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STUDY GUIDE FOR SOCIAL STUDIES MIDTERM
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ARCHAEOLOGY AND EARLY HUMANS
To learn about ancient human cultures, archaeologists look at fossils,
which are the remains or imprints of plants and animals, and artifacts,
which are human made objects. For example, archaeologists have
studied the bones of a skeleton dated as three million years old; they
even gave her a name—Lucy! Early humans were hunter-gatherers,
and survived each day by finding animals and plants to eat. This was a
nomadic lifestyle, as bands of hunter-gatherers had to migrate in
search of food sources. Stone tools excavated at another site helped
archaeologists learn that early humans, called “handy humans”, made
and used tools.
Later, “upright man” learned to make fire to keep warm and to cook
food, and “wise man” made clothing from animal hides, and carved
bones and antlers into fishhooks, needles, and spears. Bands of early
humans worked together to survive, and demonstrated caring for
others by burying their dead with flowers. Cave painters demonstrated
and appreciation of beauty by painting lifelike pictures of horses, deer,
and bison, discovered in Lascaux, France.
As hunter-gatherers settled down, they learned how to modify their
environment. They began to domesticate animals and plants; by
planting seeds and raising animals such as sheep and goats, they were
able to settle down in one location. Agriculture resulted in a food
surplus; there was an extra amount, more than was needed to feed a
small group, and they were able to store some food for the days to
come.
Historians use several additional sources to learn about the past.
During prehistory (the time before writing), people used Oral Tradition
or oral history (storytelling) to pass on their knowledge to future
generations. Primary Sources are first-hand sources from the time and
place being studied, so the person who created the source was a
witness to history. Secondary Sources are generated by those who
have studied Primary Sources, and created informative materials to
share with others.
For each paragraph, write
one thoughtful Costa’s
Level Question, highlight
four key words; and draw
one neat, detailed sketch
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STUDY GUIDE FOR SOCIAL STUDIES MIDTERM
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MESOPOTAMIA
Mesopotamia means “the land between the rivers,” the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers. Summers were hot and dry, but spring and fall
brought floods. Sumerians adapted by creating canals with gates to
allow gravity to pull the water down to the fields, and artificial ponds to
hold excess water. All of this combined to form an irrigation system, to
bring river water to the fields for farming.
Farmers produced a surplus of food, so city dwellers could do other
jobs and trade for food. Sumerian city-states were self-governing units
made up of the city and nearby lands. The city-states of Sumer
represent a civilization, a complex society with a stable food supply,
specialized labor, government, social levels, and a highly developed
culture.
The Sumerians invented writing. The first symbols were pictographs
of traded items. The later system of wedge-shaped writing was called
cuneiform. Scribes were employed, since few people could read and
write.
The first empires were created in Mesopotamia. Hammurabi, a
Babylonian emperor, was widely known for creating a Code of Laws to
help people live responsible, lawful lives. A later Babylonian emperor,
Nebuchadnezzar, created beautiful landmarks such as the Ishtar Gate
and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Another important empire was
Assyria, a fierce and powerful empire; one of the Assyrian emperors
also gathered cuneiform tablets together and built a library!
The people of Ancient Mesopotamia had many achievements, such
as introducing place value and dividing the hour into sixty minutes.
They also developed calendars!
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STUDY GUIDE FOR SOCIAL STUDIES MIDTERM
For each paragraph, write
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Question, highlight four key
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detailed sketch
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EGYPT
The Nile flows north for 4,000 miles, from its source in the mountains
of East Africa to its outlet in the Mediterranean Sea. Egypt gets almost
no rain, so the lives of the Egyptians depend on the Nile. Among the
gifts that the Nile gave to the Egyptians were the seasonal floods, mud,
silt, fish, ducks, geese, and papyrus.
The Egyptian religion was based on a belief in the afterlife. To
prepare for this, a body was mummified to protect it from decay.
Many everyday objects went into the tomb along with the body,
including food, drink, jewelry, and games. Egyptians were polytheistic,
believing in many gods, such as Osiris, who was linked with death and
the afterlife, and Ra, a creator and ruler.
Ancient Egyptians created a kind of picture writing called
hieroglyphics. The key to understanding hieroglyphics was a stone slab
found near the village of Rosetta. It had writing in hieroglyphics, Greek,
and Egyptian cursive, so scholars were able to decode hieroglyphics
and translate the many writings Ancient Egyptians had left behind.
Ancient Egypt is divided into the time periods of the Old Kingdom,
Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom. During the new kingdom,
Egyptians began to call their rulers pharaohs. The pharaoh was
considered to be a god on earth. Hatshepsut was a great pharaoh; the
half sister of Thutmose II, she ruled for twenty years, building a great
temple and many obelisks, and sending out major trading expeditions.
Ramses II ruled for many years. He created the temple at Abu Simbel,
which had giant representations of him guarding it.
Egyptians were skilled architects, sculptors, and engineers. They
created a more accurate lunar calendar than the Babylonians, based on
the bright star, Sirius, and a handbook for surgeons describing common
illnesses and treatments.
Along the Nile Valley south of Egypt stretched Nubia, a land with
gold and ivory. A kingdom of Nubia was Kush. They frequently traded
with Egypt, and were greatly influenced by the culture of the Egyptians,
including their beliefs, their writing, and their crafts.
For each paragraph, write
one thoughtful Costa’s
Level Question, highlight
four key words; and draw
one neat, detailed sketch
Name________________________________
STUDY GUIDE FOR SOCIAL STUDIES MIDTERM
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