| A | B |
|---|
| artifact | a human-made object such as a tool, weapon or a piece of jewelry |
| culture | a people's unique way of life, as shown by its tools, customs, arts and ideas |
| hominid | a member of a biological group including human beings and related species that walk upright |
| Paleolithic Age | a prehistoric period that lasted from about 2,500,000 to 8,000 B.C. during which people made use of crude stone tools and weapons also called the Old Stone Age |
| Neolithic Age | a prehistoric period that began about 8000 B.C. and in some areas ended as early as 3000 B.C. during which people learned to polish stone tools, make pottery, grow crops and raise animals also called the New Stone Age |
| technology | the ways in which people apply knowledge, tools, and inventions to meet their needs |
| Homo sapiens | the biological species to which modern human beings belong |
| nomad | a member of a group that has no permanent home, wandering from place to place in search of food and water |
| hunter-gatherer | a member of a nomadic group whose food supply depends on hunting animals and collecting plant foods |
| Neolithic Revolution | a major change in human life caused by the beginnings of farming |
| slash and burn farming | a farming method in which people clear fields by cutting and burning trees and grasses, the ashes of which serve to fertilize the soil |
| domestication | the taming of animals for human use |
| civilization | a form of culture characterized by cities, specialized workers, complex institutions, record keeping and advanced technology |
| specialization | the development of skills in a particular kind of work, such as trading or record keeping |
| artisan | a skilled worker, such as a weaver or a potter, who makes goods by hand |
| institution | a long-lasting pattern of organization in a community |
| scribe | one of the professional record keepers in early civilizations |
| cuneiform | a system of writing with wedge-shaped symbols invented by the Sumerians around 3000 B.C. |
| Bronze Age | a period of human development beginning around 3000 B.C. in some areas during which people began using bronze rather than copper or stone to fashion tools and weapons |
| barter | a form of trade in which people exchange goods and services without the use of money |
| ziggurat | a tiered, pyramid-shaped structure that formed part of a Sumerian temple |
