Prehistory

homo sapiens sapiens

hominid thought to appear around 300,000 BP; scientific name for modern day humans

Out of Africa Theory

theory that neanderthals left Africa around 200,000 BP and that sapiens wouldn’t leave until 700,000 BP

agricultural revolution

turning point in societies where people relied on settling down and producing food

fertile Crescent

geographical area that spans the Nile and Eastern Mediterranean into Mesopotamia which allowed farming along fertile river banks

Neolithic Period

the new stone age around 10,000 BCE-5,000 BCE where domestication of animals and agriculture was prominent

specialisation

surplus of food allows people to take on other jobs such as crafting or toolmaking

social stratification

elites at the top manage labour and natural resources

Çatal Hoyük

Neolithic settlement in Turkey that has evidence for various characteristics of an early civilisation

redistributive economy

where a town pools resources under control of elites, who redistribute the resources back to the public