Global Regents: Unit 1

Paleolithic Age

Era of prehistory with hunting and gathering nomads, also known as the Old Stone Age

Neolithic Revolution

Era when people started living in permanent settlements, practiced agriculture, and domesticated animals; Also known as the New Stone Age

Dynastic Cycle

Rise and fall of Chinese dynasties according to the Mandate of Heaven

Civilization

A complex, highly organized social order

Prehistory

Period of time before writing was invented

Pharaoh

Title of rulers from ancient Egypt

Hieroglyphics

System of writing in which pictures called hieroglyphs represent objects, concepts, or sounds

Cuneiform

A system of writing from Mesopotamia that used wedge-shaped marks

Dynasty

Ruling Family

Rosetta Stone

Stone monument that was used to decipher the meanings of many hieroglyphs

Nomad

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

Code of Hammurabi

Babylonian legal code; An eye for an eye; Written law code

Anthropology

The study of the origins and development of people and their society

River Valleys

Where the first civilizations developed along

Traditional Economies

Economy based on farming, customs, beliefs, religion, and habits

Mesopotamia

Civilization on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; Fertile Crescent; Cuneiform; Ziggurats

Ancient Egypt

Civilization on the Nile River; Pyramids; Hieroglyphics; Pharaohs

Monsoons

Seasonal winds and rains

Ancient India

Civilizations on the Indus River; Known for urban-planning

Ancient China

Civilization along the Yellow and Yangzi Rivers; Middle Kingdom

Ancient Phoenicians

Traders; Developed the first alphabet

Great Rift Valley

Start of mankind; In Africa

Lucy

Human skeletal remains discovered by the Leaky's in the Great Rift Valley

Bantu Migration

One of the largest human migrations; In Africa; Result of desertification

Silk Road

Trade route network linking China with Europe; Led to Cultural Diffusion

Sparta

Known for their militarism and readiness for war

Athens

Direct democracy; Golden age under Pericles; Philosophers

Philosophers

"Lovers of Wisdom"; Socrates; Plato; Aristotle

Alexander the Great

Built a massive empire by conquering Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India; Promoted cultural diffusion

Hellenistic Culture

Blending of Greek, Persian, Indian, and Egyptian influences

Ancient Rome

Republic government with senators; Julius Caesar

Pax Romana

Golden Age known as "Roman Peace"; Twelve Tables; Architecture; Engineering

Twelve Tables

Law code from Ancient Rome