of the Shang Dynasty follow?
Ancestor worship
What was the biggest difference between Paleolithic and Neolithic life?
Paleolithic = hunting/gathering and nomadic; Neolithic = farming and permanent settlements
What did farming allow people to create that led to the growth of civilizations?
Food surplus
What are the 7 characteristics of civilization that helped Mesopotamia develop?
1) Cities, 2) Government, 3) Religion, 4) Writing & Language, 5) Social Hierarchy, 6) Job Specialization, 7) Technology
Why was long distance trade so important for the Indus River Valley and other ancient civilizations?
Connected and globalized the ancient world
Why did the Shang Dynasty not value the merchant class?