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W Hist Vocab Chap 1

Terms in this set (16)

artifact
a human-made object, such as a tool, weapon, or piece of jewelry.
culture
a people's unique way of life, as shown by its tools, customs, arts, and ideas
hominid
a member of a biological group including human beings and related species that walk upright.
Paleolithic Age
a prehistoric period that lasted from about 2,500,000 to 8,000 B.C., during which people made use of crude stone tools and weapons - also called the Old Stone Age.
nomad
a member of a group that has no permanent home, wandering from place to place in search of food and water
hunter - gatherer
a member of a nomadic group whose food supply depends on hunting animals and collecting plant foods
Neolithic Revolution
the major change in human life caused by the beginnings of farming - that is, by people's shift from food gathering to food producing
slash and burn farming
a farming method in which people clear fields by cutting and burning trees and grasses, the ashes of which serve to fertilize the soil.
domestication
the taming of animals for human use
civilization
a form of culture characterized by cities, specialized workers, complex institutions, record keeping, and advanced technology
specialization
the development of skills in a particular kind of work, such as trading or record keeping.
scribe
one of the professional record keepers in early civilizations
cuneiform
a system of writing with wedge-shaped symbols, invented by the Sumerians around 3000 B.C.
Bronze Age
a period in human history, beginning around 3000 B.C. in some areas, during which people began using bronze, rather than copper or stone, to fashion tools and weapons.
barter
a form of trade in which people exchange goods and services without the use of money.
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