Unit 2 - Early Societies and River Valley Civilizations

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the qualifications of civilizations, key river valley civilizations, early technology, and early Mesopotamian history.

Early Technology

Tools and innovations in early societies, which included the wheel, plow, sailboat, and bronze weapons.

Five Qualifications of a Civilization

The five requirements for a gathering of humans to qualify as a civilization: 1) Cities for trade, 2) Technology, 3) Writing and record-keeping, 4) Specialized Workers in a class system, and 5) Complex Institutions.

Specialized Workers

A qualification of a civilization that exists in a class system including farmers and artisans, merchants, soldiers, government workers, and religious officials.

Complex Institutions

A qualification of a civilization encompassing systems such as governments, religions, and education systems.

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

The rivers surrounding Mesopotamia, where Sumer and eventually Babylon were established.

Nile River

The river along which the early Egyptian civilization developed.

Jordan River Valley

The geographic location where both the early Hebrews and Phoenicians settled.

Indus River

The river in India where the ancient cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were built.

Huang He and Yangtze Rivers

The two rivers between which early Chinese civilization developed.

Mesopotamia

A term literally meaning "the land in between the rivers," located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, forming a large part of the Fertile Crescent, and believed to be the oldest River Valley Civilization.

Sumer

A collection of city-states within Mesopotamia that was initially ruled by temple priests and later by military leaders and kings.

Amorites

The people who conquered Sumer in 2000 B.C.E., established their capital at Babylon, and started the Babylonian Empire.

Babylonian Empire

The empire established after the Amorites conquered Sumer in 2000 B.C.E. and made Babylon their capital.