Foundations to 600 BCE Key Terms

Question 1

Neolithic Revolution:

Answer 1

The major shift nearly 12,000 years ago that marks the beginning of the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture.

Question 2

Agriculture:

Answer 2

Simply put, the domestication or cultivation of plants for the purposes of food and money.

Question 3

Cuneiform:

Answer 3

The world’s first system of writing. Originated in Mesopotamia and was invented by the Sumerians.

Question 4

Hieroglyphics:

Answer 4

The form of writing used by the ancient Egyptians.

Question 5

Fertile Crescent:

Answer 5

A large crescent of fertile land in the Middle East and North Africa. It begins in the Nile River Valley in Egypt, goes up along the Mediterranean coast, and swings back down into Mesopotamia. The land immediately adjacent to this crescent is mostly hilly, rocky desert.

Question 6

Judaism:

Answer 6

The religion of the ancient Hebrew people (later called the Jews). Judaism differs from other religions as it mandates the belief in one god called Yahweh. It is filled with complex rituals concerning everyday life and worship.

Question 7

Zoroastrianism:

Answer 7

A monotheistic religion extremely popular in ancient Persia. Like the ancient Hebrews, the Zoroastrians worshipped one god that they called Ahura Mazda

Question 8

Vedic religion:

Answer 8

The religion that formed in northern India following the invasions of Persian peoples. This religion is the precursor of Hinduism and emphasizes the role one is supposed to play within society.

Question 9

Torah:

Answer 9

The holy book of the Hebrew (Jewish) People.

Question 10

Vedas:

Answer 10

The holy books of the Vedic religion. They are often composed as hymns to be sung.

Question 11

Book of the Dead:

Answer 11

A book of burial rituals, listing the preparations that should be made for the deceased from ancient Egypt.

Question 12

Avesta:

Answer 12

The holy book of the Zoroastrian faith.

Question 13

Epic of Gilgamesh:

Answer 13

The world’s first literary masterpiece. It is a story that narrates the adventures, triumphs, and failure of the mythical Sumerian King Gilgamesh.

Question 14

Hammurabi’s Code:

Answer 14

The world’s first and oldest legal code. Put into place by King Hammurabi of Babylon.

Question 15

Oracle bones:

Answer 15

Bone fragments from oxen or turtles that are the primary source of written evidence from the Shang Dynasty. They bear witness to the beginning of the Chinese writing system.

Question 16

Theocracy:

Answer 16

A form or system of government in which members of the religious elite have the most power.

Question 17

Monarchy:

Answer 17

A form or system of government in which a single individual holds the most power.

Question 18

Nobility:

Answer 18

A small social class of elite people and families who perform political, military, and administrative duties for a ruler or king. This class had immense power and social influence over the other classes.

Question 19

Specialization of labor:

Answer 19

A social phenomenon that occurred when mankind became sedentary, settling down into civilized life. Different groups of people entered into different occupations of specialization.

Question 20

Patriarchy:

Answer 20

This term denotes societies or cultures in which masculinity is held to be more valuable than femininity. This term even applies to societies where masculinity and femininity were defined very differently than in the modern age. For example, in medieval China, writing poetry was considered a masculine trait, while wanting to have sex was considered a feminine trait. Nonetheless, the term patriarchy still applies to medieval China because masculine things like poetry were considered more important.

Question 21

Mesopotamia:

Answer 21

Located in present-day Iraq, Mesopotamia is the site of the world’s first civilization. Later empires and kingdoms, such as Sumer, Akkad, Babylonia, and Assyria, all occupied this rich and fertile area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

Question 22

Egypt:

Answer 22

A major civilization in North Africa, located between the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, and along the Nile River. Long lasting and influential, Egypt was a rich and dynamic civilization.

Question 23

Indus River Valley Civilization:

Answer 23

The major civilization of the Indian subcontinent located along the Indus River Valley. It flourished and then disappeared mysteriously. Characterized by many cities like Harrapa, it may have been the most urban of all the ancient civilizations.

Question 24

Shang:

Answer 24

The first dynasty in Chinese history to leave records of itself. This dynasty marks the beginning of an organized and powerful Chinese state along the Yellow River.

Question 25

Zhou:

Answer 25

The second historical dynasty of China. The Zhou were pastoralists from the northwest of China who conquered the Shang. They established the ideology of the Mandate of Heaven. In 770 BCE, the Zhou kings lost most of their influence and became powerless figureheads of an increasingly disunited empire.

Question 26

Olmec:

Answer 26

An ancient civilization based in Mexico (near present-day Veracruz). This civilization is mysterious, as scholars have been unable to decipher the Olmec system of writing. Scholars are also puzzled by the presence of large heads that were created by Olmec craftsmen.

Question 27

Chavín:

Answer 27

A civilization emerging along the Peruvian Pacific coast and stretching into the highlands of the Andes. This civilization was distinguished by the ingenuity of its craftsmen and traders.

Question 28

Mandate of Heaven:

Answer 28

An ideology established by the Zhou Dynasty in China. The basic gist was that Chinese rulers only ruled through the permission of Heaven, the supreme moral force of nature. If a Chinese ruler were a bad ruler, Heaven would react with natural disasters, disease, and famine. As a result, it became extra important for Chinese rulers to mitigate famines and natural disasters.

Question 29

Bantu migration:

Answer 29

A millennia-long migration of the Bantu ethno-linguistic group across Africa. Lasted from 1000 BCE to 500 CE.