Rise of Civilization Study Guide
Define the following:
fossil
Neolithic Era/Age
domestication
artifact
vegetation
Paleolithic Era
hominids
culture
diffusion
social hierarchy
prehistoric
nomad
tool
hunters-gatherers
archaeology
agriculture
1. What is the difference between an Historian, Archaeologist, anthropologist and
a Geographer? (Explain what they do and what tools they use.
2. How did Paleolithic people get their food compared to Neolithic people?
3. What change started the Neolithic Age?
4. What is the Fertile Crescent and why did many people settle there?
5. What benefits did people have from farming and domesticating animals?
6. Why did Neolithic people live together in larger groups compared to Paleolithic
people?
7. What does “having a stable food supply” mean?
8. What factors were most important for early humans to survive?
9. What would archaeologists look for if they were studying early human culture?
10. Why do archaeologists study fossils?
11. Why would hunters-gatherers have to migrate? Where would they migrate to?
12. What activities was a regular part of the lives of early hunter-gatherers?
13. What type of art did early humans make first?
14. What were Neolithic people able to do with their food that Paleolithic people
could not do?
15. Why were Paleolithic people nomadic?
16. Why were settlements difficult to spread in early civilizations?
17. What were the main causes for the first interactions between ancient
civilizations?
18. Why did early humans live near large river valleys?
19. How did dividing up the work help communities produce more to meet their
needs?
20. What are the basic characteristics of a civilization?
Rise of Civilization Study Guide
Define the following:
fossil
Neolithic Era/Age
domestication
artifact
vegetation
Paleolithic Era
hominids
culture
diffusion
social hierarchy
prehistoric
nomad
tool
hunters-gatherers
archaeology
agriculture
1. What is the difference between an Historian, Archaeologist, anthropologist and
a Geographer? (Explain what they do and what tools they use.
2. How did Paleolithic people get their food compared to Neolithic people?
3. What change started the Neolithic Age?
4. What is the Fertile Crescent and why did many people settle there?
5. What benefits did people have from farming and domesticating animals?
6. Why did Neolithic people live together in larger groups compared to Paleolithic
people?
7. What does “having a stable food supply” mean?
8. What factors were most important for early humans to survive?
9. What would archaeologists look for if they were studying early human culture?
10. Why do archaeologists study fossils?
11. Why would hunters-gatherers have to migrate? Where would they migrate to?
12. What activities was a regular part of the lives of early hunter-gatherers?
13. What type of art did early humans make first?
14. What were Neolithic people able to do with their food that Paleolithic people
could not do?
15. Why were Paleolithic people nomadic?
16. Why were settlements difficult to spread in early civilizations?
17. What were the main causes for the first interactions between ancient
civilizations?
18. Why did early humans live near large river valleys?
19. How did dividing up the work help communities produce more to meet their
needs?
20. What are the basic characteristics of a civilization?