Chapter 2 (Early River Valley Civilizations)

Question 1

Fertile Crescent

Answer 1

an arc of rich farmland in Southwest Asia, between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea.

Question 2

Mesopotamia

Answer 2

the word in Greek means “land between the rivers” and refers to the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Question 3

city-state

Answer 3

a city and its surrounding lands functioning as an independent political unit.

Question 4

dynasty

Answer 4

a series of rulers from a single family.

Question 5

polytheism

Answer 5

a belief in many gods.

Question 6

epic

Answer 6

a long heroic poem that tells the story of a historical or legendary figure such as the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Question 7

cuneiform

Answer 7

the Sumerian system of writing.

Question 8

Hammurabi

Answer 8

a Babylonian king who reigned from c. 1792 B.C. to 1750 B.C. whose most enduring legacy is the code of 282 laws he put together known as the Code of Hammurabi.

Question 9

delta

Answer 9

a marshy region formed by deposits of silt at the mouth of a river.

Question 10

cataract

Answer 10

a large waterfall or rapid

Question 11

Narmer

Answer 11

possible but uncertain first king of Egypt to unite Upper and Lower Egypt around 3000 B.C.

Question 12

pharaohs

Answer 12

a king of ancient Egypt, considered a god as well as a political and military leader.

Question 13

theocracy

Answer 13

a government in which the ruler is viewed as a divine figure.

Question 14

pyramid

Answer 14

a massive structure with a rectangular base and four triangular sides, like those that were built in Egypt as burial places for Old Kingdom pharaohs.

Question 15

Re (Ra)

Answer 15

the sun god, one of the most important Egyptian gods.

Question 16

Osiris

Answer 16

the god of the dead, one of the most important Egyptian gods.

Question 17

deities

Answer 17

gods or goddesses

Question 18

mummification

Answer 18

a process of embalming and drying corpses to prevent them from decaying.

Question 19

hieroglyphics

Answer 19

an ancient Egyptian writing system in which pictures were used to represent ideas and sounds.

Question 20

papyrus

Answer 20

a tall reed that grows in the Nile delta, used by the ancient Egyptians to make a paperlike material for writing on.

Question 21

Rosetta Stone

Answer 21

a stone that was discovered in Egypt in 1799 that was inscribed with a message in three languages which enabled hieroglyphics to be deciphered.

Question 22

subcontinent

Answer 22

a large landmass that forms a distinct part of a continent.

Question 23

monsoon

Answer 23

a wind that shifts in direction at certain times of each year.

Question 24

Harappan civilization

Answer 24

another name for the Indus Valley civilization that arose along the Indus River, possibly as early as 7000 B.C. [this date contradicts the Bible record]; characterized by sophisticated city planning.

Question 25

loess

Answer 25

a fertile deposit of windblown soil.

Question 26

tribute

Answer 26

payment made to keep peace

Question 27

oracle bones

Answer 27

one of the animal bones or tortoise shells used by ancient Chinese priests to communicate with the gods.

Question 28

Mandate of heaven

Answer 28

in Chinese history, the divine approval thought to be the basis of royal authority.

Question 29

dynastic cycle

Answer 29

the historical pattern of the rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties.

Question 30

feudalism

Answer 30

a political system in which nobles are granted the use of lands that legally belong to their king, in exchange for their loyalty, military service, and protection of the people who live on the land.

Question 31

Xia (shyah) Dynasty

Answer 31

the first Chinese dynasty; emerged around 2000 B.C. and lasted to about 1700 B.C.

Question 32

Shang Dynasty

Answer 32

a Chinese dynasty that lasted from around 1700 B.C. to 1027 B.C. that was the first family of Chinese rulers to leave written records.

Question 33

Zhou (joh) Dynasty

Answer 33

a Chinese dynasty that ruled from around 1027 to 256 B.C. which was generally a time of peace and stability.