NAME: ___________________________________________________________ PERIOD:___________
Ancient Civilizations Study Guide
Ms. Cave
Unit One: Foundations of Human Society
Essential
Understanding:
Human adaptation to the surrounding environment influenced the development of society, technology, and culture.
Essential Questions:
*How does archaeology provide knowledge of early human life & its changes?
*How did physical geography influence the lives of early humans?
*How did hominids develop & what were their achievements?
*What were the characteristics of hunter-gather societies?
*How did the beginning of agriculture & the domestication of animals promote the rise of settled communities?
Essential Knowledge:
*Archaeologists study past cultures by locating & analyzing human remains, fossils, & artifacts.
*Archaeologists apply scientific tests such as carbon dating to analyze fossils & artifacts.
*Homo sapiens emerged in E Africa between 100,000 & 400,000 years ago & migrated from Africa to Eurasia, Australia, & the Americas.
*Early humans were hunters & gatherers whose survival depended on wild plants & animals.
Hunter gatherer societies during the Paleolithic Era:

Nomadic

Invented first tools/weapons

Controlled fire

Lived in clan groups

Developed oral language
 Created “cave art”
Societies during the Neolithic Era:

Developed agriculture (domesticated plants)

Domesticated animals

Used advanced tools

Made pottery

Developed weaving skills
Chapter One Reading Guide
Section 1: pp. 2-13
I. Vocabulary: Understand the following terms. Be sure you can answer, “Why is it important”?
Artifact: Carbon 14 dating technique:
Culture: Fossil:
Hominid: homo sapiens
Paleolithic Age Neolithic Age
Pre-history Technology:
Development of Early Hominids
II. Chart: Fill in the chart with relevant information from your text.
Traits/Characteristics/Achievements Hominid Group
Australopithecines
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Homo habilis
Homo Erectus
Neanderthal
Cro-Magnon
Source of food
Technology
Type of
Community
Compare Paleolithic & Neolithic Eras
Paleolithic Neolithic
Section 2: pp. 14-18
Vocabulary: Understand the following terms. Be sure you can answer, “Why is it important”?
Nomad: Hunter-gatherers
Slash/burn farming: Neolithic Revolution
Domestication: Catal Huyuk
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BIG IDEA: People of the Old Stone Age (Paleolithic Era) were nomadic hunter-gatherers who wandered from place to place in search of food.
1.
How did hunter-gatherers use technology to improve their chances of survival?
2.
What types of art did Paleolithic people create?
BIG IDEA: About 10,000 years ago, an agricultural revolution began.
3.
What factors led to the agricultural revolution?
4.
How did farming develop and spread worldwide?
BIG IDEA: Farming led to a settled way of life.
5.
Which effect of the development of agriculture was the most significant? Explain.
6.
Why do some archaeologists believe that women were the first farmers?
Section 3: pp. 19-23
Vocabulary: Understand the following terms. Be sure you can answer, “Why is it important”?
Specialization: Civilization:
Artisan Institutions:
Scribe:
Bronze Age:
Cuneiform:
Ur:
Barter:
Ziggurat:
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BIG IDEA: Villages Grow Into Cities
What economic changes occurred?

____________ _________________ freed some people to do other jobs and develop other skills besides farming.
People who became craft workers created valuable new products such as pottery, metal objects, and woven cloth.
What social changes occurred?

Many laborers needed for large building projects and _________________ _______________. Specialized workers developed. Social classes with varying degrees of …
What changes in religion occurred?

BIG IDEA: Urbanization=Civilization Begins.
Describe the key traits (characteristics) of a civilization? Provide examples from Sumer . (p.21) a.
Advanced cities b.
Specialized workers c.
Complex institutions d.
Record keeping e.
Advanced technology
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Thesis: Answer ONE of the following questions in a thesis statement .
1.
Compare and contrast the Paleolithic era and the Neolithic era in two of the following ways: technology, role of women, economy. (Be sure to include the reasons for similarity or difference)
2.
Analyze the factors that led to the development of civilization. (choose three & provide broad examples)
3.
Analyze the major characteristics of a civilization. (Choose at least three.)
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