These 12,000-year-old Native American dice are the oldest in the world

artifact: Some human-made object (such as a pot or brick) that can be used as one gauge of a community’s culture or history.

colonial: (in geography) An area under full or partial control of another country, typically far away.

culture: (n. in social science) The sum total of typical behaviors and social practices of a related group of people (such as a tribe or nation). Their culture includes their beliefs, values and the symbols that they accept and/or use. Culture is passed on from generation to generation through learning. Scientists once thought culture to be exclusive to humans. Now they recognize some other animals show signs of culture as well, including dolphins and primates.

diversity: A broad spectrum of similar items, ideas or people. In a social context, it may refer to a diversity of experiences and cultural backgrounds.

intellectual: (n.) Someone who spends a good deal of time reasoning and understanding ideas with their mind, especially abstract ideas and processes.

Native Americans: Tribal peoples that settled North America. In the United States, they are also known as American Indians. In Canada, they tend to be referred to as First Nations.

pigment: A material, like the natural colorings in skin, that alters the light reflected off of an object or transmitted through it. The overall color of a pigment typically depends on which wavelengths of visible light it absorbs and which ones it reflects. For example, a red pigment tends to reflect red wavelengths of light very well and typically absorbs other colors. Pigment also is the term for chemicals that manufacturers use to tint paint.

prehistoric: An adjective for something that happened tens of thousands to millions of years ago, periods before people began deliberately recording events.

probability: A mathematical calculation or assessment (essentially the chance) of how likely something is to occur.

range: The full extent or distribution of something. For instance, a plant or animal’s range is the area over which it naturally exists. (in math or for measurements) The extent to which values can vary (such as the highest to lowest temperatures). Also, the distance within which something can be reached or perceived.

social: (adj.) Relating to gatherings of people; a term for animals (or people) that prefer to exist in groups. (noun) A gathering of people, for instance those who belong to a club or other organization, for the purpose of enjoying each other’s company.

tool: An object that a person or other animal makes or obtains and then uses to carry out some purpose such as reaching food, defending itself or grooming.