Ancient Mesopotamia Test

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the Stone Age, neolithic transitions, and early civilizations.

History

The record of events resulting from humanity’s relationships with nature and its Beliefs, Institutions, and Technology (Culture).

Megafauna

Large or oversized animals of the past, such as mammoths, mastodons, giant pigs, camels, and early horses.

Cradle of Humankind

Africa is considered the birthplace of all humankind.

Cave paintings

Wall paintings created by early humans found in caves.

Pleistocene Era

Earliest period of human appearance; ended about 12,000 years ago; last Ice Age; continents had moved to their current positions.

Hominids

Early human-like creatures; first found in Africa’s Olduvai Gorge and believed to be about 1.8 million years old.

Australopithecus

Earliest genus of hominids; includes species such as A. robustus.

Lucy

Fossil of Australopithecus afarensis discovered in Ethiopia (1974) by Donald Johanson.

A. robustus

Australopithecus robustus; plant-eating with flatter teeth.

A. africanus

Australopithecus africanus; had sharper teeth.

Homo habilis

“Handy man”; first to use simple stone tools.

Homo erectus

“Upright man”; could use fire and make tools; first hominid to leave Africa. First to conduct burial practices

Homo sapiens

“Thinking man”; modern humans with large brains.

Neanderthal Man

Early form of humans in Europe/adjacent Asia and Africa; lived in caves; made tools, wore clothes, and practiced burial rituals.

Circular burial sites

Burial sites where the body is laid in a circular or fetal position.

Paleolithic Era

Old Stone Age; use of chipped stone implements; roughly 3.5 million years to 9000 BC.

Animism

Belief that everything on Earth, living or nonliving, has a soul.

Surplus food/population growth

More food (surplus) enables population growth; less food lowers birth rates.

Kish

An ancient Mesopotamian city used as an example of early urban development.

Hieroglyphics

Ancient Egyptian writing using symbolic pictures.

Cuneiform

Ancient Mesopotamian writing system using wedge-shaped marks.

Monumental construction

Large-scale building projects (not simple houses), such as irrigation works, temples, and major structures.

Nomadic hunter-gatherer

People who move from place to place in search of food, rather than farming.

Neolithic Era

New Stone Age; characterized by polished stone tools, village life, agriculture, domestication of plants and animals, and innovations like the wheel.

Domestication

The process of adapting wild plants and animals for human use, including dogs as an early example.

Wheel

Invention during the Neolithic that facilitated transport and pottery making.

Copper/Tin Age (early Bronze Age)

Early period when pure copper and bronze (copper-tin alloy) were used (approximately 4000–3500 BC).

Bronze Age

Era from about 3500 BC to 1500 BC characterized by widespread bronze use.

Iron Age

Era beginning around 1300 BC marked by the dominant use of iron tools and weapons.

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

River valleys in Mesopotamia; cradle of civilization.

Nile River

River valley in Egypt; cradle of civilization.

Indus River

River valley in India; cradle of civilization.

Yellow River

River valley in China; cradle of civilization.

Reasons rivers supported civilization

Rivers provided transportation, stable climate, natural defense, and fertile soil for food production.

7 things that identify a civilization

1. Writing

2. Development of Cities

3. Specialization of labor

4. Social classes

5. Organized central government

6. Complex organized religion

7. Monumental construction

Semitic Language

Related language groups containing: Akkadian, Aramaean, Hebrew, & Arabic. Formed on the Arabian Peninsula, migrated to Mesopotamia, Nile River Delta and Mediterranean Coast

Indo-European Language

Family of languages descendant of a single unified language. Began in Caucuses Mtn 5,000 years ago. Migrated to Europe becoming the basis of modern European languages. Most notable Latin 

Lugal

“Important Man” —Later—> “Monarch”

Ensi

High Priest and Governor of the Sumerians

Ziggurat

Sumerian, Structure composed of step-like terraces with a flat top, Used for everything and was the center of culture

Sexagesimal System

A base-60 numerical system used by the Sumerians.

Protoliterate

Refers to the time period where writing began, thus leading to an explosion of technology (Science and medicine) and knowledge.

Empire

When and individual or group seizes land or territory that they have no legal right to, and then govern that territory

Sargon the Great

Founded Akkadian Empire, created the first empire known to history. Invaded and captured Sumer conquering the last Sumerian king Lugal-zagesi.

King Hammurabi

Developed Hammurabi’s Code, the first written code of law.

Hittites

Indo-European speaking, Based in Anatolia, Hittites are the first people to use iron and forge iron weapons (HID IRON INVENTION). Hittites are MASTERS at scythe chariot warfare. Hattusilus I is the first Hittite ruler.

Kassites

Indo-European speaking, Zagros Mountains, Kurigalzu I builds Dur-Kurigalzu the capital of the Kassite Empire, contributions to Babylonian culture. Created the Kudurru

What connects Kassites, Mittanians, and Hittites

Introduction of horses and chariot warfare

Mittanians

The first hegemonic (dominant politically) empire. Came to power in northern fertile crescent

Phoencians

Semitic people, settled in Syria/Lebanon today, along the coast, made up of a confederation of city states (Byblos, Tyre, Ugarit) known for their purple dye trade and master sailing capabilities

Byblos

Traded papyrus with Egypt, the basis of our words: book, bible, and library

Tyre

Responsible for the establishment of the colony of Carthage

Ugarit

Known for the Phoenician cuneiform, which led to the development of the alphabet adopted by the Greeks

Kudurru

A Kassite stone marker that defined land boundaries and recorded transactions.

Yahweh

The title used for the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible, representing a monotheistic belief.

Mosaic Covenant

An agreement between Yahweh (God) and the Israelites that included laws and commandments, outlining the requirements for the people to follow in exchange for divine favor.

Promised Land

The land promised by God where the Israelites were to settle.

King David

King of Israelites, establishes Jerusalem, his obsession with women gets the best of him

Shosheq I

A Pharaoh known for plundering the Temple of Solomon and possibly stealing the ark of the covenant

King Josiah of Judah

A godly monarch who reestablished the law of the lord, which directed monotheism upon the Hebrews

Aramaeans

Closely related to the Hebrews. Their language became the most common along the Mediterranean coast. Spoken by Jesus and his disciples.

Assyrians

Ancient Northern Mesopotamian civilization known for being the First group of people to use all iron weapons, as well as for the dispersal of conquered people and demanding tribute 

Tukulti-Ninurta I

 Defeated the Hittites and the Kassites. Destroyed the city of Babylon. Broke the “rules” of war by desecrating temples

Tiglath-Pilieser I

Established Assyria as a major power in the region. He was the first to cultivate fear of himself into his own people as well as his enemies.

Ashurnasirpal II

Ruled by terror and fear, began demanding tribute payments. Tribute allowed for a new palace to be built at Kalhu.

Shalmaneser III

Known for putting down a revolt by 12 different kings means the continuation of the tribute payments. Revolts become more prevalent

Tiglath-Pileser III

1. Expansion of the empire by annexing nearby kingdoms.

2. Siege warfare: including scaling walls and impaling the defeated on spikes!

3. Resettling conquered people in new areas. This prevented uprisings because there were no natural alliances among the resettled people. EX: Israelites

4. Capture of Babylon at the end of his reign.

Sargon II

Builds a new capital, Dur-Sharrukin. It is quickly abandoned after his death, but later is a very valuable archaeological find.

Sennacherib

Under Sennacherib, the Assyrian capital moved to Nineveh.

Esarhaddon

He was not violent, was not a monster. He was an Assyrian ruler who tried a different ruling approach

Ahurbanipal

He is the last strong king and created the largest library in existence at the time. Over 22,000 clay tablets of all the known knowledge

What led to the fall of the Assyrian Empire?

After the death of Ashurbanipal, Assyria went into rapid decline. Revolts against Assyria's terror and tribute policy were inevitable. The Chaldeans led a revolt in 626 BCE and they were soon joined by the Medes from the north. Nineveh was destroyed in 612 BCE

What led to the fall of the Phoenicians?

Because they never united to form a strong state, they were eventually overrun by the Chaldeans

What identifies an Assyrian King?

Long, square beard, Earring, Long hair

King Solomon

Rule resulted in division of Israel into 2 parts: Israel and Judah