Quiz 3 Early Civilizations

a. they slashed and burned the vegetation along the rivers 1. Neolithic farmers found that the soil along rivers was especially fertile because a. they slashed and burned the vegetation along the rivers b. annual flooding replenished the land with a layer of topsoil c. they added fertilizers to the soil d. animals deposited their manure more frequently along the rivers The annual flooding of the rivers replenished the river banks by leaving behind a fresh layer of top soil when the waters retreated. The flooding rivers carried soil eroded from the mountains during heavy rains or snow melt. Elsewhere Neolithic people slashed and burned fields and forests. The ashes of the fire helped to enrich the soil. However, nutrients in the soil were depleted after a few years of planting. However, river bank soil was enriched annually by the flooding of the river. Neolithic farmers were not aware of the benefits of fertilizing with manure.

2. The FIRST crops MOST likely to have been planted by Neolithic people were a. berry bushes b. spices and herbs c. fruit trees d. Grains Grains such as wheat, barley, millet, and rice were staples in the diets of Neolithic people because the edible seeds could be harvested easily and stored for long periods of time. Also, they were plants that grew each year from seeds. Farming was probably first discovered when people noticed that seeds that fell to the ground sprouted and became new plants. Neolithic people ate fruit and berries; however, these plants require years to mature before they bear fruit.

3. The fuel used by people in Neolithic villages for fires for heat and cooking was a. wood b. oil c. coal d. Charcoal Fires were fueled by wood gathered from the forests or from trees cut down. Gathering firewood was a task usually assigned to women and children. However, men cut down trees once a forest had been picked clean of fallen branches. This often led to deforestation and erosion that sometimes forced a community to move elsewhere. Traditional villages in many parts of Africa, Asia, and South America today rely on wood fires for cooking and for heat in cool weather. This contributes to deforestation which has become a problem of international consequences and concern.