H250 Final Exam Flash Cards
The first Roman Emperor
Augustus
A species that appeared in Africa around 4 million years ago and unlike other animals sometimes walked on two legs at least some of the time. Nicknamed Lucy, she brain capacity was about 1/3 of a modern human’s, but still larger than other creatures at that time.
Australopithecines
The great epidemic of the bubonic plague that killed up to 1/3 of the European population.
Black Death
The Mississippian civilization known as the “mound builders.”
Cahokia
Trading centers like Palmyra, located along the Silk Roads
Caravan Cities
A two-wheeled vehicle that revolutionized warfare.
Chariot
The first EMPIRE in South America (not the first civilization. There was a civilization in the same location before this empire developed.)
Chimu Empire
Chinese radical thinker whose ideas about ethical living shaped the politically engaged “superior gentleman,” and transformed society & government.
Confucius
“Citizens of the world” that lived in multicultural urban centers
Cosmopolitans
An authoritative statement of belief
Creed
This developed in Mesopotamia and was the world’s first writing system.
Cuneiform
The Ottoman system of taking non-Muslim children in place of taxes in order to educate them in Muslim ways and prepare them for service in the sultan’s government.
Devshirme
Bringing plants or animals under human control
Domestication
Multi-ethnic trading stations where traders exchanged goods and replenished supplies.
Entrepots
The religious practices that unite all Muslims
Five Pillars
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are examples of…
Greek Philosophers
The Indus River Valley was carved by fast-flowing streams of water that ran off the tallest mountain range in the world. This mountain range is named the …
Himalayas
The human ancestor that learned to control fire and migrated out of Africa.
Homo erectus
The “handy man” human ancestor that was known for its tool making abilities.
Homo habilis
Literally “wise human.” Modern human beings with bigger brains and greater dexterity than previous hominid species, all of which eventually went extinct.
Homo sapiens
This nomadic group successfully invaded Egypt using chariots.
Hyksos
A tribunal of the Roman Catholic Church that enforced religious orthodoxy, and over several centuries sought to punish witches, Jews, and false converts to Christianity.
Inquisition
A tax paid by non-Muslims in the Islamic empire.
Jizya
The “greater vehicle,” a newer type of Buddhism that includes bodhisattvas, which are not part of original Buddhism.
Mahayana Buddhism
The empire founded by Sundiata (Lion Prince) that became a major trade empire in sub-Saharan Africa, known for its wealth and the pilgrimage to Mecca by King Mansa Musa.
Mali Empire
“Literally “witness,” these were individuals who the Roman authorities executed for maintaining their Christian beliefs instead of venerating (respecting) and obeying the Emperor.
Martyrs
This was the first large-scale empire in India. It was founded by Chandragupta Maurya, a commoner who was influenced by the military success of Alexander the Great.
Mauryan Empire
A political system in which one individual holds supreme power and passes that power on to his or her next of kin.
Monarchy
Belief in only one god or goddess
Monotheism
The seasonal winds that helped carve the Indus River Valley
Monsoons
These spiritual tools from Shang dynasty China were made of bone or turtle shells, and were used to determine the will of the ancestors. The carvings on them are the basis for the Chinese writing system.
Oracle Bones
The Egyptian writing material that is similar to paper
Papyrus
A nomadic animal herder
Pastoralist
The civilization that invented the alphabey
Phoenicians
An eye-witness account of something that happened in the past
Primary Source
Rome’s first wars of expansion outside of Italy were against Carthage, from which Rome quickly amassed new territory.
Punic Wars
The structures that housed the Egyptian Pharaoh and his family after death.
Pyramids
The earliest civilizations developed in similar fertile ecological locations called…
River Basins
1600 miles of paved road that crossed the Persian Empire. Hostels and way stations along the route made it convenient for traders, travelers, and messengers.
Royal Roads
The cultural blending of different societies into one recognizable culture that was developed in India based on Hindu spiritual beliefs expressed in Sanskrit language.
Sanskrit Cosmopolis
Professional writers who kept records for rulers
Scribes
Body of Islamic law and code of conduct that was developed over centuries, based on the Quran, the sayings of Muhammad, and the legal opinions of Muslim scholars.
Sharia
More than 5000 miles of trade routes linking China, central Asia, and the Mediterranean.
Silk Roads
Grasslands that were home to many nomadic pastoralist groups who sometimes came down from the steppes to raid settled civilizations.
Steppes
The mystical form of Buddhism
Sufism
Literally “color” in Sanskrit and is the basis for the racialized social hierarchy of the Vedic people in India.
Varna
The warrior group from Scandinavia that used sophisticated ships to raid the coast of Western Europe and trade deep into Eastern Europe.
Vikings
A new religious movement that originated in the Eastern Roman Empire after Jesus of Nazareth was executed by Roman authorities.
Christianity
The common Greek dialect that became an international language across the regions influenced by Hellenism.
Koine
Literally “sailing around.” A manual that preserved firsthand knowledge of navigation strategies and trading advice.
Periplus
