AP World History

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.

Cuneiform

A system of writing with wedge shaped symbols, invented by the Sumerians around 3000 B.C.

Domestication

The taming of animals for human use.

Fertile Crescent

An arc of rich farmland in Southwest Asia, between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean sea.

Hunter-Gatherer

A member of a nomadic group whose food supply depends on hunting animals and collecting plant foods.

Matriarchal

Relating to a social system in which the mother is the head of the family.

Monotheism

A belief in a single god.

Neolithic Revolution

The major change in human life caused by the beginnings of forming that is, by people’s shift from food gathering to food producing.

Patriarchal

Relating to a social system in which the father is the head of the family.

Polytheism

A belief in many gods.

Scribe

One of the professional record keepers in early civilizations.

Specialization

The development of skills in a particular kind of work such as trading or record keeping.

Technology

The ways in which people apply knowledge tools, and inventions to meet their needs.

Ziggurat

A tiered, pyramid-shaped structure that formed part of a Sumerian temple.

Hominin

An early species of human.

Prehistory

Before history

Hominids

Hominins are descendents of

Bipedalism

The ability to walk upright on our hind legs.

Archaeology

Study of history through artifacts.

Anthropology

Study of humanity and culture.

Paleontology

Study of fossils (animals/plants).

Primary Source

Pieces of evidence created by someone at the time of an event.

Artifacts tell us more about

How people lived, worked, and communicated

BCE

Before Common Era

Homo habilis

Man of skill

Homo erectus

Upright man

Homo sapiens

Wise men

Nomad

Mobile people with no permanent home.

Agricultural Revolution.

The Neolithic Revolution was also called the