Early Humans and Mesopotamia

Discover early human life and the dawn of civilization in Mesopotamia! Practice key terms and history concepts.

Fill in the blanks using each word once by clicking on it. The period of human prehistory includes two important eras - the Paleolithic and Neolithic ages. The people of the Paleolithic Age (Old Stone) were hunter-gathers who depended upon animals and wild-growing plants for food, clothing, shelter, and tools. Living in small groups, these nomads constantly moved from place to place, spreading out from Africa and eventually to America. Their discovery of fire, development of language, and stone-tool inventions allowed them to adapt to their environments as they migrated. This was particularly important during the various Ice Ages that would force them to survive in extremely harsh conditions. When the last Ice Age ended about 12,000 years ago, the Earth began to warm and water trapped in the glaciers was released, allowing for a greater variety of plants and animals to thrive. In different parts in the word, some people would begin to domesticate these plants and animals. This was the start of the Neolithic Age (New Stone). People began settling down into villages to farm and organized themselves into more complex societies. Food became more plentiful, helping these populations to grow dramatically. Matching Look up these words in your ISN if you don't know them. artifact Any object made by humans, especially those from an earlier time technology Tools and methods used to help humans do things or make things domesticate to bring plants or animals under human control anthropologist A scientist who studies humans, their culture, and how they interact archaeologist A scientist who learns about ancient people by studying the things they left behind fossil The trace or imprint of a plant or animal that has been preserved in rock Matching Use your ISN for help. ziggurat Pyramid-shaped temples built by Sumerians to please the gods cuneiform Sumerian writing system made up of wedge-shaped markings artisans People skilled at a particular craft (metal, leather, stone, art) city-state Independent state made up of a city and the nearby land and villages specialization The development of different kinds of jobs irrigation Method of bringing water to a field or other place to water crops locate: Euphrates River, Mediterranean Sea, Mesopotamia, Tigris River, Zagros Mountains, Taurus Mountains, Persian Gulf, Fertile Crescent, Syrian Desert Euphrates River Tigris River Mesopotamia Mediterranean Sea Persian Gulf Taurus Mountains Zagros Mountains Syrian Desert Fertile Crescent Fill in the blanks using each word one time by clicking on it. The region of Mesopotamia was the center of one of the earliest civilizations thanks to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Melting snow in northern mountains fed the rivers with water to the point of overflowing. The flood waters were essential since the region gets little rainfall. In the spring, the rivers flooded the land in between, leaving behind rich nutrients in the soil. This allowed farmers to successfully domesticate crops like wheat and barley. However, this also meant that high or continuous flooding could ruin fields and wipe out homes and villages. Over time, irrigation projects would direct the waters to fields, permitting farmers to control the flow of the rivers. To build and protect such projects, the people of Mesopotamia organized themselves into city-states , which often led to wars between them over control of the river and resources. Sort the following. There will be five matches for each category. Old Stone Age Creation of cave paintings Discovery of Fire Hunting and gathering Nomadic way of life Paleolithic New Stone Age Domestication of plants and animals Settling in permanent villages Neolithic More refined and specific stone tools Immediately followed Last Ice Age Rise of Civilization Population expansion Job specialization Invention of writing systems Development of cities and governments Organized religion