Vocab 3 World Studies

Fertile Crescent

“An arc of rich farmland in Southwest Asia, between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea.”

Mesopotamia

“Land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.”

city-state

“A city and its surrounding lands functioning as an independent political unit.”

dynasty

“A series of rulers from a single family.”

cultural diffusion

“The spreading of ideas or products from one culture to another.”

polytheism

“A belief in many gods.”

empire

“A political unit in which a number of peoples or

countries are controlled by a single ruler.”

Hammurabi

“Ruler of the Mesopotamian empire of Babylon from 1792 B.C.E. until 1750 B.C.E.; known for establishing a code of laws.”

delta

“A marshy region formed by deposits of silt at the

mouth of a river.”

Narmer

“Narmer was the first king of the First Dynasty of Egypt.”

hieroglyphics

“An ancient Egyptian writing system in which pictures were used to represent ideas and sounds.”

pharaoh

“A king of ancient Egypt, considered a god as well as a political and military leader.”

theocracy

“A government in which the ruler is viewed as a divine figure (p. 37). 2. a government controlled by religious leaders.”

pyramid

“A massive structure with a rectangular base and four triangular sides, like those that were built in Egypt as burial places for Old Kingdom pharaohs.”

mummification

“A process of embalming and drying corpses to prevent them from decaying.”

papyrus

“A tall reed that grows in the Nile delta, used by the ancient Egyptians to make a paperlike material for writing on.”

subcontinent

“A large landmass that forms a distinct part of a continent.”

monsoon

“A wind that shifts in direction at certain times of each year.”

Harappan civilization

“Another name for the Indus Valley civilization that arose along the Indus River, possibly as early as 7000 B.C.; characterized by sophisticated city planning.”

loess

“A fertile deposit of windblown soil.”

oracle bone

“One of the animal bones or tortoise shells used by ancient Chinese priests to communicate with the gods.”

Mandate of Heaven

“In Chinese history, the divine approval thought to be the basis of royal authority.”

dynastic cycle

“The historical pattern of the rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties.”

feudalism

“A political system in which nobles are granted the use of lands that legally belong to their king, in exchange for their loyalty, military service, and protection of the people who live on the land.”

Nile River

“Begins in the 'heart' of Africa near Lake Victoria and courses northward for more than 4,000 miles; the longest river in the world.”

Lower Egypt

“The triangle splits of the Nile.”

Upper Egypt

“The southern land upstream on the Nile.”

Tigris River

“Northeastern river border of Fertile Mesopotamia.”

Euphrates River

“Southwestern river border of Mesopotamia.”