Fall exam Social Studies

BC

Before the Birth of Christ

AD

Anno Domini In the Year of Our Lord

Paleolithic

Old Stone Age

Neolithic

New Stone Age

Anthropologist

Scientist who studies how humans developed

Archaeologist

Scientist who studies evidence buried on the ground.

Historian

person who studies about the human past

Artifact

Weapons, tools, and other things made by humans

Specialize

Develop different kinds of jobs besides farming like artisans

Neolithic Revolution

Change in the way humans lived brought about by farming

Domesticate

Using/taming animals for human use

How did Hunter-Gatherers live?

Moved from place to place, lived in small groups

What kind of homes did they have?

Temporary shelters, caves

What is the Neolithic Revolution?

When people began to grow crops

How did farming change the way people lived?

Could live in one place and specialize with jobs

How did domesticated animals help?

Work/ready supply of food

What type of work did specialized workers do?

Artisans and priests

What is Catal Huyuk?

Village in Turkey, known for obsidian products/was near a volcano/built with doors in roofs/worshipped a mother goddess

Artisan

skilled workers who made metal products, cloth, or pottery

Empire

group of many different lands under one ruler

Civilization

complex society with 6 characteristics

Scribe

record keepers of the ancient world

City-State

a city and the surrounding land/had its own government

Cuneiform

Written language of Sumerians. It works by using a reed stylus cut to make a wedge-shaped mark on a clay tablet.

What is the Fertile Crescent?

the region of land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that is very fertile after the flooding period. This land is also called Mesopotamia, which means “land between the rivers”

What makes it fertile?

the soil deposited (silt) following the floods

What was the name of the region formed in southern Mesopotamia by 3000 BC?

Sumer. People were able to permanently settle in Sumer because they learned to irrigate their crops to water them.

How did Sumerian city-states operate in times of peace and war?

during peace priests would lead the government during war powerful army leaders ruled

What structure is at the center of the city-state?

ziggurat

What happened there?

priests offered sacrifices to the gods

What was the structure made from?

Mud Bricks

What geographic features did most of our early civilizations form around?

Rivers

Who was Gilgamesh?

Epic hero who accomplished great deeds

Who was Hammurabi?

Ruler of Babylon

What is he most remembered for?

law code

Describe his law code.

Eye for an Eye code where punishment usually matched the crime/law code was biased for rich over poor/men over women

Cataract

Wild rapids along the Nile River

Hieroglyphics

Egyptian writing system made up of 1000s of picture symbols

Dynasty

Line of rulers from one family

Papyrus

reed plant that grew along the banks of the Nile River used for paper

Delta

fertile soil area at the end of the river that branches into a body of water

Deity

god or goddess

Embalm

process of preserving a body for burial

Mummy

tightly wrapped dead body

Pyramid

mountain like stone tomb built for the Pharaohs of Egypt; final resting places for pharaohs

Pharaoh

Egyptian Kings

Old Kingdom

period from about 2600 BC until 2300 BC when Egypt grew and prospered

Middle Kingdom

period from 2050 BC until 1670 BC when Egypt entered a golden age of prosperity, stability, and achievement

How did the Pharaohs rule?

as gods on earth

Who was the Pharaoh believed to be the son of?

Egyptians believed that he was the son of Ra

What is polytheism?

belief in more than one god

Why was the afterlife so important to the Egyptians?

they believed in a glorious afterlife that they could look forward to

What is natron?

Salt like substance used in embalming

What is the Book of the Dead?

Collection of spells and prayers studied to help in the afterlife.

What is the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony?

ceremony to see if the person lived a happy and carefree life

Why did Egyptians construct pyramids for their Pharaohs?

to give them a tomb and provide a stairway to the heavens

In the peaceful period of the Middle Kingdom, what 3 areas of culture thrived?

arts, literature, and architecture

Who invaded Egypt on chariots?

Hyksos

Who drove the Hyksos out of Egypt?

Ahmose

Who Amenhotep/Akhenaten?

Pharaoh who changed the religion of Egypt to the worship of one god called Aton

What new name did he give himself?

Akhenaton

What did he do that made many Egyptians angry?

refused to allow them to worship as before. He changed the religion from polytheism to monotheism

What Egyptian queen was the first woman to rule in Egypt in her own right and what was she known for.

Hatshepsut. Trade and building the Egyptian economy

Which pharaoh’s armies expanded Egypt’s borders to the Euphrates River?

Thutmose III

Which pharaoh ruled for 66 years?

Ramses II

Which pharaoh is best known because of the discovery of his tomb?

Tutankhamen (King Tut) (he did very little for Egypt while alive)

Subcontinent

a region that is part of a Continent but is usually separated by mountains or other geographic features

Monsoon

strong winds that blow in different directions in the summer and winter

Sanskrit

Aryan language developed in India

Caste (Caste System)

a social group that someone is born into; determines a person’s job, social group, and marriage

Karma

consequences of how a person lives (Hinduism)

Dharma

divine law that requires a person to perform the duties of their caste (Hinduism)

Buddhism

new religion much like Hinduism founded by Siddhartha Gautama

Hinduism

one of the oldest religions in the world belief in many gods and goddesses who control the forces of nature

India is called a subcontinent because of what?

The Himalayas separate it from the rest of Asia

What 2 rivers was the site of India’s first settlement.

Ganges and Indus Rivers

What is Mohenjo-Daro?

List some characteristics of this city large city located on the Indus river/well-planned city with grid pattern/houses made from uniform sized mud bricks/very little social differences because houses were all very similar/had indoor plumbing and underground sewer systems/most people were farmers but many were specialized workers/prosperous and peaceful people

What archeological evidence has been found here?

jewelry, clay pottery, few weapons, toys, plumbing systems

Why is the archeologoical evidence in India important?

gives us clues about the society; toys= prosperous because they are not a necessary item/few weapons=peaceful society

Who are the Aryans?

hunters/nomadic shepherds who prized cows/good warriors/entered Indus Valley and conquered the people of the Indus Valley

What did Aryans believe?

they believed in a strict social caste system

Describe India’s social system using the following chart.

Remember the untouchables were the 5th group, who were seen as outside the Caste System. Brahmans-Priests
Kshatriyas-Warriors, Rulers
Vaisyas-farmers, merchants
Sudras-not Aryan, darker skinned people than Aryans, most Indians were sudras

Why do Hindus believe in reincarnation?

They believe the soul must be reborn to join a higher caste in order to be reunited with Brahman

How did reincarnation affect Indian life?

affects how they treat other people and animals b/c their karma will affect where they go in their next life.

Who founded Buddhism?

Siddhartha Gautama

What are the Four Noble Truths?

1. Life is full of suffering. 2. People suffer b/c they desire worldly things. 3. The way to end suffering is to stop desiring things. 4. The only way to stop desiring things is to follow the Eightfold path.

What must be followed in order to stop desiring things?

The Eightfold Path

Mandate of Heaven

belief of a dynasty that they had heaven’s approval to be the ruling family. When they lost approval, it would be evident because another family would take control.

Dynasty

series of rulers from the same family

Legalism

founded by Hanfeizi; Chinese philosophy that said people were naturally evil and need HARSH PUNISHMENTS and STRICT LAWS to force them to do their duty. This is the philosophy that Shi Huangdi based his govt on.

Confucianism

founded by Confucius; philosophy that said people should put the needs of his family and community above his own. Must practice filial piety, which is respect of parents and older relatives

Daoism

philosophy founded by Laozi; taught that people must follow “the way” or the “Dao” in order to find harmony; taught people to give up their concerns about the world and just follow their inner peace and nature

Silk Road

network of trade routes that connected China with southwest Asia

What 2 rivers flooded in China?

Yangtze and Huang He (Yellow River)

What was the soil called that the rivers left behind?

Loess

What nicknames did the Huang He River have?

China’s Sorrow or the Yellow River

Why did the Chinese refer to their homeland as the Middle Kingdom?

thought their civilization was the best and at the world’s center

What popular product did Shang artisans create and then trade along the Silk Road?

Silk

Why did the Zhou believe they should be in power?

heavenly law gave them their power…Mandate of Heaven

What important technologies were developed during the time of the Zhou?

iron plows, better irrigation, flood control, stirrups, crossbows, saddles