Chapter 1 Unit Test Flashcards
institution
a long lasting pattern of organization in a community
nomad
a member of a group that has no permanent home, wandering from place to place in search of food and water
bronze age
a period in human history, beginning around 3000BC in some areas, during which people began using bronze, rather than copper or stone, to fashion tools and weapons
slash-and-burn farming
a farming method in which people clear fields by cutting and burning trees and grasses, the ashes of which serve to fertilize the soil
hunter-gatherer
a member of a nomadic group whose food supply depends on hunting animals and collecting plant foods
specialization
the development of skills in a particular kind of work, such as trading or record keeping
artifact
a human made object, such as a tool, weapon, or piece of jewelry
hominid
a member of a biological group including human beings and related species that walk upright
technology
the way in which people apply knowledge, tools, and invention to meet their needs
cuneiform
a system of writing with wedge shaped symbols, invented by the Sumerians
civilization
a form of culture characterized by cities, specialized workers, complex institutions, record keeping, and advanced technology
a skilled worker such as a weaver or a potter, who makes goods by hand
artisan
a prehistoric period that began about 8000BC, during which people learned to polish stone tools, make pottery, grow crops, and raise animals- also called the New Stone Age
Neolithic age
a peoples unique way of life, as shown by its tools, customs, arts, and ideas
culture
one of the professional record keepers in early civilizations
scribe
a prehistoric period that lasted from about 2,500,000 to 8000BC, during which people made use of crude stone tools and weapons- also called the Old Stone Age
paleolithic age
the taming of animals for human use
domestication
a form of trade in which people exchange goods and services without the use of money
barter
a tiered, pyramid shaped structure that formed part of a Sumerian temple
ziggurat
the biological species to which modern human beings belong
homo sapiens
A region in old Southwest Asia with a curved shape and incredibly fertile farming land
Fertile Crescent
the land between rivers
Mesopotamia
cities that shared the same culture but developed their own governments and independence
city state
a series of rulers from a single family
dynasty
new idea spreads from one culture to another
cultural diffusion
polytheism
belief in more than one god
empire
brings together several people, nations, or previously independent states under the control of one ruler
Hammurabi
created the first code of laws
delta
a broad, marshy, triangular area of land formed by deposits of silt at the end of the river
Narmer
possible king to unite upper and lower Egypt
pharaohs
the Egyptian god kings
theocracy
government in which rule is based on religious authority
pyramid
the resting place after death for kings
mummification
embalming a corpse
hieroglyphics
“sacred carving”
papyrus
Egyptian paper
what places were the first civilizations
Mesopotamia and Egypt
what are the 5 characteristics of civilization
- specialized workers
- complex institutions
- advanced cities
- record keeping
- advanced technology
what were the environmental struggles for the Mesopotamian people
- unpredictable flooding
- no natural barriers
- limited natural resources
how did they solve these problems
- irrigation ditches
- built city walls
- traded
what direction did the nile flow
north
what are deities
gods or goddesses
