History: English Vocabulary List

the early period of human history when people used things such as stone, horn, bone, etc. to make tools

"This tool is from Stone Age."

"The development of sophisticated stone tools marked a significant advancement for early humans during the Stone Age."

the era in human history from which we have no written record

"Prehistory is the era before the invention of writing systems."

"Prehistory is not a static field; a new discovery of cave art can completely alter our understanding of an ancient hominid's cognitive world."

one of the periods in history when ice covered large parts of the world

"Mammoths roamed the earth during the last ice age."

"An ice age is a long interval of global cold where continental ice sheets and mountain glaciers dramatically expand."

the era in European history commenced at the end of the Roman Empire in AD 476 and lasted until AD 1000

"The Dark Ages were long ago."

"The term dark ages is now seen as a misleading pejorative by many historians who study the complex early medieval period."

an era in European history, between about AD 1000 and AD 1500, when the authority of kings, people of high rank, and the Christian Church was unquestionable

"Knights lived in Middle Ages."

"Castles and cathedrals are iconic architectural remnants from the period known as the Middle Ages."

the period that began about 1100 BC when people used iron tools for the first time

"The Iron Age started three thousand years ago."

"The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division"

the period when iron was not discovered and people used bronze to make tools

"They studied the Bronze Age."

"Archaeologists discovered artifacts that provided valuable insights into daily life during the Bronze Age."

the period that began with Christ's birth

"The Christian era began then."

"We live in the Christian era which started more than two thousand years ago."

the branch of science that studies fossils

"Paleontology is the study of ancient life through fossils and old bones."

"Paleontology helps us understand ancient life by studying fossils from millions of years ago."

relating to the period between around 208 to 146 million years ago, when the largest known dinosaurs lived

"The Jurassic was long ago."

"The fossil is from the Jurassic period and is over one hundred fifty million years old."

relating to the period between approximately 146 and 65 million years ago, when dinosaurs lived (until their extinction)

"The Cretaceous was dinosaur time."

"The chalk cliffs were formed during the Cretaceous period when dinosaurs still roamed the earth."

relating to Greek history, language, and culture, especially the era from the death of Alexander the Great to the defeat of Cleopatra and Mark Antony in 31 BC, during which Greek culture thrived considerably

"The Hellenistic era was influential."

"The statue is Hellenistic and was created in Greece around two thousand three hundred years ago."

a philosophical movement in the late 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized reason and science were of more importance than tradition and religion

"The Enlightenment championed reason over superstition."

"The Scottish Enlightenment produced an incredible concentration of thinkers"

dating back to the ancient past

"The building is archaic."

"The word is archaic and nobody uses it in everyday conversation anymore."

a person belonging to a people or group regarded as uncivilized, foreign, or outside the dominant culture

"Ancient stories described fierce barbarian tribes"

"The barbarian warriors crossed the mountains seeking new lands."

to record a series of historical events in a detailed way by a chronological order

"He chronicled his travels in a diary."

"The famous historian spent twenty years to chronicle the rise and fall of the ancient Roman empire."

something occurring at a time when it could not have existed or happened

"The smartphone in the movie was an anachronism."

"The film contained an anachronism when a character used a modern device in a historical setting."

the study of civilizations of the past and historical periods by the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains

"Archeology uncovers ancient artifacts."

"Archeology is the study of human history through the excavation of ancient artifacts and structures."

(plural) the remains of something such as a building after it has been seriously damaged or destroyed

"The ruin was ancient."

"The ancient ruin attracts thousands of tourists every year who marvel at its crumbling stone walls."

used typically before a date to show that it is not exact

"It happened circa 1900."

"The painting was created circa 1850 but the artist is unknown to this day."

the king or emperor of Russia prior to 1917

"The tsar ruled Russia."

"The last tsar was Nicholas II."

the political structure during a period in the history of the UK between 1649 and 1660, called the interregnum, during which the country was ruled without a king or queen

"It was the Commonwealth."

"During the Commonwealth, England experienced a period of republican rule without a monarch for the first time."

the historical period before the Middle Ages, especially before the sixth century when Greeks and Romans were the most prosperous

"The statue comes from classical antiquity."

"Antiquity refers to the distant historical period before the Middle Ages"

a philosophical movement in the late 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized reason and science were of more importance than tradition and religion

"The enlightenment was important."

"The Enlightenment championed reason and individual liberty, profoundly shaping modern thought."

any territory under the full or partial control of another more powerful nation, often occupied by settlers from that nation

"British colony ruled."

"The early settlers established a new colony on the coast, hoping for prosperity and independence."