People and Ideas on the Move: Ancient Civilizations and Belief Systems

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering Chapter 3: People and Ideas on the Move, detailing Indo-European migrations, ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern civilizations, and the core beliefs of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism.

Early Indo-Europeans

A pastoral, nomadic group of peoples from the steppes who were mainly herders and migrated across Eurasia.

Indo-European Language

The ancestral parent language from which English, Sanskrit, Persian, and Spanish are all derived.

Indo-Aryans

The Indo-European group that migrated around the Aral Sea and traveled the farthest east.

Germans and Balts

The Indo-European groups that traveled the farthest north during migrations from the steppes.

Spread of Buddhism

The historical expansion of Buddhist beliefs across Asia, which occurred mostly as a result of trade.

Nirvana

In Buddhism, the state of release from selfishness and pain.

Caste System

A rigid social hierarchy established in India by the Aryans that kept the Aryans dominant and marked a key point of doctrinal disagreement between Hinduism and Buddhism.

Torah

The first five books of the Hebrew Bible, representing the most sacred writings of the Jewish religion.

Phoenicians

The most skilled seafarers and traders of the early Mediterranean, celebrated for introducing phonetic symbols into written communication.

Reincarnation

The cycle of rebirth that is held as a common theological belief in both Hinduism and Buddhism.

Covenant

In the Hebrew tradition, a sacred mutual promise established between God and humanity.

Ironworking

The metallurgical skill that enabled the Hittite military to excel at warfare.

Hittite International Language

The diplomatic language adopted by the Hittites from the Babylonian civilization after conquering them.

King Solomon

The monarch of Israel known for his wisdom, establishing a vast trading empire, and building the First Temple.

Mahabharata

An epic Indian poem that reflects the struggles that took place as the Aryans moved south across India.

Ten Commandments

The moral laws revealed to Moses that became the foundation for the civil and religious laws of Judaism.

Minoan Art of Knossos

Artwork from ancient Crete indicating that Minoan women enjoyed a significantly higher social rank than women in neighboring contemporary cultures.

Upanishads

Hindu religious texts featuring dialogues between teachers and students that examine how a person can achieve liberation from desire and suffering.

Egyptian Civilization

The ancient Near Eastern civilization identified on historical comparative timelines as lasting the longest span of time.