Ninth Grade Global Review: Prehistory to the Age of Exploration

A comprehensive vocabulary review of key terms from world history, covering prehistory, early river valleys, classical empires, religious systems, the Middle Ages, and the Age of Discovery.

Paleolithic Age

Also known as the "Old Stone Age."

Neolithic Age

The "New Stone Age" marked by the development of farming.

Civilization

A complex society characterized by cities, government, economic specialization, social ranking, religion, art, architecture, and writing.

Cultural Diffusion

The spread of ideas, customs, and technologies from one people to another.

Ethnocentrism

The belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture.

Pharaohs

Egyptian rulers with absolute control, considered descendants of the sun god Amon-Re.

Hieroglyphics

The ancient Egyptian writing system.

Cuneiform

The system of writing used by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia.

Hammurabi's Code

A Babylonian legal code established in $1790\,BC$.

Monotheism

The belief in one god, practiced by the Hebrews.

Caste System

The rigid social class system in India that serves as the foundation for Hinduism.

Mandate of Heaven

A Chinese political theory where the right to rule is granted by divine authority; part of the dynastic cycle.

Karma

In Hinduism and Buddhism, the sum of a person's actions that determines their fate in the next life.

Nirvana

The ultimate goal of Buddhism, representing the end of suffering and the cycle of reincarnation.

Filial Piety

The Confucian concept of respect for parents and ancestors.

Legalism

A Chinese philosophy stating that people are naturally evil and require harsh punishments and strict laws.

Silk Road

A trade route connecting the Han Dynasty in China with Rome and the Middle East.

Polis

A Greek city-state, which served as the fundamental political unit in ancient Greece.

Hellenistic Culture

A blend of Greek, Egyptian, Persian, and Indian influences created by Alexander the Great's conquests.

Pax Romana

A period of relative peace and stability throughout the Roman Empire lasting from $31\,BC$ to $180\,AD$.

Great Schism

The split in $1054\,AD$ between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

Five Pillars of Islam

The basic acts of worship for Muslims: faith, prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage to Mecca.

Feudalism

A political and social system based on mutual obligations, such as the feudal contract and hierarchy.

Manorialism

The economic system of the Middle Ages centered on self-sufficient agricultural estates worked by serfs.

Pax Mongolia

A period of stability and increased trade along the Silk Road resulting from Mongol conquest.

Shinto

The indigenous religion of Japan focused on the worship of spirits called kami found in nature.

Animism

The belief that spirits reside in nature and all living things, prominent in ancient African cultures.

Humanism

A Renaissance intellectual movement focusing on human potential and achievements rather than religious themes.

Protestant Reformation

A religious movement initiated by Martin Luther in $1517\,AD$ that protested corruption in the Catholic Church.

Mercantilism

An economic policy where colonies exist to benefit the mother country by providing raw materials and markets.

Columbian Exchange

The global transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Old World and the New World.