Prehistory and the Stone Age

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, historical periods, archaeological findings, and locations from the lecture on Prehistory and the Stone Age.

Jabal Faya

A site in Sharjah where stone tools from 125,000 years ago were discovered, showing that Stone Age people lived in the Arabian Peninsula.

Nomadic

Moving from place to place in search of food.

Stone Age

A historical period named after the time when people learned to use stone tools to hunt animals and collect plants for food.

Paleolithic period

Also referred to as the Old Stone Age, covering the time period up to 10,000 BCE.

Mesolithic period

Meaning middle Stone Age, this period lasted from about 10,000 BCE to about 8,000 BCE, during which nomadic people used dogs for hunting.

Neolithic period

Referred to as the New Stone Age, lasting from about 8,000 BCE up to 4,000 BCE, when people began to settle in one place, farm, and raise animals.

Archaeologists

People who study early human history by examining artefacts, structures, and remains.

Artefacts

Objects made and used by people, such as stone tools, axes, and arrowheads.

Cave paintings

Artworks created on cave walls that show animals important to Stone Age people and give insight into their lives.

Lascaux

A location in France where 17,000-year-old Stone Age cave paintings showing horses, deer, and aurochs were found.

Auroch

An old type of bull depicted in the 17,000-year-old cave paintings at Lascaux, France.

Çatalhöyük

A Stone Age site in southern Turkey with house remains over 10,000 years old, where an estimated up to 7,000 people lived.