Unit 1 Test Flashcards
Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers of the Fertile Crescent that frame the Mesopotamian civilization.
Polytheism
Belief in many gods.
Monotheism
Belief in one god.
Cultural Diffusion
Spreading of ideas or products from one group of people to another.
Mesopotamia
The region of the Fertile Crescent where the first empire and civilization arose.
The Fertile Crescent
Rich farmland in Southwest Asia between the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea.
Dynasty
A series of rulers from a single family.
City-State
A city and it surrounding lands functioning as one independent unit.
Empire
A political unit in which a number of peoples or countries are controlled by a single ruler.
Hmmurabi
Babylonian emperor who created the first written set of laws.
Babylon
a city in Mesopotamia that became an important capital in the first empire of the Mesopotamian region.
Pharaoh
The king of ancient Egypt, considered a god as well as a political and military leader.
Theocracy
a form of government in which the ruler is viewed as a divine figure.
Hieroglyphics
Ancient Egyptian writing system which used pictures to represent ideas and sounds.
Pyramid
Massive structure with rectangular base and four triangular sides, like those built in Egypt.
Mummification
Process of embalming and drying corpses to prevent them from decaying.
Nile
The river who’s regular flood cycle helped build Egyptian civilization.
Papyrus
Tall reed found in Nile Delta used by ancient Egyptians to make paper like materials.
Narmer
The pharaoh given credit for uniting Upper and Lower Egypt into one unified kingdom and civilization.
Artifact
A human-made object, such as a tool, weapon, or piece of jewelry.
Culture
A people’s unique way of life, as shown by its tools, customs, arts, and ideas.
Hominids
A member of a biological group including human beings and related species that walk upright.
Paleolithic Age
A prehistoric period that lasted from about 2,500,000 to 8000 B.C., during which people made use of crude stone tools and weapons - also called the Old Stone Age.
Neolithic Age
A prehistoric period that began about 8000 B.C. and in some areas ended as early as 3000 B.C., during which people learned to polish stone tools, make pottery, grow crops, and raise animals - also called the New Stone Age.
Technology
The way in which people apply knowledge, tools, and inventions to meet their needs.
Homo Sapiens
The biological species to which modern human beings belong.
Nomad
A member of a group that has no permanent home, wandering from place to place in search of food and water.
Hunter-Gatherers
A member of a nomadic group whose food supply depends on hunting animals and collecting plant foods.
Neolithic Revolution
A member of a nomadic group whose food supply depends on hunting animals and collecting plant foods.
Slash-And-Burn Farming
A farming method in which people clear fields by cutting and burning trees and grasses, the ashes of which serve to fertilize the soil.
Domestication
The taming of animals for human use.
Civilization
A form of culture characterized by cities, specialized workers, complex institutions, record keeping, and advanced technology.
Specialization
The development of skills in a particular kind of work, such as trading or record keeping.
Artisan
A skilled worker, such as a weaver or a potter, who makes goods by hand.
Institution
A long-lasting pattern of organization in a community.
Scribe
One of the professional record keepers in early civilizations.
Cuniform
A system of writing with wedge-shaped symbols, invented by the Sumerians.
Bronze Age
A period in human history, beginning around 3000 B.C. in some areas, during which people began using bronze, rather than copper or stone, to fashion tools and weapons.
Barter
A form of trade in which people exchange goods and services without the use of money.
Ziggurat
A tiered, pyramid-shaped structure that formed part of a Sumerian temple.
