6th Grade Vocab

Akkadian Empire

An ancient empire centered in Mesopotamia.

Babylonian Empire

An ancient empire known for its rich culture and the Code of Hammurabi.

Code of Hammurabi

One of the oldest deciphered writings of significant length in the world, establishing laws and punishments.

Assyrian Empire

An ancient empire known for its powerful army and advanced culture.

Neo-Babylonian Empire

The last great Mesopotamian empire, known for its achievements in architecture and astronomy.

Prehistory

The period of human history before recorded events.

Archaeology

The study of human history through excavation and analysis of artifacts.

Archaeologist

A person who studies human history and prehistory through excavation and analysis.

Artifact

An object made by a human being, typically an item of cultural or historical interest.

Fossil

The remains or impression of a prehistoric organism preserved in petrified form.

Theory

A well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world.

Hominid

A member of the biological family Hominidae, which includes humans and their ancestors.

Paleolithic Era

The early phase of the Stone Age, lasting about 2.5 million years.

Neolithic Era

The later part of the Stone Age, when ground or polished stone weapons and implements prevailed.

Migrate

To move from one region or habitat to another.

Technology

The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.

Environments

The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.

Extinct

A species that no longer exists.

Hunters & Gatherers

People who obtain food by foraging and hunting.

Nomads

People who move from place to place without a permanent home.

Society

A community of people living together and sharing customs and traditions.

Cultures

The social behavior and norms found in human societies.

Domesticate

To tame animals and cultivate plants for human use.

Agriculture

The practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for growing crops.

Slash & Burn

A method of agriculture where vegetation is cut and burned to clear land.

Terrace Farming

An agricultural practice of creating flat areas on steep terrain for farming.

Barter

The exchange of goods and services without using money.

Pastoral Societies

Societies that rely on domesticated livestock.

Taxation

The system of collecting money from citizens to fund government activities.

Government

The governing body of a nation, state, or community.

Judaism

The monotheistic religion of the Jewish people.

Abraham

The founding patriarch of the Israelites, Ishmaelites, Edomites, and Midianites.

Monotheism

The belief in a single all-powerful god.

Torah

The central reference of the religious Judaic tradition.

Covenant

A sacred agreement between God and the people of Israel.

Canaan

The ancient region located in the eastern Mediterranean.

Exodus

The departure of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

Ten Commandments

A set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship.

Ark of the Covenant

A gold-covered wooden chest containing the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments.

Moses

A prophet in Abrahamic religions who led the Exodus of the Israelites.

David

The second king of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah.

Solomon

The son of David, known for his wisdom and building the First Temple in Jerusalem.

Proverbs

A book in the Hebrew Bible containing wise sayings.

Exile

The state of being barred from one's native country.

Prophets

Individuals regarded as being in contact with a divine being.

Synagogue

A Jewish house of worship.

Rabbi

A Jewish scholar or teacher, especially one who studies or teaches Jewish law.

Diaspora

The dispersion of Jews beyond Israel.

Cyrus

The founder of the Achaemenid Empire in Persia.

Theocracy

A system of government in which priests rule in the name of God.

Mesopotamia

An ancient region located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Sumer

The earliest known civilization, located in southern Mesopotamia.

Epic of Gilgamesh

An ancient Mesopotamian poem that is among the earliest works of literary fiction.

Tigris & Euphrates River

Two major rivers in Mesopotamia that supported early civilizations.

Tributaries

Smaller rivers or streams that flow into a larger river.

Irrigation

The supply of water to land or crops to help growth.

Silt

Fine sand, clay, or other material carried by running water and deposited as a sediment.

Fertile Crescent

A crescent-shaped region in the Middle East known for its rich soils.

City State

A city that with its surrounding territory forms an independent state.

Monarchy

A form of government with a monarch at the head.

Polytheism

The belief in or worship of multiple gods.

Deities

Gods or goddesses in a polytheistic religion.

Architecture

The art and science of designing buildings and structures.

Ziggurat

A rectangular stepped tower, sometimes surmounted by a temple.

Cuneiform

A system of writing in ancient Mesopotamia using wedge-shaped marks.

Scribes

Individuals trained to write using a formal writing system.

Civilization

A complex human society with its own social organization and culture.

Merchants

Individuals involved in trade, selling goods and services.

Tribute

Wealth sent from one country or ruler to another as a sign of submission.

Stele

A stone or wooden slab, often used as a grave marker or commemorative monument.

Nile River

The longest river in the world, flowing through northeastern Africa.

Valley of the Kings

A burial site in Egypt for pharaohs and powerful nobles.

Papyrus

A material similar to paper made from the pith of the papyrus plant.

Sarcophagus

A stone coffin, typically adorned with a sculpture or inscription.

Pharaoh

The title of the ancient Egyptian rulers.

Thutmose III

The sixth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt.

Hieroglyphics

The writing system used in ancient Egypt, consisting of symbols and pictures.

Osiris

The ancient Egyptian god of the afterlife and resurrection.

Ra

The ancient Egyptian sun god.

Horus

The ancient Egyptian god of the sky, often depicted as a falcon.

Isis

An ancient Egyptian goddess of magic and motherhood.

Pyramids

Monumental structures built as tombs for pharaohs in ancient Egypt.

Obelisk

A tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument with a pyramidion on top.

Thebes

An ancient city in Egypt, known for its temples and tombs.

Rosetta Stone

A stone slab inscribed with the same text in three scripts, key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Tutankhamen

An ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty, known for his intact tomb.

Dynasty

A line of hereditary rulers of a country.

Vizier

A high-ranking political advisor or minister in ancient Egypt.

Mummy

A body that has been embalmed and dried to prevent decay.

Ankh

An ancient Egyptian symbol representing life.

Amulet

An object worn for protection or luck.

Hatshepsut

The fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty, one of the few female pharaohs.

Nubia

An ancient region located to the south of Egypt, known for its gold resources.

Kush

An ancient kingdom located to the south of Egypt, known for its wealth and power.

Piye

A king of Kush who conquered Egypt and became pharaoh.

Subcontinent

A large, distinguishable part of a continent, such as India.

Indus River

A major river in South Asia, flowing through Pakistan and northwest India.

Monsoon

A seasonal prevailing wind that brings heavy rains.

Citadel

A fortified area within a city, often housing important buildings.

Raja

A term for a king or prince in India.