AP world test 1

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture on patterns in world history, including major cultural traditions, social organizations, and historical developments.

Paleolithic Era

Also known as the Old Stone Age, represents over 95% of human history and was characterized by a hunting and gathering society.

Agricultural Revolution

A transformative period in human history where deliberate cultivation of plants and domestication of animals replaced hunting and gathering.

Pastoral Societies

Communities of herders and nomads who relied more on animals due to difficult farming conditions, often moving seasonally.

Chiefdoms

Political organizations with inherited positions of power that rely on generosity and ritual status rather than force.

Civilizations

Complex societies based in cities, governed by states that exhibit significant economic inequality, and specialized occupations.

Hinduism

A South Asian cultural tradition with no historical founder, emphasizing a diversity of gods and beliefs overseen by Brahmins.

Buddhism

A religion developed alongside Hinduism, founded by Siddhartha Gautama, emphasizing the path to enlightenment and the recognition of suffering.

Confucianism

A Chinese philosophical system founded by Confucius that emphasizes moral behavior, educational improvement, and the importance of history.

Daoism

A Chinese philosophical tradition promoting harmony with nature and simplicity, often contrasting with Confucianism.

Judaism

A monotheistic faith characterized by a distinctive conception of a powerful, accessible deity, forming the basis of both Christianity and Islam.

Christianity

A major world religion founded on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, emphasizing love, compassion, and social justice.

Islam

A major world religion founded by Muhammad, characterized by monotheism and teachings aimed at social justice and community equality.

Silk Roads

A network of trade routes that linked China and the Mediterranean world, operational since around 200 B.C.E. for over 1500 years.

Sufism

The mystical dimension of Islam, focusing on personal experience of the divine and often critical of legalistic practices.

Sand Roads

Trade routes that connected North Africa and the Mediterranean with the interior of West Africa, also known as trans-Saharan trade routes.