Paleolithic Era
old stone age, a long period of human development before the development of agriculture
Neolithic Revolution
New stone age which was marked by the discovery and mastery of agriculture
Twelve Tables
Rome's first set of laws, established in 449 B.C.E
Matrilineal
kinship with mother of female line
polytheistic
the belief or worship of more than 1 god
agriculture
science/ practice of farming growing crops to provide food
specialization of labor
companies divide their production or service processes into several set tasks
judaism
monotheistic religion developed among anciet hebrews, civilization of jewish people
irrigation
practive of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops
Fertile Crescet
region of the middle east that stretches in a large crescent-shaped curve from Persian gulf to the medirrranean sea
Mesoptamia
It is a historic region of West Asia within the Tigris-Euphrates river system. In fact, the word Mesopotamia means "between rivers" in Greek. Home to the ancient civilizations of Sumer, Assyria, and Babylonia these peoples are credited with influencing mathematics and astronomy.
city-state
urban areas that controlled surrounding agricultural regions that were often loosely connected in a broader political structure with other city-states
pastoralism
part of agriculture that deals with animal livestock
empire
political unit made up of several states or countries under single supreme authority
hammurabi's code
sophisticated law code as associated with the Babylone King Hammurabi
metallurgy
branch of science and technology concerned with properties of metals, production, and purification
patriarchy
society of gov where father or male descent of family is the head
cuenifrorm
written language of the Sumerians, probably the 1st written script in the world
syncretism
practice of combining different beliefs + traditions
Phoenicians
an ancient Semitic civilization originating in Levant region of the Eastern Meditteranean (Modern Leabanon)
Feudalism
social system in Europe in which people murked and fought for nobles who gave protection and use of land in return
monotheism
belief in only one god, a rare concept in the ancient world
manorialism
social system by which peasants of Medieval Europe were rendered dependant on their land and on their lord
filial peity
attitude of respect for parents + ancestors in societies
theocracy
system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or in a god
caliphates
area/government under a caliph
bantu migrations
a large population movement from original homeland (west-central africa) to easten + southern regions of Africa
aryan migrations
migrations into the Indian subcontinent Indo-Aryan peoples
zoroastrianism
Persian religion based on the teaching of the sixth-century prophet Zarathaustra emphasis on duality of good and evil in individuals
Qanat
a system for transporting water from an aquifer or water well to the surface, through an underground aqueduct
caste system
class structured by birth, system of social hiearchy
monsoon system
system that seasonally reverse its direction they blow from cold to warm regions
sanskrit
sacred language of Hindusim ancient and classical languages of India
Mandate of Heaven
Chinese belief that the emperors ruled through the mandate, or approval, of heaven contingent on their ability to look after the welfare of the population.
Buddihsm
religion based on 4 noble truths, associated with Siddhartha Guatama or Buddha
confucianism
philosophy based on the teachings of the chinese philosopher Kong Fuzi -> emphasizes order, the role of the gentleman obligation to society
hinduism
Main religion of India, a combination of Dravidian and Aryan concepts; Hinduism's goal is to reach spiritual purity and union with the great world spirit
Islam
monotheistic religion, announced by prophet Muhammad influenced bu Judaism and Christianity
great schism
ongoing break of communion between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches religion disagreements
eastern orhtodox
one of 3 main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity where they have maintaned a focus on the union of the 3 persons in God, union of deity + humanity in christ
silk roads
An extensive network of trade routes that linked much of Eurasia with North Africa during the Classical Period.
republic
a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch.
democracy
a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people
qin dynasty
first dynasty in Imperial China that built much of the Great Wall
Han Dynasty
Imperial Dynasty of China, established bu Liu Bang, expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy
epidemic disease
the rapid spread of infectious disease to a large number of people in a given population within a short period of time
cultural diffusion
the spreading out of culture, culture traits, or a cultural pattern from a central point.
Sinicization
Process by which non-Han Chinese people come under the cultural or political domination of Han Chinese.
Byzatine Empire
long-lasting empire centered at Constantinopole; it grew out of the end of Roman Empire, carried the legacy of Roman greatness and was the only classical society to survive into the early modern age
caravanserai
a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey