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From Prehistory to Primary Sources An Introduction to the Social Sciences What is Prehistory? • Prehistory is “the period of time before written records.” • What did life look like back then? Paleolithic Hunting and gathering Stone or bone tools Humans are still evolving Began to move outside of Africa Neolithic Agricultural communities Specialization and stratification Religious behavior Population explosion What is Writing? • Writing is “a medium of communication that represents language through the inscription of signs and symbols.” • Proto-writing Symbols with meaning, but not language Vinča Symbols Jiahu Symbols • First Writing Systems: Sumerian Cuneiform Egyptian Hieroglyphs* Chinese Logographs* Olmec Script Strategies for Writing • Syllabary One sign for each syllable Ex. Linear B—an ancient Greek system of writing • Logogram One written sign stands for a whole word. Ex. Egyptian Hieroglyphs • Alphabet A unique sign is assigned to each basic sound of the language. Ex. English is written with a variation of the Latin alphabet. The Legend of Sargon • Autobiography • Birth and Early Life • Conqueror • Administrator • Legacy What is a Primary Source? A primary sources is “an artifact, a document, a recording, or other source of information that was created at the time under study.” • Marco Polo • Christopher Columbus • From Pizarro’s Companions Scientific Method • Question or Theory • Hypothesis • Experiment • Observation • Analysis • Scientists don’t prove something, they disprove, or falsify it. What is a Case Study? • “A particular instance of something used or analyzed in order to illustrate a thesis or principle.” • Small sample size • Typically qualitative • Selection Typical Case: Examine the average situation in depth. Outlier Case: Demonstrates situations that are atypical. Case Studies as Science STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES