Chapter 2 Flashcards
mesopotamia
“land between 2 rivers”
fertile crescent
very fertile ground
Fertile Crescent
an arc of rich farmland in SW Asia, between persian gulf and med. sea
dynasty
a series of rulers from a single family
Sargon
he defeated city states of sumer
lead his army from Akkad
spread their culture beyond the tigris/Euphrates river valley
Theocracy
type of government in which rule is based on religious authority
Polytheism
belief in many gods
Sumerian culture were polytheistic
Empire
a political unit which many ppl or countries are controlled by 1 ruler
Hammurabi
reigned during the babylonian empire
created Hammurabis code
-made a single uniform code of laws that would help unify the diverse groups of the empire
Pharaoh
a king of ancient egypt, consitered a god/political and military leader
Shang
rose to power in the the Indus Valley in northern china
first family to leave written records
Pyramid
a massive structure with a rectangular base and 4 triangular sides, like those that were built in Egypt as a burial places for Old Kingdom Pharaohs
Hieroglyphs
first written on stone and clay in mesopotamia
monsoon
a wind that shifts in direction at certain times of each year
Harappan Civilization
another name for the Indus Valley civilization
early 7000bc
characterized by sophisticated city planning
Mandate of Heaven
in Chinese history, the divine approval thought to be the basis of royal authority