6th Grade World History Comp Unit One

Out of Africa Theory

all early (modern) humans, originated in Africa, developed and migrated outward

Paleolithic Age

the first part of the stone age

How long did the Paleolithic Age last?

approximately 2.6 million to 2.5 million years

What is significant about the Paleolithic Age in terms of written records?

it occurred before people had written records

What is the longest part of the Stone Age?

the paleolithic age

What species do humans belong to?

homo sapiens

What family do Homo Sapiens belong to?

hominid

What is a characteristic of Homo Sapiens?

they have larger brains

What abilities are Homo Sapiens dependent on?

language and usage of tools

What is gathering and hunting?

a mode of subsistence in which people rely on resources readily available in their environment

What do gathering-hunting peoples collect?

fruits, nuts, berries, roots, and honey

What do gathering-hunting peoples hunt?

wild animals

Who did the gathering?

women

Who did the hunting?

men

Nomadic

wandering, moving about from place to place (never lived in one place for very long)

Why were people nomadic?

to find food

Kinship Groups

groups were usually families and extended families

Domestication of Fire

producing and controlling fire which started around 1.5 million years ago

Why did they use domestication of fire?

for warmth, protection, and adapting the physical environment (improvement to hunt and a method to cook)

Gender Roles: Women

played a significant role in focusing on gathering and food production, holding position in authority

Gender Roles: Men

played a significant role in focusing on hunting and providing food for their families

Egalitarian

(equal) societal structure with no real leaders or social hierarchy

Broad Spectrum Diets

the archaeological term for the diet of many hunter/gather peoples

What did broad spectrum diets include?

include of many plants & animals (small and large)

Agricultural Revolution

the change from food gathering to food production that occurred between around 8000 and 2000 B.C.E

What was the agricultural revolution known as?

the Neolithic Revolution

What is the Fertile Crescent?

a geographical area of fertile land in the Middle East

Where does the Fertile Crescent stretch from?

from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates

What shape does the Fertile Crescent form?

a broad semicircle

Diffusion

the idea of agriculture spread within regions without movement of people (happened largely in trade)

Domestication

when humans train animals to do things for them

Climate Change

changes in the environment due to human activities like farming and grazing

Food Surplus

caused by prosperous agricultural advances and the domestication of livestock

What did food surplus encourage?

encouraged nomadic groups to settle

What is another name for the Neolithic Age?

New Stone Age

Approximately how many years ago did the Neolithic Age begin?

about 10,000 years ago

What significant shift occurred during the Neolithic Age?

shift from hunting and gathering to agriculture

What marked the Neolithic Age in terms of technology?

advances in the production of stone tools

What is the Neolithic Revolution?

the development of agriculture and the domestication of animals as a food source

When did the Neolithic Revolution occur?

10,000 - 8,000 BCE

What was a significant outcome of the Neolithic Revolution?

the development of permanent settlements

What did the Neolithic Revolution contribute to?

the start of civilization

Sedentary

to stay in one place

Pastoral Societies

nomadic groups moving with herds

What is pastoral societies important for?

important for spreading information

Patriarchy

men gaining more authority and control over women in society

Social Stratification

division of society into different social classes

What is social stratification based on?

based on importance of roles

Specialization of Labor

people focusing on specific tasks

Examples of specialization of labor.

farming, crafting, or fighting

Ice Age

earth's cycle of ice ages

What's the most recent ice age?

most recent lasting was up to 110,000 to 12,000 years ago

Land Bridges

connections formed between continents due to lower sea levels during ice age

Cave Art

main insight into paleolithic society

Oral Tradition

complex beliefs and culture

Examples of stone tools.

choppers (axes), scrapers, digging tools, traps, and wooden spears

Composite Tools

tools that combined more than one material

Example of a composite tool.

stone and a stick

Invention of Clothing

allowed for movement into colder climates

Records

is anything that has history of it by facts

Examples of records.

inferences from artifacts, tools, and cave paintings

Examples of early agriculture.

grains (cereals), legumes (beans and peas), sheep, goats, camels, and cows

Food Storage

invented so surplus food could be kept for long periods of time

Geographic Features

river valleys

Catalhoyuk

a neolithic village, located in turkey

Dwellings

mostly underground and accessed by holes in the roof

Desertification

when human actions cause excessive erosion

labor Specialization

ability to be perfect to do one thing

Pottery

storage for gain

Plows

made agriculture more efficient

Woven Textiles

cloth made of plant fibers

Wheel

allowed for easier movement of supplies

Metallurgy

brought people out of stone age, created better tools

What was metallurgy used for?

farming, textiles, and forging weapons

From metallurgy, people started to learn…

bronze and an alloy of copper and tin

What period had the smallest sized population?

the ice age

What were the causes of land bridges during the ice age?

oceans freezing due to decreased temperature