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Neolithic

The period of the Stone Age associated with the ancient Agricultural Revolution(s). It follows the Paleolithic period.
The Neolithic (New Stone Age), which is associated with the origins of agriculture, followed the Paleolithic.
by HistoryNerd94 November 7, 2010
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Civilization

An ambiguous term often used to denote more complex societies but sometimes used by anthropologists to describe any group of people sharing a set of cultural traits.
Scholars agree that political, social, economic, and technological phenomena are indicators of civilization.
by HistoryNerd94 September 26, 2010
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Semitic

Family of related languages long spoken across part of western Asia and northern Africa. In antiquity these languages included Hebrew, Aramaic, and Phoenician. The most wide–spread modern member of the Semitic family is Arabic.
As early as 2900 B.C.E., personal names recorded in inscriptions from the northerly cities reveal a non-Sumerian Semitic language.
by HistoryNerd94 December 16, 2010
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Paleolithic

The period of the Stone Age associated with the evolution of humans. It predates the Neolitic period.
Among the major subdivisions, the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) lasted until 10,000 years ago.
by HistoryNerd94 November 4, 2010
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Megaliths

Structures and complexes of very large stones for ceremonial and religious purposes in Neolithic times.
Assemblages of megaliths (meaning "big stones") seem to relate to religious beliefs.
by HistoryNerd94 November 22, 2010
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Amulet

Small charm meant to protect the bearer from evil. Found frequently in archaeological excavations in Mesopotamia and Egypt, amulets reflect the religious practices of the common people.
The survival of many amulets and representations of a host of demons suggest widespread belief in magic—the use of special words and rituals to manipulate the forces of nature.
by HistoryNerd94 December 24, 2010
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Cuneiform

A system of writing in which wedge-shape symbols represented words or syllables. It originated in Mesopotamia and was used initially for Sumerian and Akkadian but later was adapted to represent other languages of western Asia. Because so many symbols had to be learned, literacy was confined to a relatively small group of administrators and scribes.
Because the reed made wedge-shaped impressions, the early pictures, which were more or less realistic, evolved into stylized combinations of strokes and wedges, a system known as cuneiform writing.
by HistoryNerd94 December 25, 2010
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