All terms in this list:

paleontology: The study of the forms of life existing in prehistoric or geologic times, especially as represented by fossils.

Mesopotamia: A region in Southwest Asia spanning from the rivers Euphrates and Tigris that is the site of one of the most ancient civilizations in the history of man.

fossil: The mineralized remains of an animal or plant.

archaeology: The study of the past through material remains. Often focused upon the life and culture of ancient peoples, but also applied to the more recent past. In American usage, one of the four sub-disciplines of anthropology.

migration: moving a place to live to another place for a while

archaeologist: Someone who is skilled, professes or practices archaeology.

hieroglyphic: a writing system of ancient Egypt, Maya and other civilizations, using pictorial symbols to represent individual sounds as a rebus

cowed: Frightened into submission.

urban: related to the (or any) city

alluvial: A deposition of sediment over a long period of time by a river; an alluvial layer.