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Ancient history. From Hunters to Gatherers Chapter 3. Terms to know. Stone Age- 2 Million to 3,000 BCE; Period known for people making tools out of stone. Paleolithic Age- “Old Stone Age” until 8,000 BCE defined by people hunting wild animals and gathering nuts, berries and other plants
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Ancient history From Hunters to Gatherers Chapter 3
Terms to know • Stone Age- 2 Million to 3,000 BCE; Period known for people making tools out of stone. • Paleolithic Age- “Old Stone Age” until 8,000 BCE defined by people hunting wild animals and gathering nuts, berries and other plants • Neolithic Age- “New Stone Age” starting in 8,000, people raised animals and crops for food; settled in one place • Domesticate- To train a wild animal to be useful to humans • Agriculture- The business of farming • Trade- The business of buying and selling or exchanging items.
Terms to Know cont. • Mesopotamia: Greek word meaning “land between two rivers” In modern-day Iraq. • Sumerians: Southern Mesopotamia. The site of the first large complex cities. • City-States: Small, independent countries, each with their own ruler and their own farmland. • Irrigation System: a way to supply land with water. • Sumerians: Ancient people who lived in Sumer. • Levee: A wall of Earth built to prevent a river from flooding its banks.
Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age) • Began 2 million years ago and lasted until 8000 BCE • People hunted or gathered nuts, berries, and other plants • People were nomadic (moved from place to place)
Neolithic Age (New Stone Age) • Around 8000 B.C.E. some groups learned how to raise animals & crops for food • For first time, people settled down to live in one place
Creating a Stable Food Supply • Farmers learned how to grow crops and domesticate animals. • Domesticate – to train a wild animal to be useful to humans • Growing crops + domestication of animals = agriculture
Making Permanent Shelters • In Old Stone Age, people lived in caves or tent-like structures. • Homes in the New Stone Age were made of mud bricks, stones, & tree branches.
Making Permanent Shelters • Gave protection from harsh weather & wild animals • Cooking pits allowed for new ways to cook food • People could form larger communities
Establishing Communities • Towns & villages grew because of farming • People divided up the work to complete tasks quicker • Life was safer & more comfortable
Developing New Jobs • Besides farmers there were weavers, basket makers, toolmakers, & traders. • Focusing on one job allowed people to get better at their specific skill and depend on others to complete the other jobs.
Beginning to Trade • Another major change in Neolithic times was the growth of trade. • People traded to get resources they didn’t have in their own area. • Trade items included flint, obsidian (black glass), and ore (mineral mined for its valuable uses).
Trade Items Left – Flint Knives Above – Obsidian arrowhead Below – Hematite
Importance of Trade • Trade allowed people to make use of more resources. • It brought people into contact with others from distant places. • It also helped spread ideas & knowledge throughout the ancient world.
Catal Hoyuk Jarmo Jericho Early Neolithic Settlements
Mesopotamia & Sumer • Mesopotamia – the land of hills & plains located between the Tigris & Euphrates Rivers • Sumer – the southern part of this land
Four Key Problems in this Area • Food shortages in the hills • Uncontrolled water supply • Problems in building & maintaining an irrigation system • Attacks by neighboring communities
Food Shortages • Farmers did not have enough land to grow food for the increasing number of people. • People moved out of the foothills to the southern plains to farm there.
Uncontrolled Water Supply • Farmers either had too little water or they had too much. • Farmers began to build irrigation systems. - levees - canals - dams - reservoirs
Problems in Maintaining an Irrigation System • Canals had to be cleaned regularly because they became clogged with silt. • Farmers had to work together to maintain their complex irrigation system. This led to larger communities.
Defending Attacks • As Sumerian cities grew, they fought over the right to use water. • Sumerians began to look for ways to protect their cities from invaders. • They built strong walls around their cities and dug moats to prevent enemies from attacking.