Lesson 1 - Investigating the Past

Social scien􀀏sts are scholars who study

• animal behavior.

• dinosaur skeletons.

• human society.

• astronomy.

Which of these ac􀀏vi􀀏es would an archaeologist most likely do?

• make maps

• examine objects

• read old newspapers

• study Earth's features

People who study the past are most like

• artists

• builders.

• detectives.

• teachers.

An object made or used by people in the past is called

• an artifact.

• a document

• a ritual

• a theory

Why do historians read diaries and letters from the past?

• to agree on plans for the future

• to compare their ideas of history

• to learn to speak an ancient language

• to find out what happened and why

Which of these is a human-made feature that a geographer might study?

• a cave

• a road

• a spear

• a volcano

If ancient paintings were found in a cave, which of these questions would be the hardest to answer?

• Why did people paint in caves?

• What type of paint did people use?

• What did people paint pictures of?

• What did people use for paintbrushes?

What unique challenge does the study of prehistoric history present?

• written records that cannot be read

• conflicting views in ancient diaries

• lack of evidence from the period

• huge amounts of artifacts to analyze

What does this ancient spear thrower, with its detailed carving, indicate about the person who may

have used it?

• This person was a hunter.

• This person was very strong.

• This person prayed to animals.

• This person was a skilled painter.

Which question about the past does cave art most help to answer?

• What did the people look like?

• What animals lived in the area?

• What language did people speak?

• What did geometric shapes mean?