Early Civilizations: Producing Food, Farming Complex Societies, and Building Communities

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering lessons on producing food, farming complex societies, and building communities from early human history.

Droughts

Long periods with little or no rain.

Domesticate

To adapt plants and to tame animals for human use.

Livestock

Domesticated animals that provide resources.

Agriculture

The knowledge of raising plants and animals.

Slash-and-burn farming

A farming method requiring clearing trees and brush, burning the brush and leaves from trees, mixing the ashes with the soil to fertilize it, and planting crops.

Surplus

An extra supply of seeds or food.

Subsisted

Survived, but also produced enough surplus food for more and more people.

Terraces

Steps of flat land cut into the sides of hills or mountains for farming.

Plow

A tool that could cut, lift, and turn over soil.

Irrigation

Ways to move water to land.

Barter

Trading goods with each other to obtain needed items.

Pastoral nomadism

A way of life where people continued to live as nomads traveling with herds of animals.

Division of labor

A system where people work according to their abilities.

Merchants

People who sold goods they bought from traders.

Social classes

Different levels of responsibilities and status within a society.

Government

An organized system of leaders and laws.

Urban

Relating to cities.

Civilization

A complex society characterized by larger towns, better organized societies and economies, and the construction of larger buildings and temples.

Taxation

A system in which people support the government.