Chapter 1 and 2 Vocabulary Flashcards
city-state
a city and it’s surrounding lands that function as an independent political unit
artifact
a human-made object, such as jewelry, tool, or weapon
polytheism
a belief in many gods
culture
a people’s unique way of life, as shown by its tools, customs, arts, and ideas
Neolithic Revolution
a change in human life caused by the beginnings of farming
technology
the ways in which people apply knowledge, tools, and inventions to meet their needs
cultural diffusion
the spreading of ideas or products from one culture to another
artisan
a skilled worker, such as a weaver or a potter, who makes goods by hand
domesticate
to tame animals for human use
barter
a form of trade in which people exchange goods and services without the use of money
nomad
a member of a group that has no permanent home, wandering from place to place in search of food and water
dynasty
a series of rulers from a single family
Bronze Age
a period in human history, beginning around 3000 BC in some areas, during which people began using bronze
cuniform
a system of writing with wedge-shaped symbols, invented by the Sumerians around 3000 BC
civilization
a form of culture characterized by cities, specialized workers, complex institutions, record keeping, and advanced technology
specialization
the development of skills in a particular kind of work, such as trading or record-keeping
institution
a long-lasting pattern of organization in a community
ziggurat
a tiered, pyramid-shaped structure that formed part of a Sumerian temple
scribe
one of the professional record keepers in early civilizations
delta
a more or less triangular deposit of sand and soil that collects at the mouth of some rivers
Fertile Crescent
an arc of rich farmland in Southwest Asia, between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea
Mesopotamia
an ancient region of Southwest Asia between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Euphrates River
a river in Southwest Asia from central turkey through Syria and into Iraq
Tigris River
a river in Southwest Asia rising in eastern Turkey; encircled Mesopotamia
Sumer
an ancient country in southern Mesopotamia in present-day southern Iraq
