1. Early Civilizations and Cultures
Chapter 1 Digging Up the Past
Lesson 1 Early Gathers and Hunters (Pages 10-17)
Main Idea: We use archaeology to learn about early peoples.
a. Studying Prehistory (page 11)
Main Idea: Archaeology, the study of past cultures through things left behind by
Ancient peoples, helps us learn about human history before the development
of written language.
1. Define prehistory.
2. Define archaeology.
3. Define archaeologist.
4. Define artifact.
5. Name 4 artifacts listed on page 11.
6. Why are artifacts prized puzzle pieces to archaeologists?
7. Why are early peoples described as hunters and food gatherers?
8. (√) How can objects we find today tell us about people who lived before written history?
b. Early Peoples (page 12)
Main Idea: Scientists have used artifacts to conclude that early peoples lived in East
Africa nearly 3.5 million years ago and migrated to other areas.
9. Define migrate.
10. How do archaeologists think the first humans got to Europe and Asia?
11. (√) Do archaeologists believe that humans moved first from East Africa or Europe?
c. Early Americans (page 12)
Main Idea: Scientists dated arrowheads found in New Mexico at 11,000 years old.
However, glaciers covered much of the area from Beringia to New Mexico
and did not melt until about 10,000 years ago.
12. (√) When did archaeologists find evidence of Clovis people in America?
13. Define Clovis.
14. Name 4 artifacts found in Clovis, New Mexico?
15. Define Ice Age.
16. Define glaciers.
d. The Ice Age (page 12)
Main Idea: Archaeologists have found evidence of human life in the Ice age.
17. Have archaeologists found evidence of human life during the Ice Age?
18. After the Ice Age, what two materials did people use to make their weapons?
e. Prehistoric Cave Art ( page 13)
19. Why do you think cave paintings often showed grazing animals or people hunting?
f. A Migration Path ( page 14)
Main Idea: During parts of the most recent Ice Age, a land bridge called Beringia
stretched from Asia to North America.
20. Define Beringia.
21. What is Beringia called today?
22. How do archaeologists believe people from Asia came into Alaska?
23. How do archaeologists think people came to New Mexico from Alaska?
24. (√) How long ago did the land mass of Beringia exist?
g. Map Skill: Beringia and Possible Migration Paths (page 15)
25. After people crossed the Beringia land bridge, in which direction might they have
traveled?
26. What hemisphere is shown on the map?
27. What are the 2 main routes that people followed to get from Asia to the area that is the
present day United States?
28. Based on the information in the map, would you expect the Topper site to be older or
younger than the Cave of Hands site? Explain.
h. Different Paths ( page 16)
Main Idea: Some ancient artifacts in the Americas have been dated to about 12,000 to
18,000 years old, which is older than the Clovis culture.
29. Who did scholars believe were the first people in the Americas?
30. Define Monte Verde.
31. How did artifacts from a site near Monte Verde, Chile, change the theory of when
humans first entered North America?
32. Define Topper site.
33. (√) How old are pre-Clovis artifacts?
i. Summarize the Lesson (page 16)
34. When did early humans live in East Africa?
35. When did the Ice Age begin?
36. When was Clovis Culture established in North America?
j. Citizen Heroes: Stone Age Healers (page 17)
37. What are 5 procedures Stone Age healers performed to fulfill the responsibility of
caring for their patients’ health?
38. What evidence proves that Stone Age healers fulfilled the responsibility of caring for
their patients?
39. In what ways did Stone Age healers use the science and technology of their age to help
others?
k. Lesson 1 Review- Page 16
Write the answers to questions 1-5.
1. Early Civilizations and Cultures
Chapter 1 Digging Up the Past
Lesson 1 Early Gathers and Hunters (Pages 10-17)
Main Idea: We use archaeology to learn about early peoples.
a. Studying Prehistory (page 11)
Main Idea: Archaeology, the study of past cultures through things left behind by
ancient peoples, helps us learn about human history before the development
of written language.
1. prehistory – the long period of time before people developed systems of writing and
written language.
2. archaeology -The study of past cultures through the things that remain such as buildings,
tools or pottery.
3. archaeologist – a scientist who uncovers evidence, or proof, from the past
4. artifact –an object made by people long ago.
5. a. tools
c. jewelry
b. weapons
d. pottery
6. They help complete a picture of the past so archaeologists can draw conclusions about the
daily lives of ancient peoples.
7. They needed to move around in order to find a constant source of animals and fruit.
8. (√) a. Ancient artifacts can tell us what prehistoric people knew about making tools.
b. Archaeologists can figure out how early people used their tools which can tell us
about the people’s daily life.
c. Bones and nut shells found near campfire sites give us an idea about some of the
foods people ate.
b. Early Peoples (page 12)
Main Idea: Scientists have used artifacts to conclude that early peoples lived in East
Africa nearly 3.5 million years ago and migrated to other areas.
9. migrate - to move from one place to another
10. By migrating from East Africa
11. (√) East Africa
c. Early Americans (page 12)
Main Idea: Scientists dated arrowheads found in New Mexico at 11,000 years old.
However, glaciers covered much of the area from Beringia to New Mexico
and did not melt until about 10,000 years ago.
12. 70 years ago
13. Clovis – city in New Mexico near where archaeologists found many early human-made
objects
14. a. arrowheads
b. hammerstones
c. bone tools
d. scrapers
15. Ice Age - a period of time when glaciers covered great stretches of land
16. glacier –a huge ice sheet
d. The Ice Age (page 12)
Main Idea: Archaeologists have found evidence of human life in the Ice age.
17. Yes
18. Slate and copper
e. Prehistoric Cave Art ( page 13)
19. Animals were important because they were a source of food. The people drew what was
important to them.
f. A Migration Path ( page 14)
Main Idea: During parts of the most recent Ice Age, a land bridge called Beringia
stretched from Asia to North America.
20. Beringia – a prehistoric “land bridge” that once connected Asia and North America
21. Bering Strait
22 Animals crossed Beringia so the people who hunted them for food followed
23. They traveled South moving through an ice free passage between 2 immense glaciers
24. More than 11,500 years ago
g. Map Skill: Beringia and Possible Migration Paths (page 15)
25. South east
26. Western
27. a. over land between large areas of ice
b. by water along the coast
28. Older --- people traveled from North to South. The Topper site is farther North than
the Cave of Hands site.
h. Different Paths (page 16)
29. Clovis people
30. Monte Verde – site in Chile near where archaeologists found artifacts dating to 12, 500
years ago
31. The artifacts were 12,500 years old. Scientists then returned to other sites (South
Carolina), dug deeper, and found older artifacts. –the artifacts showed that the Clovis
were not the oldest people in the Americas older than the
32. Topper site – a place in South Carolina where archaeologists found artifacts that were
up to 18,000 years old
33. (√) Up to 18,000 years old
34. 3.5 million years ago
i. Summarize the Lesson ( page 16)
35. about 1.6 million years ago
36. about 11,000 years ago
j. Citizen Heroes: Stone Age Healers (page 17)
37. a. making medicines from herbs
b. pulling teeth
c. pulling teeth
d. cutting off limbs
e. performing brain surgery
38. flint knives and other tools, round holes cut in skulls
39. They used tools developed by their culture and made medicines from herbs that had
been used to cure diseases in the past
k. Lesson 1 Review ( page 16)
Write the answers to questions 1-5
1. Ice Age Begins
People migrate from Asia to North America
Clovis points are found in New Mexico
Pre-Clovis artifacts are found near Monte Verde, Chile
2. a scientist who studies the ways of life of early people by finding and analyzing their
artifacts
3. by studying their artifacts and identifying how they were used
4. They tell us whether ancient people hunted, what tools they used, and what they gathered
from their environment
5. No, because some artifacts are older than Beringia.