Through 1500 Flashcards
Prehistory
Period of human achievement before the development of writing
Ancient civilizations
Cultures that developed to a greater degree and were considered advanced
Egypt contributions
Pyramids Hieroglyphic writing Preservation of bodies after death Paper from papyrus Developments in arithmetic and geometry Counting in groups of 1-10 Solar calendar Laying foundation for science & astronomy
Sumerians contributions
Wheel Developed irrigation through canals, dikes, and devices for raising water Cuneiform writing Learned to divide time Built large boats for trade
Babylonians contributions
“Code of Hammurabi” code of the laws
Assyrians
Warlike and aggressive
Organized military
Horse-drawn chariots
Hebrews
Monotheism
Sacred writings- worship texts, historical documents, prophecy, instructive writings and law, 10 commandments
Minoans
Symbols to represent symbols in words
Places with multiple levels
Many rooms
Luxurious things in the home
Mycenaeans
Changed Minoan writing system to aid their own language and used symbols to represent symbols
Phoenicians
Sea traders Glass and metals Famous purple dye Sail by stars at night Alphabet using symbols to represent single sounds
India
Caste system- structure society Hinduism Industry and commerce and trade Science and medicine advances Dominance on navigation
China
Great Wall Rice cultivation Caravan routes for extensive trade Silk industry Crop rotation Terrace farming
China writing
Written language based on pictographs or drawings
Persians
Developed an alphabet
Allowed conquered people’s to retain own customs, laws, and religions
Greece
Love of sports
Extensive trading and colonization resulted in spread of civilization
Independent strong city-states
Religious devotion to the state
Athens
Greece
Athens- pure democracy
Independent
Freedom loving
Sparta
Greece
rigid
Totalitarian
Militaristic
Greece advances
Drama Poetry Bales Myths Science Astronomy Medicine Mathematics Philosophy Art Architecture Recording historical events
China
Oldest, uninterrupted civilization in the world
Importance of education, family, strong central government
Nature and weather
China religions
Buddhism, Confucianism, taoism
China inventions
Invented gunpowder, paper, printing, magnetic compass
Japan
Borrowed culture from china
Buddhism
Africa
Iron for farm implements and weapons
Trading- spread of assimilation of different ideas and stimulation of cultural growth
Trading using camels at seaports
Arab influence- later contact with Indians, Christian Nubians, Persians
Vikings
Knowledge of trade routes and sailing
Saracenic contributions
Science and philosophy Astronomy Mathematics Physics Chemistry Medicine Literature Art Trade Agriculture Marked influence on renaissance
Byzantine contributions
Art
Preservation of Greek and Myan achievements- Architecture
Code of Justinian and Roman law
Nomads
Ghana
threat to early Soninke people, agricultural community
Nomads needed place to pasture their herds
Loose confederation became empire of ancient Ghana?
Ghana
King or war chief
Expansion- gain control of trade routes
Kingship matrilineal
Midway between desert- source of salt and gold fields
Ghana caravans
Canal caravan along trade routes provided economic development Copper Salt Dried fruit Clothing Manufactured goods Gold Hides Ivory Slaves
Ghana
Empire collected taxes on every trade item that entered boundaries of the empire
Gold fields
Ghana
Gold fields gave empire political and economic prosperity
Berber attacks
Ghana
Berbers attacked to gain control of gold fields and purify Islam. Withdrew and left behind a weakened empire.
Tang Dynasty
Capital most heavily populated at the time
Tang Dynasty religion
Buddhism
Confucianism rebirth
War
Tang Dynasty
Warlords divided china into north and south
Invention
Tang Dynasty
Invention of block printing- much information and literature available
Tang Dynasty contributions
Calculated paths of sun and moon and constellations. Development of calendar
Tang Dynasty agriculture
Agriculture- sophisticated irrigation system increased productivity
Tang Dynasty medicine
Medicine- understanding of circulatory and digestive system and pharmacology
Tang Dynasty art
Advances in ceramics and glazing
Poetry- best in Chinese literature
