History of Science: Prehistoric Period

VOCABULARY style flashcards covering the major periods of prehistory, including the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages.

Stone Age

The earliest and longest period in human history during which humans primarily used stone to make tools and weapons for survival.

Prehistory

The period of human history that occurred before the development of writing systems.

Paleolithic Period

Known as the Old Stone Age ($c. 2.5 \text{ million } - 10,000 \text{ BCE}$), characterized by a nomadic lifestyle of hunting and gathering and crude stone tools.

Mesolithic Period

Known as the Middle Stone Age ($c. 10,000 - 8,000 \text{ BCE}$), serving as a transitional period where humans used microliths and began settling near water sources.

Neolithic Period

Known as the New Stone Age ($c. 8,000 - 3,000 \text{ BCE}$), marked by the beginning of farming, permanent settlements, and the rise of civilization.

Discovery of Fire

Considered the greatest technological achievement of the Paleolithic Period, providing warmth, protection, and the ability to cook food.

Microliths

Small stone tools that were a characteristic development of the Mesolithic Period.

Dog

The first animal domesticated by humans, occurring during the Mesolithic Period.

Neolithic Revolution

The major transition in human history from food gathering to food production through agriculture and animal domestication.

Bronze

A metal alloy created by combining copper and tin ($Bronze = Copper + Tin$), which was stronger and more durable than stone.

Smelting

The industrial process of extracting metal from ore by using intense heat.

Hittites

The group of people credited with pioneering iron smelting during the Iron Age.

Iron Age

The period following the Bronze Age characterized by the widespread use of iron, which was stronger, cheaper, and more abundant than bronze.

Nomadic Lifestyle

A way of life in which humans have no permanent homes and constantly move from place to place in search of food and water.