Chapter 2 (Early River Valley Civilizations) Flashcards
Fertile Crescent
an arc of rich farmland in Southwest Asia, between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea.
Mesopotamia
the word in Greek means “land between the rivers” and refers to the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
city-state
a city and its surrounding lands functioning as an independent political unit.
dynasty
a series of rulers from a single family.
polytheism
a belief in many gods.
epic
a long heroic poem that tells the story of a historical or legendary figure such as the Epic of Gilgamesh.
cuneiform
the Sumerian system of writing.
Hammurabi
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.
delta
a marshy region formed by deposits of silt at the mouth of a river.
cataract
a large waterfall or rapid
Narmer
possible but uncertain first king of Egypt to unite Upper and Lower Egypt around 3000 B.C.
pharaohs
a king of ancient Egypt, considered a god as well as a political and military leader.
theocracy
a government in which the ruler is viewed as a divine figure.
pyramid
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.
Re (Ra)
the sun god, one of the most important Egyptian gods.
Osiris
the god of the dead, one of the most important Egyptian gods.
deities
gods or goddesses
mummification
a process of embalming and drying corpses to prevent them from decaying.
hieroglyphics
an ancient Egyptian writing system in which pictures were used to represent ideas and sounds.
papyrus
a tall reed that grows in the Nile delta, used by the ancient Egyptians to make a paperlike material for writing on.
Rosetta Stone
a stone that was discovered in Egypt in 1799 that was inscribed with a message in three languages which enabled hieroglyphics to be deciphered.
subcontinent
a large landmass that forms a distinct part of a continent.
monsoon
a wind that shifts in direction at certain times of each year.
Harappan civilization
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.
loess
a fertile deposit of windblown soil.
tribute
payment made to keep peace
oracle bones
one of the animal bones or tortoise shells used by ancient Chinese priests to communicate with the gods.
Mandate of heaven
in Chinese history, the divine approval thought to be the basis of royal authority.
dynastic cycle
the historical pattern of the rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties.
feudalism
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.
Xia (shyah) Dynasty
the first Chinese dynasty; emerged around 2000 B.C. and lasted to about 1700 B.C.
Shang Dynasty
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.
Zhou (joh) Dynasty
a Chinese dynasty that ruled from around 1027 to 256 B.C. which was generally a time of peace and stability.
