Name: _____________________________________________
Block: ______
Date: ________
Prehistory Unit Packet Study Guide
Directions: Use the textbook and classroom notes to answer the following questions. You must
write the question and answer! (Due By: _________):
1. Of what material were most of the tools of the Paleo made? (p.75)
 Stone
2. Why have few Paleo artifacts been found in any one place? (p.76)
 The Paleo were nomadic and did not leave many artifacts in any one place
3. During which period did the bow & arrow come into use? (p.79)
 Woodland
4. During which period did large game become extinct? (p.76)
 Early Archaic
5. Which tribes were the first to use pottery? (p.78)
 Late Archaic
6. What was the oldest known Indian cultural period? (p.75)
 Paleo
7. The most advanced Indian cultural period was the ______________________ period.
(p.80)
 Mississippian
8. During what period did the stone axe on a wooden handle first appear? (p.76)
 Late Archaic
9. What group used tobacco in their ceremonies? (p.80)
 Mississippian
10.Which prehistoric culture was the most nomadic? (p.76)
 Paleo
11.Why did tribes travel so much from place to place? (p.76)
 Because they were no nomadic and had to follow their food (wonderers in search
of food)
12.During which period did horticulture first begin and how did that change life for the
Prehistoric people? (p.77)
 Late Archaic and they were able to stay in one place and travel less often
searching for food
13.Which prehistoric culture was known for burying their dead in mounds? (p.80)
 Mississippian (The Temple Mound People)
14.Which people were the first to live in tribes? (p. 79)
 Woodland
15.Why are there so few Paleo sites in Georgia? (p.76)
 The Paleo were nomadic and did not leave many artifacts in any one place
16.Why do archeologists think the prehistoric Indians believed in some form of life after
death? (p.83)
 Evidence of effigies and mounds with jewelry, statues, headdresses, etc.
Vocabulary:
1. History – the study of past events
2. Middens – a pile of objects that reveals much about what people of the past ate, how they
used fire, what they used for cooking vessels, and so on
3. Horticulture- the science of cultivating plants and trees (cultivate: to grow and care for)
4. Culture- the beliefs, traditions, music, art, and social institutions of a group of people who
share common experiences
5. Prehistory- the period of time in the past before people could write: the time before history
was written down
6. Archaeologists- a scientist who studies artifacts to learn about the lives of early people
7. Artifacts- items such as pottery shards, weapons, tools, and jewelry that were made by
humans; could also include fossils
8. Anthropologists- a scientist who studies artifacts, cave drawings, well-traveled pathways,
and oral history to learn about the culture of a group
9. Primary source – archaeological evidence and oral traditions
10. Secondary source- account of a historical event by someone who was NOT a witness
11. Frame of Reference- point of view of an event that is influenced by a person’s age, gender,
politics, social group, etc
12. Bering Land Bridge- a land bridge connected Asia and America across what is now the
Bering Strait
13. Palisade- fences made of sharpened stake