MIDTERM VOCAB Flashcards
Economy
the system that a community uses to produce and distribute goods and services
Civilization
a complex society that has cities, a well-organized government, and workers with specialized job skills
Resource
a supply of something that can be used as needed
Religion
set of shared beliefs about supernatural powers that created and rule the world
Social class
A group of people that occupy different ranks or levels in society
Surplus
more food than they needed to feed themselves.
Specialization
when people spend most of their time working at a single job or craft
Domesticate
To change the growth of plants or behavior of animals, in ways that are useful to humans
Revolution
a complete change in ways of thinking, working, or living
Culture
Beliefs and values
Irrigate
A supply of water
City state
independent state that includes a city and its surrounding territory
Barter
a trading system in which people exchange goods directly without using money
Fertile Crescent
a region of the Middle East that stretches in a large, crescent-shaped curve from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea
Rule of law
The idea that all members of a society, even the rich and powerful, must obey the law
Polytheism
the belief in more than one god
Ziggurats
The larger Sumerian city temples that were pyramid-shaped brick towers
Cuneiform
A system of writing that uses triangular shaped symbols to stand for ideas and things
Empire
A state containing several countries or territories
Culture trait
An idea or way of doing things that is common in a certain culture
Calvary
Soldier on a horse
Standing army
A permanent army of professional soldiers they also trained a lot
Currency
money used as a medium of exchange., usually bills or coins
Ally
an independent state that works with other states to achieve a shared military or political goal
Import
a good or service sold within a country that is produced in another country
Export
a good or service produced within a country and sold outside the country’s borders
Navigation
the art of steering a ship from place to place
Colony
an area ruled by a distant country
Cultural diffusion
the spreading of cultural traits from one region to another
