Origins of Life and Humans
How old is the Earth?
~4.5 billion years old
What is an archaeologist?
a person who studies artifacts and tries to determine what they are
When did the Paleolithic Era occur?
~200,000-10,000 BCE
What was the Mesopotamian system of writing called? Explain how this works.
cuneiform (stuck finger in clay tablets to form characters then baked the tablets)
List one example of how Harappans had advanced technology.
grid planning and sewage system
List two famous cities in Mesopotamia.
When did monocellular organisms first appear on Earth?
protocells-~3.7 billion years ago
unicellular organisms-~2.5 billion years ago
What is an anthropologist?
someone who studies artifacts and tries to determine what cultural significance the objects have
When did the Neolithic Era occur?
~10,000-3,500 BCE
What was the Ancient Egyptian system of writing called? Explain how this works.
hieroglyphics (pictures represent characters in an alphabet)
List an example of complex institutions in China.
emperors and dynasties, Mandate from Heaven, three philosophies, oracle bones
List two famous cities in Ancient Egypt.
Memphis, Thebes, Giza, Luxor, Alexandria
When did the first hominid appear on Earth?
3-4 million years ago
What is prehistory?
the era of human history before there were written records
List four details about the Paleolithic Era.
hunter-gatherers, nomads, fire, invention of stone tools, cave art
List one example of how Mesopotamia had complex institutions.
ziggurats (terraced pyramids for religious worship), government ruled by kings, first code of law
List an example of advanced technology in China.
papermaking, printing, gunpowder, compass
List two famous cities in Ancient China.
Chang An, Xian
List four details about the oldest known hominid.
named Lucy, bipedal, short (around 1 meter), coarse body hair, smaller brain
What is history?
the era of human history in which there is recorded documentation of the events that occurred
List four details about the Neolithic Era.
agriculture/farming, permanent settlement, specialized labor, social hierarchy, livestock
List one example of how the Egyptians had complex institutions.
pharaoh (right to rule descended through bloodline-representative of the gods on Earth), mummification and the pyramids
List two famous cities in the Indus River Valley.
Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro
List the five main characteristics of civilization.
advanced cities, advanced technology, written records, complex institutions, specialized labor
List one example of how Egyptians had advanced technology.
ramps, levers, pulleys
List six types of labor that developed in civilized societies.
masons, carpenters, plasters, sculptors, blacksmiths, soldiers, teachers, doctors, etc.
List an example of advanced technology in Mesopotamia.
ox-drawn carts, pottery, bronze tools