Chapter 3/4 - Early Civilizations and Urban Societies and The Near East

Bronze Age

The time between 3500 to 1110 BCE when bronze was the wanted metal for making tools and weapons.

city-state

An independent political entity made of a city and the surrounding area that it controls.

Code of Hammurabi

A list of judicial decisions that the Babylonian king Hammurabi inscribed on stone pillars in the kingdom.

culture

The ways in which members of a human society interact with each other and their surroundings and pass them on to future generations.

cuneiform

A Sumerian phonetic writing system based on the sounds of words made in 3000 BCE.

Harappan

A term describing the Indus Valley civilization named after one of the largest cities to be discovered by archaeologists.

hieratic

A simple form of hieroglyphics used by Egyptian scribes for writing everyday documents such as receipts and contracts.

hieroglyphics

A complex writing system made in 3000 BCE where written symbols represent sounds and ideas.

lugal

A Sumerian term for their ruler.

monsoon

the seasonal pattern of wind and rainfall across South Asia.

nomarchs

Regional governors in ancient Egypt.

papyrus

A type of paper Egyptians made from a common reed plant found by the Nile.

pastoralists

Nomads who rely on herd of domesticated animals for livelihood.

pharaoh

The title of the Egyptian ruler, meaning “big house”.

polytheists

People who believe in multiple gods, usually associated with different parts of the natural world.

social stratification

The hierarchical order of society where people with the same wealth and status make up a distinct class.

specialization

A societal characteristic where people do specific tasks such as farming or artisan work that make up the well being of the community.

ziggurat

A large, multi-stepped Sumerian temple with a flat top made of mud brick.

Babylonian exile

The deportation of Judeans to Babylon after the fall of Jerusalem

chattel slavery

a form of slavery where one person is a piece of property owned by another.

Exodus

the mass migration of Hebrews from Egypt lead by Moses.

Hebrew Bible

the holy book that according to Jewish tradition, tells the history of the Hebrews.

Iron Age

the period starting in 1200 BCE when iron became the wanted metal for tools and weapons.

Ramesside kings

the line of kings that ruled New Kingdom Egypt after the reign of Ramses I.

satrapy

one of the twenty governing districts in Persia given by royal governors called satraps, who answered directly to the king.

vassal state

a state or kingdom that is nominally independent in running its internal affairs but must abide by the demands of the dominating empire and provide tribute to it.

Zoroastrianism

the religion of the ancient Persians, named after it founder Zarathustra, pronounced Zoroaster in Greek.