Most historians believe that the human ability to speak first developed as an effective way to communicate and organize during hunts. What is certain is that when speech first emerged it was designed to facilitate hunting and announce potential threats to the tribe.

Papyrus is a reed that grows by the Nile River. The Egyptians, who first started writing circa 3,150 BCE, learned how to use papyrus to make paper which they would use for writing.

Iron metallurgy was first developed in the Middle East. The Hittites are thought to be the first people to develop iron metallurgy and they used their new technology to conquer an expansive empire.

The domestication of horses took place almost six thousand years ago. And, until the invention of the steam engine, in the eighteenth century, travelling by horseback was the fastest way for man to travel. The invention of the steam engine allowed for the construction of trains and steam ships which altered the world dramatically.

Paleolithic humans invented new forms of technology systematically, as can be seen in the passage with the invention of the wheel. To do something systematically means to have a system, method, or plan. We can see that method in the passage with the descriptions of how the wheel was developed from the cylinder to the wheel-and-axle concept.

Most historians agree that the earliest forms of writing were invented to facilitate trade and keep stock of inventory. In Sumer writing emerged to note, to provide one example, how many sheep had been shipped to which city and for what price. The earliest writing consisted of pictures and images which represented certain products and quantities.

Iron metallurgy is the name given to the process of heating, adjusting, or purifying iron to make it stronger. Iron metallurgy was an important development in human history as it allowed for more powerful weapons and the development of new types of industry.

Cast iron was first developed in China in the fifth century BCE. It did not appear in European society for almost two thousand years. Cast iron offered the advantage of being much cheaper and more efficient to produce than steel, although it was also much more brittle.

The earliest accounts of gunpowder and its use comes from accounts of Tang Dynasty China, so that would be the best choice. Europe eventually gained knowledge of gunpowder when it was brought by trade and the Mongol conquests, so the British Empire would be poor choices. Gunpowder was brought to the Americas by Europeans, so the Mayans would not be a good choice. Lastly, the Roman Empire was no longer extant by the time gunpowder was first developed, so they too would be a poor choice.

The Mayans made millennia worth of astronomical predictions and observations that are still well-known for their accuracy, so they would be the best choice. The Phoenicians were a great sailing and trading culture, but they were not known for astronomy. The Akkadians conquered Mesopotamia and were known for their use of iron weapons, not astronomy. And lastly while the Egyptians did have a strong and thriving culture, they were not known for their astronomical predictions.