The Beginning of Civilisation - Flashcards

A comprehensive set of fill-in-the-blank flashcards covering early human evolution, prehistoric ages, and the emergence of first river-valley civilisations.

Civilisation did not begin suddenly but developed __________ over a very long time.

slowly

About __________ ago, early humans lived as hunter-gatherers.

$$2\,million\,years$$

The period before the invention of writing is known as __________.

Prehistory

The study of tools, fossils, bones, cave paintings, and ruins is called __________.

Archaeology

Historians depend on __________ when there are no written records available.

material remains

The discovery of __________ was crucial for early humans to cook food, stay warm, and protect themselves.

fire

Early settlements grew into villages, then towns, and finally into __________.

cities

During the Palaeolithic Age, humans used __________ stone tools.

rough and simple

In the Mesolithic Age, humans used small and sharp stone tools called __________.

microliths

The __________ was the first animal to be domesticated by humans.

dog

The __________ Age was a major turning point because humans started farming and living in permanent settlements.

Neolithic

The ancestor known for walking on two legs, which made its hands free, was __________.

Australopithecus

__________ means 'Handy Man' and was known for making simple stone tools.

Homo habilis

The ancestor __________ was the first to learn how to use fire.

Homo erectus

Modern humans with higher intelligence who developed language and art are called __________.

Homo sapiens

Common stone tools like __________ were multi-purpose tools with pointed tips.

hand-axes

Harappan cities were famous for their __________ streets and advanced drainage systems.

grid pattern

The Harappan civilization was located in the __________ part of the Indian subcontinent.

north-western

The Egyptian civilisation developed near the __________, which acted as its lifeline.

River Nile

The Chinese civilisation was born by the __________, also called the Huang He.

Yellow River

The first civilization to produce __________ for trade was China.

silk

In early political structures, power often passed from father to son, meaning kingship was __________.

hereditary

Early civilisations often worshipped natural forces such as the sun, moon, rain, earth, and __________.

rivers

The earliest forms of Chinese writing appeared on __________ and bronze vessels.

oracle bones

In the Neolithic Age, people learned to make __________ for food storage and weaving cloth.

pottery