history Final Exam

Mask of Agamemnon

A gold mask from 14C BCE, which imitates King Tut’s mask, discovered at Mycenae.

Class relation: Discovered at Mycenae

Ubaid Pottery

Pottery and obsidian from 6500 to 3800 BCE found in northern and southern Mesopotamia suggesting trade.

 Class relation: Mesopotamia

Zoonoses

Diseases that move from animals to humans, accounting for 60% of infections and 75% of emerging diseases.

Class relation: Discussion on disease

Meghalayan Age

Current age beginning around 1750 BCE, marked by a 200-year drought and precipitation record in cave stalagmites.

Class relation: In conjunction with our discussion on the collapse of river valleys like the Indus River Valley and Egypt civilizations

Eurasian Steppe

A vast grassland ecoregion in temperate climates, home to pastoral nomads.

Class relation: Pastoral nomads and their raising of livestock, cattle.

Chariot

A horse-drawn vehicle that spread following the domestication of horses in Eurasia around 5000-4500 BCE.

Class relation: Pastoral nomads made the chariot

Urbs

The Latin term for 'the city,' particularly in reference to the Roman Empire.

Class relation: Roman Empire

Smallpox

A disease eradicated in 1980 due to vaccination, believed to be linked to the Antonine Plague.

 Class relation: Antonine plague, Roman empire.

Erlitou Culture

A river valley state (1900-1500 BCE) centered around millet production and early Chinese writing.

Class relation: China, bronze

Tarim Mummies

Well-preserved mummies from around 2000 BCE, associated with the Sintasha pastoral nomadic culture.
Class relation: Sintasha culture

Composite Bow

A laminated, flexible bow for fast shooting, invented by the Xiongnu and used on horseback.
Class relation: Xiongnu

Bronocice Pot

A pot from 3500 BCE, the earliest to depict the wheel, suggesting an advanced understanding of cart design.

Class relation: The wheel

Oracle Bones

Turtle shells used for divination in the Shang Dynasty, inscribed with East Asian symbols.

Class relation: Lecture on Shang Dynasty

Moche Culture

A river valley civilization (100-700 CE) known for ceramics including overtly sexual designs.

 Class relation: River valleys

Gansu Wall

A fortification built by the Hans for trade and military defense against northward nomadic invasions.
Class relation: Nomads, Xiongnu

Pastoral Nomadism

A lifestyle based on the mobile herding of domesticated animals, impacting trade and state formation.

Class relation: Chariots, the wheel, bronze, etc, expanders of states. STATES

Vedas

The earliest religious texts of Hinduism, composed around 1500 BCE by pastoral nomads, encapsulating universal truths.

Class relation: language, pastoral nomads, universalism.

Ziggurat

A multi-story, pyramid-shaped temple serving as a religious center in ancient Mesopotamian cities.

Class relation: State

Uruk

The first major state established around 3200 BCE, encompassing about 1800 acres of land.

Class relation: State

Lactase

An enzyme enabling the digestion of lactose, prevalent in only one third of adults post-animal domestication

Class relation: Domestication of animals 

Ideograms

Symbols representing concepts or ideas, foundational to early systems of writing.

Class relation: Writing

Bombyx mori

A domesticated moth associated with silk production, primarily feeding on mulberry trees.

Class relation: Silk, silk road trade

Prey Pathway

The initial domestication path for sheep, involving selective breeding for non-aggressive traits.

Class relation: Domestication

Cuneiform

The wedge-shaped writing system used in ancient Mesopotamia, primarily on clay tablets.

Class relation: Writing

Huaca del Sol

The largest pre-Columbian adobe structure in the Americas, representing Moche architectural prowess.

Class relation: Moche culture

Nile River

A 4,000-mile-long river vital to the development of Egyptian civilization, characterized by annual flooding.

Class relation: Hierakonpolis state in Nile valley, as well as Memphis, Merimde Beni Salama.

Carneiro Theory

A theory suggesting that states arose under population pressure and warfare in circumscribed agricultural environments.

Class relation: Primary states that lived in river valleys surrounded by harsh environments (desert) they developed individually and didnt copy any other states

Madeira

An island known for its sugarcane production, despite its challenging soil and topography.

 Class relation: Sugarcane

Antonine Plague

The first known global pandemic occurring in 165 CE, affecting Roman society profoundly.

Class relation: Roman empire and diseases

Silk

The earliest known silk originated in Han China during the 1st century CE, important for trade.

Class relation: Periplus of the Erythraean Sea and the Parthian Routes

Mycenae

An early Greek state from 1400-1100 BCE, known for its palatial architecture and imitative culture.

 Class relation: States

Pyramid of Djoser

The first stone building in the world, built around 2650 BCE, exemplifying early monumental architecture.

Class relation: Egypt, pyramids

Llama

A domesticated animal from the Americas capable of carrying significant weight and utilized for wool.

Class relation: Disease

Merimde beni Salame

An ancient settlement in the Nile Valley (5000 BCE) known for its early clay masks.

Class relation: Nile River

Hierakonopolis

An ancient Egyptian state characterized by significant tomb architecture by the end of the 4th century BCE.

 Class relation: Egypt, tombs

Primary States

Early civilization centers developed in river valleys known for unique independent growth.

Class relation: River valleys

Quipu

An Inca method of recording information using connected strands, possibly a form of writing.

Class relation: Incas and Spanish war

Ferdinand Magellan

The explorer known for completing the first circumnavigation of the globe in 1519.  Class relation: Columbian exchange lecture

Ayllu

An autonomous community used for grazing llamas within the Inca civilization.

 Class relation: Llamas

Ethiopian Highlands

A mountainous region supplying water to the Nile River through monsoons.

Class relation: Nile River

Tibetan Plateau

A significant geographical barrier in East Asia characterized by numerous snowy mountains.

Class relation: Asia and the Xiongnu

Bevel-Rimmed Bowls

Thick-rimmed ceramics popular in Uruk, used for tax collection and food preparation.

 Class relation: First major state Uruk, early writing in form of taxes

Bronze Age

A historical period (3300-1200 BCE) marked by the rise and fall of prominent states and cultural shifts.

Class relation: Pastoral nomads, egypt

Directed Pathway

A domestication strategy involving the intentional use of wild animals for resources.

 Class relation: Domestication.

Memphis

The first capital city of a unified state in the Nile Valley, established around 3100 BCE.

Class relation: Egypt

Xiongnu

A confederation of pastoral nomads from Mongolia known for their military prowess around 200 BC.

Class relation: Pastoral nomads, state

Bactrian Camel

A large, resilient camel capable of carrying heavy loads at high elevations.

Class relation: Pastoral nomads and the Silk Road

Cives

A term in ancient Roman history referring to full citizens with legal rights and privileges.

Class relation: Roman Empire

Miasma Theory

An early theoretical explanation for disease causation based on 'bad air' from the 4th century BCE.

Class relation: Disease, Roman Empire