Annotated Stone Axe Review Sheet Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key historical figures, cultures, military technology, and major events from the Stone Ages through early medieval Europe.

Oetzi

Chalcolithic (lived between 3400 and 3100bc) man discovered, mostly still frozen, in the mountains between Austria and Italy in 1991.

Dani

A late Neolithic people found in Papua-New Guinea, studied as a modern parallel for earlier Neolithic cultures; featured in the 1960s film "Dead Birds".

Egyptians

The first settlers of the Nile Valley, originally in two regions: Upper and Lower Egypt.

King Min/Menes

Consolidator of Upper and Lower Egypt c.3000bc (possibly mythical).

Rameses II (c.1303-1213bc)

Egyptian pharaoh and general at the battle of Kadesh (1274bc).

Jean-Francois Champollion (1790-1832ad)

French decipherer of hieroglyphics.

Hittites

Indo-European-speaking kingdom c.1600-1200bc, originally in northern Asia Minor; clashed with New Kingdom Egypt at Kadesh in 1274bc.

Sumerians

First settlers of Mesopotamia who came c.7000bc from the Zagros Mountains; inventors of the wheel, plow, and cuneiform.

Sargon I of Akkad (c.2340-2284bc)

Founder of the Akkadian kingdom after the conquest of Sumer.

Assyrians

Semitic-speaking founders of an empire centered on the northern Tigris river (2500bc to c.600bc); noted for professional army, siege techniques, and terror tactics.

Medes

One of two Indo-European-speaking cousin peoples (along with the Persians) who invaded the Iranian plateau about 1000bc.

Persians

Indo-European-speaking cousin people to the Medes who invaded the Iranian plateau c.1000bc; later the collective name for the combined Mede/Persian empire.

Cyrus the Great (c.600-530bc)

Persian nobleman and founder of the Persian empire combining the Medes and Persians.

Darius I (c.550-486bc)

Persian king who sent the first punitive expedition against Eretria and Athens in 490BC, which was driven off at Marathon.

Xerxes I (519-465bc)

Son of Darius I; led the second Persian expedition against Greece in 480bc.

Minoans

Non-Indo-European-speakers and first civilization in Greece (c.2000-1500bc); creators of Linear A; named by Sir Arthur Evans.

Mycenaeans

The first Greeks in Greece; Indo-European-speakers who expanded Minoan civilization c.1600-1100bc and adapted Linear A to Linear B.

Sir Arthur Evans (1851-1941)

First archaeologist of Minoans and Mycenaeans on Crete; established the first method of dating early Greek civilizations.

Michael Ventris (1922-1956)

Leader in research that proved Linear B was actually an early form of Greek.

Philip II of Macedon (382-336bc)

King of a united Macedon who defeated a combined Theban/Athenian army at Chaeronea in 338bc.

Alexander the Great (356-323bc)

Son of Philip II who conquered the Persian empire in three battles: Granicus (334bc), Issos (333bc), and Gaugamela (331bc).

Darius III (c.380-330bc)

Last king of the Persian empire; opponent of Alexander the Great; murdered by Bessos.

Ptolemy I (366-282bc)

General of Alexander the Great who seized Egypt and founded a dynasty lasting until 30bc.

Romulus and Remus

Mythical twin children of Mars and Rhea Silvia raised by a she-wolf; Romulus founded Rome after killing Remus.

Etruscans

Non-Indo-European-speaking settlers on Italy's west coast from whom Rome borrowed key cultural elements.

Celts

Indo-European-speaking people who colonized the Po River valley, modern-day France, and Britain.

Samnites

Indo-European-speaking people inhabiting the region south of the Romans, eventually conquered and assimilated.

Carthaginians

Inhabitants of the Phoenician colony Qart-hadasht ("New City"); rivals of Rome in three Punic Wars.

Pyrrhus of Epirus (319-272bc)

King of Epirus who waged an unsuccessful war against Rome (280-275bc) and introduced Romans to war elephants.

Hannibal Barca (247-c.181bc)

Carthaginian general who defeated Romans at Trebbia, Lake Trasimene, and Cannae before losing at Zama.

Scipio Africanus (236-183BC)

Roman general who defeated Hannibal at the battle of Zama (202bc).

Sulla (138-78bc)

Roman nobleman and general who used his army to force the government to make him dictator (82-79bc).

Julius Caesar (100-44bc)

Roman general, member of 1st Triumvirate, dictator for life after civil war, assassinated by his lieutenants.

Octavian/Augustus (63bc-14ad)

Heir of Julius Caesar and member of 2nd Triumvirate who became the first Roman emperor.

Diocletian (244-311ad)

Roman emperor (284-305ad) who reorganized the empire into East and West halves, each led by an Augustus and a Caesar.

Constantine I (c.272-337bc)

Roman emperor who reunited the empire in 324ad and founded Constantinople at the site of Byzantium.

Franks

Group of Germanic peoples who came to control northern France in the 5th century AD.

Merovech (c.411-458bc?)

Possibly mythical founder of the Frankish kingdom; namesake of the Merovingian dynasty.

Clovis (c.466-511ad)

Historical founder of the Frankish kingdom.

Theodoric (454-526ad)

King of the Ostrogoths and ruler of the Ostrogothic kingdom in northern Italy.

Charles Martel (c.688-741ad)

Mayor of the Palace of the Merovingian kingdom; victor at the battle of Tours/Poitiers (732ad).

Moors

North African Muslims who settled in Spain following the invasion of 711AD.

Pepin ("the short") (c.714-768ad)

Mayor of the Palace who overthrew Childeric III to found the Carolingian dynasty; father of Charlemagne.

Charlemagne (742-814ad)

Founder of the Carolingian empire, crowned "Emperor of the Romans" on Christmas Day, 800AD by Pope Leo III.

Vikings

Germanic peoples of Scandinavia who traded, raided, and colonized across Europe from the 8th to 11th centuries.

Normans

Blend of local French people and Viking raiders on the western coast of France in the 10th century AD.

Harold Godwinson (c.1022-1066AD)

Anglo-Saxon king of England killed at the battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066.

William the Conqueror (c.1028-1087AD)

Duke of Normandy who became King of England after winning the Battle of Hastings.

Paleolithic Era

First period of human development (2.5 million years BC to 10,000BC) characterized by foraging and stone tools.

Neolithic Era

Era (10,000 to 2000BC) marked by plant and animal domestication, wide trade, and early villages.

Chalcolithic Era

Period (5500-3000BC) when copper was first used to make tools and weapons.

Bronze Age

Period (3500-1000BC) defined by the creation of copper-tin alloys for tools and weapons.

Iron Age

Period starting 1000BC in which iron and bronze were used for tools and weapons.

Nome

Egyptian county division; 42 total (22 in Upper Egypt, 20 in Lower Egypt), governed by nomarchs.

Hyksos

Northern invaders ("princes of foreign lands") controlling the Egyptian delta during the Second Intermediate Period.

Rosetta Stone

196BC stone inscription in hieroglyphics, demotic, and Greek used to decipher hieroglyphics.

Khopesh

An Egyptian bronze sickle sword.

Ziggurat

A step temple used in Mesopotamia starting with the Sumerians.

Cuneiform

Wedge-shaped writing system invented by the Sumerians.

Indo-European

Language system originating north of the Black Sea, spreading from Ireland to Nepal.

Linear B

Writing system derived from Minoan Linear A, used by Mycenaean Greeks to write early Greek.

Hoplite

A heavily-armored Greek warrior named after the shield (hoplon).

Phalanx

Densely packed shield-wall formation used by Greek hoplites.

Psiloi

Greek skirmishers including slingers, archers, and peltasts.

Delian League

Alliance of Greek city-states formed after Plataea, later transformed into the Athenian Empire.

Sarissa

Macedonian pike over 16 feet long, composed of two pieces joined by a bronze collar.

Gladius

The short sword used by Roman infantry ("gladius hispaniensis").

Pilum

Standard Roman military javelin with a softened iron shaft designed to bend on impact.

Scutum

Large rectangular shield used by Roman soldiers.

Triplex acies

The basic Roman battle formation, meaning "three-fold battle line" (hastati, principes, triarii).

Hastati

The front line of the Roman triplex acies formation.

Principes

The middle line of the Roman triplex acies formation.

Triarii

The rear line of the Roman triplex acies formation.

The Bayeux Tapestry

A 20-inch high by 230-foot long embroidery depicting the Norman conquest of England.

Battle of Kadesh (1274BC)

Clash between New Kingdom Egyptians and Hittites resulting in a standstill and Egyptian withdrawal south.

Battle of Marathon (490BC)

Battle where Athenian forces repelled the first Persian punitive expedition back into the sea.

Battle of Salamis (480BC)

Naval victory south of Athens by an allied fleet against the invading Persian navy.

Battle of Thermopylae (480BC)

Delaying action by a small Spartan force that slowed the Persian advance into Greece.

Peloponnesian War (431-404BC)

All-out war between Sparta and Athens resulting in the defeat of Athens.

Battle of Chaeronea (338BC)

Philip II of Macedon's defeat of a combined Athenian/Theban army.

Battle of Cannae (216BC)

The third major defeat inflicted on a Roman army by Hannibal.

Battle of Zama (202BC)

Defeat of Hannibal in North Africa by Roman general Scipio Africanus.

Battle of Tours/Poitiers (732AD)

Charles Martel's victory over a Moorish scouting/raiding force.

Battle of Hastings (1066AD)

Defeat of King Harold by Duke William of Normandy on 14 October 1066, establishing Norman rule in England.