WH 1 Unit 1 : Human Origins

agrarian society

a society whose economy is based on agriculture or farming

agriculture

the cultivation and growing of crops for food or materials; farming

ancestor

a person from the past that others descended from

Çatalhöyük

an archaeological site in what is now Turkey; a large settlement of 3,500–8,000 people built on two hills, inhabited from approximately 7400 BCE to 5600 BCE

crop rotation

the farming technique of changing the types of crops grown in each field every season

domestication

the adaptation of wild plants and animals for human use

food surplus

an excess quantity of food left over after immediate needs have been met

fossil

the remains of a plant or animal, preserved over centuries in rock

hominin

a member of a group that walks upright on two legs; includes modern humans and extinct human ancestors

hunter-gatherer

early human or human ancestor who hunted and foraged for food

ice age

a period of time that occurs when large quantities of water become frozen in glaciers; ice sheets cover large areas of Earth

Lucy

an Australopithecus, one of the earliest known species of human ancestors; her three-million-year-old fossilized remains were discovered in eastern Africa.

Mesolithic period

also called the Middle Stone Age, the period from approximately 25,000 BCE to 3000 BCE; noted for advances in stone tools and weapons

migrate

to move seasonally, in a regular pattern, between different places

Neolithic period

also called the New Stone Age, the period from approximately 10,000 BCE to 2000 BCE; farming and early human civilizations emerged

Neolithic Revolution

the shift from nomadic life to farming; marks the start of the Neolithic period around 10,000 BCE

New Stone Age

also called the Neolithic period, the period from 8000 BCE to 2000 BCE; farming and early human civilizations emerged

nomadic

describes a group of people who move from place to place rather than settling in one location

Old Stone Age

also called the Paleolithic period, the period from 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 BCE

Paleolithic period

also called the Old Stone Age, the period from approximately 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 BCE; human ancestors such as Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Neanderthals, and Homo sapiens emerged during this time

prehistoric

describes events, societies, people,animals, and objects from time period before written records

prehistory

the time period before written records

settlement

a group of human-built structures in a place; usually intended for long-term habitation

Skara Brae

a Neolithic agrarian settlement in Orkney, a chain of islands north of Scotland; included a village of small, similar houses with indoor toilets and drainage

specialization

when a person within a society practices a specific skill or profession; also a method of production in which a worker, business, or country focuses on the production of a limited set of products in order to increase efficiency