Human Development to 600 BCE

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on the lecture notes regarding early human migrations, the impact of the Agricultural Revolution, and the characteristics of the first civilizations like Mesopotamia and Sumer.

Modern Humans (Origin)

The timeframe between $200,000\,BCE$ and $100,000\,BCE$ when early humans first appeared in East Africa.

Foraging

The method early humans used to survive by searching for food, seeds, and edible plants.

Nomadic Society

A group of people who move from place to place with no established means of residency.

Animism

A system of religious belief centered on different aspects of nature, including rivers, animals, and mountains.

Agricultural Revolution

A transformation in farming practice and technology that led to a major increase in food production, triggered by climate change after the last ice age.

Specialization of Labor

The state of being highly skilled at one specific job, which became possible when human tribes could produce enough food for everyone.

Mesopotamia

The world's first region, located around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern-day Iraq, which was divided into patriarchal city-states.

Polytheistic

A religious belief system involving many gods, characteristic of the people in early Mesopotamia.

City-state

An independent state consisting of a city and its surrounding territory.

Sumer

A city-state located in the southernmost region of ancient Mesopotamia that developed the first written language.

Cuneiform

The first written language in history, invented by the Sumerians and used to record the first written laws.