Prehistoric Times
What do we call the time before people invented writing?
Prehistory
What were people called who moved from place to place to find food?
Nomads
What do we call the shift from hunting and gathering to farming?
The Neolithic Revolution
What was the first form of writing called in Mesopotamia?
Cuneiform
Where did the first civilizations develop?
Near rivers
What do archaeologists study to learn about the past?
Artifacts (tools, pottery, bones)
What was the main way hunter-gatherers got food?
Hunting animals and gathering plants
What animals did early humans domesticate first?
Dogs, sheep, goats, and cattle
Who were the people trained to write in ancient societies?
Scribes
What rivers surrounded Mesopotamia?
The Tigris and Euphrates
What do we call scientists who study human history through fossils?
Anthropologists
What material did early humans first use for tools?
Stone
Why was farming important for early villages?
It provided a steady food supply
Why was writing important for civilizations?
It allowed them to keep records and pass down knowledge
what was the code of Hammurabi?
Contained 282 laws that covered daily life, trade, marriage, property, and crimes
The laws followed the principle of retribution — punishments often mirrored the crime.
What do cave paintings tell us about early people?
Their daily life, hunting, and beliefs
Which period is known as the “Old Stone Age”?
The Paleolithic Age
What was one benefit of domesticating animals?
Animals provided food, milk, wool, and labor
What was the ancient Egyptian writing system called?
Hieroglyphics
What was the first known civilization in Mesopotamia?
Sumerian
What major change marks the shift from prehistory to history?
The invention of writing
What discovery allowed humans to cook food and stay warm?
Fire
Why did farming lead to permanent settlements?
People no longer needed to move to find food
Where was the writing system recorded?
a stone pillar called "Stele"
Why is Mesopotamia called the “Cradle of Civilization”?
Because it was where the first cities and governments began