WHI Unit 1 Human Origins Vocabulary

Paleolithic

Old Stone Age when people made tools from stones and were hunters and gatherers

fossils

Preserved remains of once-living organisms

hominids

early relatives to modern day humans

Neolithic

"Neo"means new, was a change from hunting and gathering to farming or from food gatherers to food producers

archaeologist

A scientist who learns about the past humans by studying artifacts and fossils

anthropology

study of the origin, behavior, and culture of human beings

homo sapiens

A species of the creatures Hominid who have larger brains and to which humans belong, dependent of language and usage of tools.

cave art

painting found on cave walls and ceilings

carbon dating

a scientific method used to determine the age of an artifact

artifacts

objects made and used by early humans, usually dug up by archaeologists

chronology

The order or sequence of events

technology

The ways of applying knowledge, tools, and inventions to meet people's needs.

innovation

An improvement of an existing technological product, system, or method of doing something.

migration

Movement from one place to another

clans

Groups of related families

settlement patterns

distribution of homes, farms, villages, towns, and cities in an area

domestication

The taming of wild animals such as horses, dogs, and pigs, for human use.

Stonehenge

an archaeological site in England that was begun during the Neolithic Age and completed during the Bronze Age

nomads

people who travel from place to place in search of food

hunter-gatherer

People who hunt animals and gather wild plants, seeds, fruits, and nuts to survive

agriculture

Farming

Ice Age

time in Earth's history during which glaciers covered large parts of the surface

agricultural settlements

Hunting and gathering led to agriculture which appeared about 7,000 years ago and allowed for permanent settlements usually along rivers.

agrarian

relating to land; relating to the management or farming of land

civilization

A society with cities, a central government, job specialization, and social classes

irrigation

A way of supplying water to an area of land

Bronze Age

the period in ancient human culture when people began to make and use bronze (metal made from copper, tin, and lead)

social structure

a pattern of organized relationships among groups of people within a society

pastoralism

A form of subsistence agriculture in which animals are herded in a seasonal migratory pattern

arable land

Land that can be used to grow crops