1. Why is Gobekli Tepe considered Mesolithic rather than either Paleolithic or Neolithic? View the
TED talk on YouTube: https://youtu.be/a2CDa5zRQR0
2. Why is the invention of pictographs (Bildzeichen) (mentioned in the TED talk) so important for
the acceleration of civilization?
3. In the Americas maize takes the place of wheat (which was brought over by the Europeans, and
was not available to the Indigenous Peoples in the Americas) but is never grown as the sole
crop. Why is that? What does this suggest about a requirement for Neolithic agriculture to be
successful? Please show some research to back up your thoughts.
4. When animals from two different species mate with each other, if there is a live offspring
produced (such as when a horse and a donkey are mated and produce a mule, or a lion and tiger
are mated and produce a liger or a tigron), the offspring are very often sterile (unable to produce
a baby). Mules cannot produce offspring either by mating with other mules or mating with a
donkey or a horse. Why is the existence of wheat considered to be a ‘miracle’? (Simply saying it
is a hybrid is NOT a sufficient answer! Dig deeper!)
