Unit 1: Human Origins

turning point

important moment when a big change occurs and things are not the same afterward

anthropologist

a social scientist who studies the behaviors and beliefs of past and present humans

archaeologist

a social scientist who studies past people and cultures by examining objects they left behind

geographer

a social scientist who studies the relationships between people and Earth’s features and environments

historian

a social scientist who studies people and events in the past by examining documents and other written and unwritten sources

paleontologist

a social scientist who studies ancient life by examining fossils

prehistoric

relating to history in the period before written records

evolution

a scientific theory that explains how organisms change over generations to better survive their environments

Paleolithic Era

the time period when humans began making stone tools and obtained food by hunting

hearth

an area constructed to hold a fire

forage

to search for and obtain food

migrate

to move from one region or place to another

nomadic

moving from one place to another

domestication

a process of controlling and adapting wild animals and plants for human use (food

Neolithic Era

the time period when humans began domesticating animals and growing crops

metallurgy

knowledge of mining and working metals (often by heating them) to create tools and other goods

agriculture

the process of growing plants and raising animals to produce food and other goods for human use

Agricultural Revolution

the transition from hunting and gathering to growing food

Surplus

the amount that goes beyond what is needed or required

specialization

a specific type of work that requires skills and knowledge that are not common among all people