Humanities Chapter 1 Vocabulary

artifact

a human-made object of cultural or historical significance

relic

an object of religious or sacred importance, often limited to a saint or holy figure.

aesthetic

principles or appreciation of beauty and artistic expression

epistemology

the study of knowledge: its nature, sources, and validity

ethics

moral principles that govern human behavior and decision-making

logic

the system of valid reasoning and argumentation

metaphysics

The branch of philosophy exploring existence, reality, and the universe beyond the physical

ontology

the study of being, existence, and categories of reality

myth

a traditional story explaining cultural beliefs, origins, or natural phenomena

post and lintel

an architectural system using vertical posts to support a horizontal beam. Construction that consists of two posts roofed with a
capstone

monotheistic

belief in a single, all-powerful god

polytheistic

beleif in multiple godsbelief

ritual

a formalized practice or ceremony tied to tradition or religion

naturalistic

art that closely imitates real-life appearance

representational

art that depicts recognizable subjects or objects

totem

a symbolic representation of a group’s identity, heritage, or belief system, often tied to nature or spirituality

hominid

early human ancestor who walked upright on two legs

Invertebrate

animals without a backbone
(e.g., jellyfish, insects, crabs)

Vertebrate

animals with a backbone
(e.g., fish, amphibians, reptiles)

Paleolithic

“Old Stone Age”: early humans used simple tools; 7.5 million - 10,000 BCE

Mesolithic

“Middle Stone Age”: humans adapted physically and culturally; 10,000 - 8,000 BCE

-lithic

greek root meaning “stone

neolithic

“New Stone Age”: marked by farming, tools, permanent settlements; 8,000 - 6,000 BCE

Major River Systems

Cradles of civilization: Nile (Egypt), Indus (India), Yellow (China)

megaliths

the most basic form of architectural
construction, which were built without the use of mortar