Chapter 1: From the Origins of Agriculture to the First River Valley Civilizations Flashcards
What is civilization?
Ambiguous, describes a more complex society or group sharing cultural traits.
What are the eight traits of civilization?
Artistic and scientific advancements, building of monuments, specialized labor, cities as administrative centers, long distance trade, status distinctions, political system based on control of territory and not kinship, record keeping
What are the eight traits of civilization?
Artistic and scientific advancements, building of monuments, specialized labor, cities as administrative centers, long distance trade, status distinctions, political system based on control of territory and not kinship, record keeping
What is culture?
Socially transmitted plans of action and expression
What is culture?
Socially transmitted plans of action and expression
What is history?
The study of past events and changes in the development, transmission, and transformation of cultural practices.
What is the stone age?
Historical period categorized by tools made of stone and other nonmetal substances
What is Paleolithic?
The period of early stone age associated with the evolution of early humans
What is Neolithic
The period of stone age associated with the Agricultural Revolutions
What is history?
The study of past events and changes in the development, transmission, and transformation of cultural practices.
What are foragers?
Hunter gatherers
What are the Agricultural Revolutions?
The change from food gathering to food production
What is the stone age?
Historical period categorized by tools made of stone and other nonmetal substances
What are megaliths?
Structures and complexes of very large stone possibly constructed for certain ceremonial and religious purposes in Neolithic times
Sumerians
People who dominated southern Mesopotamia through the end of the third millennium BCE responsible for much of Mesopotamian culture.
What is Paleolithic?
The period of early stone age associated with the evolution of early humans
Semitic
Family of related languages spoken across parts of Western Asia and North Africa
City-state
Small independent state consisting of an urban center surrounded by agricultural territory
What is Neolithic
The period of stone age associated with the Agricultural Revolutions
Babylon
The largest and most important city in Mesopotamia
Hammurabi
Amorite ruler, conquered many Mesopotamian city-states, best known for Hammurabi’s Code
What are foragers?
Hunter gatherers
Scribe
Professional position reserved for men with much training, must read and write
Ziggurat
Massive pyramidal stepped tower made of mud bricks, function unknown
What are the Agricultural Revolutions?
The change from food gathering to food production
Cuneiform
System of writing in which wedge-shaped symbols represent words or symbols which originated in Mesopotamia
Bronze
Alloy of copper and tin, better than copper
What are megaliths?
Structures and complexes of very large stone possibly constructed for certain ceremonial and religious purposes in Neolithic times
Bronze Age
Era when bronze was the primary metal for tools and weapons
Sumerians
People who dominated southern Mesopotamia through the end of the third millennium BCE responsible for much of Mesopotamian culture.
Pharaoh
Central figure in ancient Egyptian state, believed to be earthly manifestation of gods, had absolute power
Ma’at
Egyptian term for divinely created and maintained order of the universe
Pyramid
Large triangular stone monument used in Nubia and Egypt for tombs and kings
Semitic
Family of related languages spoken across parts of Western Asia and North Africa
Memphis
Capitol of Old Kingdom Egypt, near head of Nile Delta
Thebes
Capitol city of Egypt and home of ruling dynasties during Middle and New Kingdoms
City-state
Small independent state consisting of an urban center surrounded by agricultural territory
Hieroglyphics
System of writing in which pictoral symbols represented sounds, syllables, and concepts, used in ancient Egypt, required long study, confined to scribes
Papyrus
Reed that grows along banks of the Nile used to make earliest form of paper
Babylon
The largest and most important city in Mesopotamia
Mummy
Body preserved by chemicals or natural cirumstance, often because it is believed the dead will need a body for the afterlife, important in ancient Egypt
Harappa
Site of one of the great Indus Valley civilizations
Hammurabi
Amorite ruler, conquered many Mesopotamian city-states, best known for Hammurabi’s Code
Mohenjo-Daro
Largest of the cities in the Indus Valley civilization, little known, large scale construction, street grid, and standardization of building materials suggests strong central planning
Scribe
Professional position reserved for men with much training, must read and write
Ziggurat
Massive pyramidal stepped tower made of mud bricks, function unknown
Cuneiform
System of writing in which wedge-shaped symbols represent words or symbols which originated in Mesopotamia
Bronze
Alloy of copper and tin, better than copper
Bronze Age
Era when bronze was the primary metal for tools and weapons
Pharaoh
Central figure in ancient Egyptian state, believed to be earthly manifestation of gods, had absolute power
Ma’at
Egyptian term for divinely created and maintained order of the universe
Pyramid
Large triangular stone monument used in Nubia and Egypt for tombs and kings
Memphis
Capitol of Old Kingdom Egypt, near head of Nile Delta
Thebes
Capitol city of Egypt and home of ruling dynasties during Middle and New Kingdoms
Hieroglyphics
System of writing in which pictoral symbols represented sounds, syllables, and concepts, used in ancient Egypt, required long study, confined to scribes
Papyrus
Reed that grows along banks of the Nile used to make earliest form of paper
Mummy
Body preserved by chemicals or natural cirumstance, often because it is believed the dead will need a body for the afterlife, important in ancient Egypt
