Early Human History and the Beginning of Civilisation

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering early human evolution, the development of stone and metal ages, and major Bronze Age civilisations including Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China.

Sindhu lipi

The name used to refer to the Harappan script.

Biological evolution

The gradual physical and genetic change of humankind, such as australopithecines evolving into Homo sapiens.

Cultural evolution

The process explaining how humans adapted to their surroundings by developing tools, techniques, and changing from hunting and gathering to agriculture.

Homo erectus

The first human ancestor to leave the continent of Africa around 2 million years ago.

Hominin

Human ancestors known as tool makers who made the earliest stone tools.

Palaeolithic

The 'Old Stone' Age where humans used large cutting tools like hand axes, cleavers, and choppers made of quartzite and limestone.

Mesolithic

The period of hunter-gatherers where the climate became warmer, forests expanded, and the first ever population explosion occurred.

Neolithic Revolution

The gradual change in human life from being nomadic to settling down, including domestication and husbandry.

Mehrgarh

The oldest Neolithic site in the Indian subcontinent, characterized by sun-dried brick houses and graves.

Chalcolithic

People belonging to the metal age who used copper objects.

Fertile crescent

The region extending from the west of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers to the Persian Gulf, known for its high agricultural potential.

Ziggurat

A grand temple built by the Sumerians for their gods.

Cuneiform

The wedge-shaped writing system developed by the Sumerians, typically written on damp clay tablets.

Sargon

One of the most important Akkadian kings mentioned in cuneiform tablets.

Meluhha

The name for the Sindhu Sarasvati region mentioned in Akkadian cuneiform tablets regarding trade.

Code of Hammurabi

A significant contribution of the Babylonians consisting of rules and regulations for civil and social conduct.

Sirius

The brightest star, also known as the dog star, used by Egyptians to base their 365-day calendar on its rising.

Akhet

The 'Inundation' or autumn season in the three-season Egyptian calendar.

Mastaba

A rectangular structure placed over a burial chamber where pharaohs were buried before the time of pyramids.

Ka

An Egyptian belief in a 'spiritual double' that lived on after death if the body was preserved.

Sistrum

A musical instrument used by ancient Egyptians.

Qin (Ch'in) dynasty

The first imperial dynasty of China (221-206 BCE) credited with unifying the country and giving China its name.

Oracles

Pieces of animal bones and tortoise shells used by the early Chinese to foretell the future through crack patterns when heated.

Logographic

A script type, like the Chinese script, where characters represent entire words or morphemes rather than sounds.

Silk Route

The major trade route named during the Han dynasty after the important craft item of external trade.