Early Humans, Maps, Mesopotamia, Egypt Flashcards
Primary Sources
First-hand accounts of an event or period@ created at the time of the event.
Secondary Sources
Interpretations of primary sources compiled into analysis.
Bias
Favoring one thing over another due to personal beliefs or benefits.
Point of View
A specific perspective on something.
Latitude
Lines that run east and west (horizontally).
Longitude
Vertical lines that run north and south.
Hominids
A group of primates that are bipedal@ have large brains@ and can make and use tools.
Neanderthals
Closest relatives to humans@ sharing a common ancestor.
Artifacts
Objects made by humans that usually have cultural significance.
Nomadic
Having no fixed place to live@ moving from place to place.
Hunter-Gatherers
People who obtain food by foraging and hunting/fishing.
Neolithic Revolution
The shift from nomadic hunter-gatherers to sedentary farmers and pastoralists.
Civilization
A complex cultural society with cultural and technological development.
Mesopotamia
Ancient region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers@ modern-day Iraq and Kuwait.
Tigris and Euphrates
River system that sustained the civilization of Mesopotamia.
Fertile Crescent
Crescent-shaped region in the Middle East with fertile land for farming.
Sumer
The oldest known civilization in southern Mesopotamia.
City-State
An independent city with sovereignty over its territory.
Cuneiform
The earliest known writing system used by the Sumerians.
Barter
Trading goods and services without using money.
Scribes
Individuals specialized in writing documents@ vital in ancient civilizations.
Ziggurat
Large Mesopotamian temple shaped like a pyramid@ dedicated to the gods.
Polytheistic
The belief in more than one god.
Irrigation
Controlling water to land for crop growth@ enabling food production.
The Epic of Gilgamesh
The first known work of literature@ a Mesopotamian epic poem.
Hammurabi’s Code
The first written collection of laws from Babylonia.
Nile
The river that was the lifeline of Ancient Egypt.
Menes
The king who unified Upper and Lower Egypt.
Pharaoh
The absolute ruler of Egypt@ often considered to have godlike status.
Cataracts
Rocky rapids that obstructed travel and trade along the Nile.
Theocracy
A system where rulers are both government and religious leaders.
Hieroglyphics
The formal writing system of ancient Egypt.
Papyrus
A thick paper invented in Ancient Egypt for writing.
Rosetta Stone
A stone that helped decode hieroglyphics through its trilingual inscription.
Hatshepsut
A female pharaoh who led Egypt during a period of stability and prosperity.
Pyramids
Structures built in Egypt to store the bodies and possessions of pharaohs.
Valley of the Kings
The area containing royal tombs of Egyptian pharaohs.
Mummification
The preservation of dead bodies for the afterlife.
Strait
A narrow passage of water connecting two larger bodies of water.
Sociology
The study of how groups of people relate and interact.
Economy
The study of distribution@ production@ and consumption of goods and services.
Political Science
The study of governments and power distribution.
Anthropology
The study of humanity@ culture@ and customs.
Archaeology
The study of human life based on artifacts left behind.
Linguistics
The study of languages and their development.
Geography
The study of the physical environment and its changes by people.
Archipelago
A group of islands clustered together in a sea or ocean.
Delta
Low watery land at the end of a river@ shaped like a triangle.
Bay
A body of water partly enclosed by land.
Isthmus
A narrow strip of land connecting two larger land masses.
Cape
A point of land that juts out into the ocean.
Gulf
A body of water larger than a bay@ partly surrounded by land.
Peninsula
A body of land almost surrounded by water.
Paleolithic Age
A period where humans survived through foraging and hunting.
Neolithic Revolution Positive Changes
Job specialization@ food surplus@ advancements in knowledge and trade.
Neolithic Revolution Negative Changes
Gender and social class inequality@ decline in health@ increase in disease.
5 Characteristics of Civilization
Advanced cities@ specialized workers@ complex institutions@ record keeping@ advanced technology.
How did people survive during the Paleolithic Age?
Women would typically forage for plant food and men would hunt
How did paleolithic people organize?
Small groups of extended family
How did paleolithic people enrich their lives?
Art@ tools@ music@ rituals involving burials of the dead.
3 Positive changes of the Neolithic Revolution
Specialization of Jobs
3 Negative Changes of the Neolithic Revolution
Inequality between genders and social classes.
3 Massive Sumerian cities
Uruk@ Lagash@ Umma
2 Advanced Egyptian cities
Memphis@ Thebes
How did geography affect Egypt? How did it differ from Mesopotamia?
The cataracts/rapids of the Nile made expansion into the Upper Nile (Southern Region) difficult. The Nile was very predictable@ while the Tigris and Euphrates were unpredictable.
How was religion and government related in Egypt
The pharoah was the absolute ruler AND the head priests AND had godlike status.
Women’s rights in Egypt.
Women could own property@ marry and divorce.
What did Hammurabi’s code show about Babylonian values?
Your social class determined your punishment/how valuable you were viewed as.
Oldest Known Hominids (Date)
4.5 Million Years ago
Neolithic Revolution happened when?
10@000 years ago.
Start of the Sumerian Civilization
3500 B.C.
Start of the Egyptian Civilization
3100 B.C.
3 Positives of the Neolithic Revolution
Specialization of jobs, surplus of food, advancements in knowledge, art, and trade.
3 Negatives of the Neolithic Revolution
Inequality between genders and social classes, decline in Nutritional health, and increase in disease.
