Chapter 2: The Four Early River Valley Civilizations Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, figures, and concepts from the lecture on the four early river valley civilizations: Sumer, Egypt, Indus Valley, and Ancient China.

Mesopotamia

A flat plain lying between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, known as the cradle of civilization (located in present-day Iraq).

Fertile Crescent

An arc-shaped region in Southwest Asia characterized by rich soil created by the annual flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Silt

A thick bed of mud left behind after river flooding, providing nutrient-rich soil for agriculture.

City-State

An independent political unit consisting of a central city and its surrounding farmland, operating with its own government and rulers.

Ziggurat

A massive, tiered, pyramid-shaped structure located at the center of Sumerian city-states that functioned as a temple.

Dynasty

A series of rulers descending from a single family line.

Cultural Diffusion

The process by which one culture's ideas, products, traditions, and beliefs spread to another group of people.

Polytheism

The belief in multiple gods.

Enlil

The Sumerian god of the clouds and air, regarded as the most powerful deity.

Cuneiform

One of the earliest known writing systems, invented by the Sumerians.

Sargon of Akkad

An Akkadian leader who took control of Sumerian city-states around 2,350 B.C.E., creating the world's first empire.

Hammurabi's Code

A unified collection of 282 strict laws etched into a stone pillar during King Hammurabi's reign in Babylon.

Theocracy

A form of government in which political rulers are believed to be divine or divinely guided.

Pharaoh

The supreme ruler of ancient Egypt who was considered a god and held both political and religious authority.

Mummification

The process of embalming and preserving a corpse to prevent decay, ensuring its preparation for the afterlife.

Canopic Jars

Special containers used in ancient Egyptian burial rituals to hold and preserve the deceased's internal organs.

Papyrus

A paper-like writing material made from dried, pressed strips of Nile River reeds.

Hieroglyphics

An ancient Egyptian writing system composed of pictographic symbols.

Rosetta Stone

A stone slab discovered in 1799 C.E. inscribed with Hieroglyphics, Demotic, and Greek, which allowed scholars to decode hieroglyphic writing.

Hyksos

An Asiatic group of skilled chariot-riders who invaded Egypt, bringing an end to the Middle Kingdom period and ruling for 70 years.

Harappan Civilization

Another term for the Indus Valley civilization, named after Harappa, its first major excavated city.

Monsoons

Seasonal wind patterns that bring wet winds in summer and dry winds in winter to the Indus Valley region.

Citadel

A central, fortified structure designed for defense within planned Indus Valley cities like Mohenjo-daro.

Oracle Bones

Animal bones or turtle shells carved with symbols and heated during the Shang Dynasty to divine answers from gods and ancestors.

Mandate from Heaven

The Zhou Dynasty concept stating that a ruler's authority to govern was conferred directly by divine heavenly forces.

Dynastic Cycle

The historical sequence of the rise, decline, fall, and replacement of ruling dynasties in China.

Feudalism

A political governance structure in which a king grants land control and privileges to nobles in exchange for military service and allegiance.