Prehistory
What is prehistory?
The long span of time in human history before there were written records
What is B.C.? What is A.D. mean?
BC= means "before the birth of Christ"
AD = Anno Domini, "in the Year of our Lord"
What is a nomad?
a person who has no single settled home and moves from place to place to find food
What is "oral history"?
the method of transmitting and preserving history and culture by word-of-mouth
What does "timeline" mean?
A tool that shows the order in which events happened
Why does prehistory end?
In 3250 BCE, prehistory ends with the invention of writing.
What is B.C.E.? What is C.E.?
BCE = "Before Common Era"
CE = "Common Era"
What is hunting and gathering?
the earliest ways of getting food
When was fire discovered?
1.5 million years ago to 500,000 years ago
What does the word "artisan" mean?
People who focus on a specialized job by making and crafting items by hand.
What does the word "fertile" mean?
Soil that is rich in the substances that plants need to grow
What two seasons were good for growing crops? WHY?
Long springs and summers were good places to farm because these were seasons that provided warmth and rainfall for their crops to grow.
What does domesticate mean?
to adapt plants and tame animals for human use
Give a definition and example of the word "fossil."
An object that was once part of a living thing
ex.) dinosaur bones, shark teeth, footprints, insects in amber
Give a definition and example of the word "artifact."
An object made by man
ex.) pottery, jewelry, weapons, tools
How did fire affect the movement of humans?
Fire allowed for humans to travel to colder climates and regions.
What was used before people learned to use written language?
cave paintings
What is one effect of a food surplus?
growing population
people can focus on other jobs
settle in one place (farming)
What is the pivotal moment that changed from the Old Stone Age to the New Stone Age?
Agricultural Revolution
What does cave art from prehistoric humans reveal about how humans used to live?
It shows that humans express themselves through art AND it gives us a glimpse of what their days were like (hunting and gathering).
Why did social classes emerge?
Social classes emerged because as civilizations grew, fewer people had to be farmers, so new jobs, responsibilities, wealth, and levels of power emerged.
Why do historians and scientists agree to use the terms BCE and CE?
They use these terms because they are more inclusive, as not everyone is Christian.
How did people get food during the Old Stone Age?
by hunting and gathering
What is the major skill that humans used during the New Stone Age?
agriculture (raising livestock and farming crops)
What did the Agricultural Revolution do for humans?
It allowed people to settle in one place, allowed people to begin crafting and making other objects.