Archaeology and Early Man Vocabulary
Prehistory- the time in history before events were recorded
History – a record of what happened in the past.
Archaeology – the study of the remains of past cultures.
Culture – knowledge, beliefs, customs and values of a group of people.
Society- a community of people who share a common culture
Fossil – a part or imprint of something that was once alive.
Artifact – an object made by someone from the past.
Excavation- the act of digging for remains
Carbon dating- a scientific method to tell how old a creature was when it died
Primary source – an account of an event created by someone who took part in it or
witnessed it
Secondary source – information gathered based on a primary source.
Oral Tradition- Before people could write, they passed on their history by word of
mouth.
Ancestor- a relative that lived in the past
Hominid- An early ancestor of human
Hunter-gatherers- people who hunt animals and gather plants, seeds, and fruits to
survive
Migrate- to move from place to place
Land bridge- a strip of land connecting two continents
Domesticate- to train animals to be useful to man
Agriculture- the raising of crops and animals for human use (farming)
Technology- the use of skills and tools to meet practical human needs
Trade- the exchange of goods between people
Surplus-having an extra supply of goods
Specialization- training to do a particular job
Civilization- a culture that developed systems of specialization, religion, and
government