ap exam WHAP

nomad

A person who moves from place to place in search of food

foraging societies

Nomadic, small communities and population, no political system, economic distribution is more equal

pastoral societies

societies whose subsistence derives from the rearing of domesticated animals

Cuneiform

A form of writing developed by the Sumerians using a wedge shaped stylus and clay tablets.

Polytheistic

Belief in many gods

Ziggurat

A rectangular tiered temple or terraced mound erected by the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians

Code of Hammurabi

the set of laws drawn up by Babylonian king Hammurabi dating to the 18th century BC, the earliest legal code known in its entirety

Pharoahs

Egyptian god-kings

Hieroglyphics

An ancient Egyptian writing system in which pictures were used to represent ideas and sounds

Mummification

A process of embalming and drying corpses to prevent them from decaying

Pyramids

The Sumerians, Egyptians, and Americans all built different types of this kind of structure because they all had a heavily centralized governments with emperors who were seen as closely tied to religion or were even seen as gods.

river valley

the fertile land surrounding a river- the first civilizations arose near them

Calendar

A system of organizing time that defines the beginning, length, and divisions of a year.

Hinduism

A religion and philosophy developed in ancient India by the Aryans, characterized by a belief in reincarnation and a supreme being who takes many forms

Vedas

Ancient Sanskrit writings that are the earliest sacred texts of Hinduism.

Upanishads

A major book in Hinduism that is often in the form of dialogues that explored the Vedas and the religious issues that they raised.

Brahmans

a member of the highest Hindu caste, that of the priesthood.

Patriarchy

A form of social organization in which males dominate females

Mandate of Heaven

a political theory of ancient China in which those in power were given the right to rule from a divine source

Bureaucracy

A large, complex organization composed of appointed officials

Migration

Form of relocation diffusion involving permanent move to a new location.

Zhou Dynasty

(1050BC-400BC) Longest dynasty in Chinese history. Established a new political order with king at the highest level, then lords and warriors and then peasants.

Neolithic Revolution

(10,000 - 8,000 BCE) The development of agriculture and the domestication of animals as a food source. This led to the development of permanent settlements and the start of civilization.

Bronze Age

a period of human culture between the Stone Age and the Iron Age, characterized by the use of weapons and implements made of bronze

Mesopotamia

A region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that developed the first urban societies. In the Bronze Age this area included Sumer and the Akkadian, Babylonian and Assyrian empires, In the Iron Age, it was ruled by the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian empires.

Sumerian Civilization

the first major Mesopotamian civilization; rose in southern Mesopotamia

Tigris and Euphrates

two rivers that form the outside border of Mesopotamia

Bablyon

capital of the ancient Babylonian Empire, luxury and corruption, Jews exiled here, Hanging Gardens built here

Hittites

The group of people who toppled the Babylonian empire and were responsible for two technological innovations--the war chariots and refinement of iron metallurgy.

Assyrians

Known as a warrior people who ruthlessly conquered neighboring countries; their empire stretched from east to north of the Tigris River all the way to centeral Egypt; used ladders, weapons like iron-tipped spears, daggers and swords, tunnels, and fearful military tactics to gain strength in their empire

Nebuchadnezzar

A Babylonian king who conquered Jerusalem,and built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Persian Empire

Mesopotamian empire that conquered the existing Median, Lydian, and Babylonian empires, as well as Egypt and many others. Also known as the Achaemenid Empire.

Egyptian Civilization

emerged in northern Africa along the Nile River by about 3000 B.C.E. It benefited from trade and influences from Mesopotamia, but it also produced its own distinct social structures and cultural expressions. Unlike Mesopotamia, Egyptian civilization featured very durable and centralized institutions. Mathematical achievements and impressive architectural structures also characterized Egyptian civilization.

King Menes

United Upper and Lower Egypt into a single kingdom and created the first royal dynasty.

Queen Hatshepsut

New Kingdom ruler renowned for expanding Egyptian trade

Queen Hatshepsut

New Kingdom ruler renowned for expanding Egyptian trade

Indus Valley

also known as Harappan civilization,located in India along the Indus River,near the Thar Desert and the Himalayas Mountains

Fertile Crescent

an area of rich farmland in Southwest Asia where the first civilizations began

Khyber Pass

A mountain pass connecting Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

major urban complexes of Harappan civilization; laid out on planned grid pattern.

Aryans

nomads from Europe and Asia who migrated to India and finally settled; vedas from this time suggest beginning of caste system

Shang China

Earliest known Chinese civilization. Rose in the Yellow River Valley, lasted from 1600 - 1100 BCE. Devised a decimal system, highly accurate calendar, and was powerful, yet isolated, believing themselves to be the center of the world.

Bantu Migrations

• African slash-and-burn farmers moved for fresh soil

• spread their language through southern Africa

Olmec

The first Mesoamerican civilization. Between ca. 1200 and 400 B.C.E., these people of central Mexico created a vibrant civilization that included intensive agriculture, wide-ranging trade, ceremonial centers, and monumental construction.

Chavin

the first major South American civilization, which flourished in the highlands of what is now Peru from about 900 to 200 B.C.

Rock and Pillar Edicts

laws written by Ashoka reminding Mauryans to live generous and righteous lives

Arabic numerals

Indian numerical notation brought by the Arabs to the West.

Han Dynasty

imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time) from 206 BC to 221 and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy

satrap

a governor of a province in the Persian Empire

Delian League

an alliance headed by Athens that says that all Greek city-states will come together and help fight the Persians

hellenism

Greek culture spread across western Asia and northeastern Africa after the conquests of Alexander the Great. The period ended with the fall of the last major Hellenistic kingdom to Rome, but Greek cultural influence persisted until the spread of Islam.

patricians

The wealthy, hereditary aristocrats during the Roman era.

plebians

Members of the lower class of Ancient Rome including farmers, merchants, artisans and traders

12 tables of rome

451 BCE. Written set of laws that stated the rules of behavior for members of Roman Society.

First Triumvirate

60 BCE, unofficial coalition between Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus

Second Triumvirate

Octavian, Antony, Lepidus

Pax Romana (Roman Peace)

200 year period of peace and prosperity in Rome

paganism

Any of the polytheistic religions of the Greco-Roman world, an umbrella term for ancient Mediterranean religions other than Judaism and Christianity.

Christianity

A monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior.

edict of milan

313 CE Constantine makes Christianity the primary religion of the Roman Empire and ends the persecution/mistrust of Christians

Zoroastrianism

system of religion founded in Persia in the 6th century BC by Zoroaster noun

Confucianism

A philosophy that adheres to the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius. It shows the way to ensure a stable government and an orderly society in the present world and stresses a moral code of conduct.

Daosim

a Chinese philosophy concerned with obtaining long life and living in harmony with nature; living by "the way"

Polytheism

belief in more than one god

legalism

A Chinese philosophy that was devoted to strengthen and expand the state through increased agricultural work and military service.

hinduism

A religion and philosophy developed in ancient India, characterized by a belief in reincarnation and a supreme being who takes many forms

buddhism

the teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that enlightenment obtained through right conduct and wisdom and meditation releases one from desire and suffering and rebirth

judaism

A religion with a belief in one god. It originated with Abraham and the Hebrew people. Yahweh was responsible for the world and everything within it. They preserved their early history in the Old Testament.

theravada and mahayana

two different sects of Buddism

mauryan empire

(321-185 BCE) This was the first centralized empire of India whose founder was Chandragupta Maurya.

Chandragupta Maurya

He founded India's first empire. He was an Indian prince who conquered a large area in the Ganges River valley soon after Alexander invaded western India.

Ashoka Maurya

The grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, he took the Mauryan Empire to its height. Famously converted to Buddhism after the deadly Kalinga Wars

Chandra Gupta the Great

The ruler who revived the Mauryan Empire under the Gupta Empire. Ruled from 375 to 415 CE.

Great Wall of China

world's longest man made structure built to keep invaders from the north out of China, started by the Qin Dynasty, expanded by the Han Dynasty,

Qin Shihuangdi

(r.221-210 BCE) The first emperor of the Qin Dynasty who believed strongly in Legalism and sought to strengthen the centralized China through public works.

Xiongnu

A confederation of nomadic peoples living beyond the northwest frontier of ancient China. Chinese rulers tried a variety of defenses and stratagems to ward off these 'barbarians,' as they called them, and dispersed them in 1st Century. (168)

Wudi (Wu Ti)

emperor under the Han Dynasty that wanted to create a stronger central government by taking land from the lords, raising taxes and places the supply of grain under the government's control

Satrapies

the 20 states into which Darius divided the Persian Empire

Great Royal Road

the longest road built by the Persian Empire; 1600 miles from the Persian Gulf to the Aegean Sea

lydians

First people to come up with a coin system to conduct trade

Phoenicians

located on eastern Mediterranean coast; invented the alphabet which used sounds rather than symbols like cuneiform

hebrews

the ethnic group claiming descent from Abraham and Isaac (especially from Isaac's son Jacob) / followers of judaism

athens

A democratic Greek polis who accomplished many cultural achievements, and who were constantly at war with Sparta; democracy

sparta

A powerful Greek miliary polis that was often at war with Athens. Used slaves known as helots to provide agricultural labor; more equality for women as both genders were educated

Persian Wars

A series of wars between the Greeks (mainly Athens) and the Persians in which the Greeks were usually victorious.

Pericles

Athenian leader noted for advancing democracy in Athens and for ordering the construction of the Parthenon.

socrates

(470-399 BCE) An Athenian philosopher who thought that human beings could lead honest lives and that honor was far more important than wealth, fame, or other superficial attributes.

plato

(430-347 BCE) Was a disciple of Socrates whose cornerstone of thought was his theory of Forms, in which there was another world of perfection.

aristotle

A Greek Philosopher, taught Alexander the Great, started a famous school, studied with Plato

homer

ancient Greek epic poet who is believed to have written the Iliad and the Odyssey (circa 850 BC)

Peloponnesian War

(431-404 BCE) The war between Athens and Sparta that in which Sparta won, but left Greece as a whole weak and ready to fall to its neighbors to the north.

Macedonians

a group of people who lived in Macedonia and were grouped into tribes. They were referred to as barbarians by the Greeks.

Alexander the Great

King of Macedonia who conquered Greece, Egypt, and Persia

punic wars

A series of three wars between Rome and Carthage (264-146 B.C.); resulted in the destruction of Carthage and Rome's dominance over the western Mediterranean.

hannibal

Carthaginian military commander who, in the Second Punic War, attempted a surprise attack on Rome, crossing the Alps with a large group of soldiers, horses, and elephants.

Octavius

Caesar's adopted son and appointed successor.

Constantine

Emperor of Rome who adopted the Christian faith and stopped the persecution of Christians (280-337); constructed constantinople

Constantinople

A large and wealthy city that was the imperial capital of the Byzantine empire and later the Ottoman empire, now known as Istanbul

Diocletian

Roman emperor who divided the empire into a West and an East section.