Midterm Terms (ch1-8)

Hominins

The group within the hominid family that includes humans and their close extinct relatives

Paleolithic Era

Period before 9000 BCE during which humans used tools of stone, bone, and wood and obtained food by gathering and hunting

Foraging

A style of life in which people gain food by gathering plant products, trapping or catching small animals and birds, and hunting larger prey

Neolithic Era

Period beginning in 9000 BCE during which humans obtained for by raising crops and animals and continued to use tools primarily of stone, bone, and wood

Neanderthals

Group of Homo erects with brains as large as those of modern humans that lived in Europe and Western Asia between 200,000 and 30,000 years ago

Endogamy

The practice of marrying within a certain ethnic or social group

Megafaunal extinction

Die-off of large animals in many parts of the world around 45,000-10,000 BCE caused by climate change most likely human hunting

Division of labor

Differentation of tasks by gender, age, training, status, or other social distinction

Animism

idea that people, animals, plants, natural occurrences and other parts of the physical world have spirits

Shamans

Spiritually, adept, men and women who communicated with the unseen world

Agricultural revolution

Dramatic transformation in human history, resulting from the change from foraging to raising crops and animals

Domesticated

Plants and animals modified by selective breeding to serve human needs domesticated. Animals will behave in a specific ways and breed in captivity

Horticulture

Crop raising done with hand tools and human power

Pastoralism

An economic system based on herding flocks of goats, sheep, cattle, or other animals

Social hierarchies

Divisions between rich and poor, elites in common people that have been a Central feature of human society, since the Neolithic era

Patriarchy

Social systems, in which men have more power and access to resources and women, and some men are dominant over other men

Polytheism

The worship of many gods and goddesses

cuneiform

Sumarian form of writing the term describes the wedge shaped marks by a stylus

Epic poem

An oral or written narration of the achievements, and sometimes the failures of heroes embodies peoples ideas about themselves

Hammurabi’s law code

A proclamation issued by Babylonian king Hammurabi, to establish laws regulating many aspects of life

Pharaoh

The title given to the king of Egypt in the new kingdom for a word that meant “great house”

Indo European languages

A large family of languages that includes English, most of the languages of modern Europe, ancient Greek, Latin, Persian, Hindi, Bengali, and Sanskirt

Bronze age collapse

A period of crisis, destruction, and famine in the eastern Mediterranean about 1200 BCE that may have been caused by climate change

Iron age

Beginning about 1100 BCE, when iron became the most important material for weapons and tools in some parts of the world

Phoenicians

People of the prosperous city-state in what is now Lebanon who traded and founded colonies throughout the Mediterranean and spread the phenotypic alphabet

Yahweh

All powerful god of the Hebrew people in the basis for the enduring religion traditions of Judaism

Zoroastrianism

Religious based on the teachings of Zoroaster that emphasize the individuals responsibility to choose between good and evil

Harappan

First Indian civilization, also known as the Indus valley civilization

Aryans

The dominant people in North Indian after the decline of the Indus valley civilization they spoke an early form of Sanskirt

Rig Veda

The earliest collection of Indian hymns ritual texts in philosophical treatises. It is the central source of information on early Aryans.

Brahmins

Priest of the Aryans, they supported the growth of royal powers in the return for royal confirmation of their own religious rights, power, and status

Caste system

The Indian system of dividing society into hereditary groups, whose members interactive primarily within the group and especially married within the group

Samsara

The transmigration of souls by a continual process of rebirth

Karma

The tally of good and bad deeds that determines the status of an individuals next life

Brahaman

The unchanging ultimate reality according to the Upanishads

Jainism

Indian religion, whose followers consider all life sacrificed and avoid destroying other life

Four noble truths

The Buddha’s message, that pain and suffering is in skippable parts of life suffering and anxiety are caused by human desire and attachments. People can understand and try them over weakness in this try, and is made possible by following a simple code of conduct.

Eightfold path

The eighth of code of conduct set forth by the Buddha in his first sermon

Mahayana

The “great vehicle”, a tradition of Buddhism, that aspires to be more inclusive

Bodhisattvas

Buddhas-to-be who stayed in the world after enlightenment to help others on the path to salvation

Dharma

The Sanskrit word for moral law central to both Buddhist and Hindu teachings.

Mauryan Empire

The first Indian empire, founded by Chandragupta

loess

Soil deposited by wind, it is fertile and easy to work

Anyang

One of the Shang dynasty’s capital is from which the shaman king ruled for more than two centuries

Taotie

A stylized animal face commonly seen in Chinese bronzes

Logographic

A system of writing in which each word is represented by a single symbol, such as the Chinese script

Book of documents

One of the earliest Chinese books containing document speeches, and historical accounts about early Zhou rule

Mandate of heaven

The theory that heaven gives the king a mandate to rule, only as long as he rules in the interest of the people

Shi

The lower ranks of Chinese or aristocracy these men could serve in the military or civil capacity

Book of songs

The earliest collection of Chinese poetry, it provides a glimpse of what life was like in early Zhou dynasty

Warring states period

The period of Chinese history between 403 BCE and 221 BCE when states fought each other and one state after another was destroyed

Crossbow

A power mechanical bow develop during the warring states period

Ren

Humanity, the ultimate Confucians virtue

Filial piety

Reverent attitude of children to their parents, extolled by Confucians

Dao

The way, a term is used by Daiosts to refer to the natural order

Legalist

Political theorist, who emphasize the need for rigorous laws and laid the basis for China’s later, bureaucratic government

Ying and yang

A concept of complementary polls, one of which represents feminine dark and representative in the other masculine, bright and assertive

Polis

Generally translated as city state, it was the basic political and institutional unit of ancient Greece

Hoplites

Heavily armed citizens, who served as infantryman and fought to defend the polis

Democracy

A type of Greek government, in which all citizens administer their workings of the government

Oligarchy

A type of Greek government in which citizens who owns a certain amount of property ruled

Mystery religions

Belief system that were characterized by secret doctrines, rituals of initiation, and sometimes the promise of rebirth or after life

Platonic ideals

In Plato’s thought the eternal, unchanging, ideal forms that are the essence of true reality

Hellenistic

Literally means “like the Greeks” describes the period from the death of Alexander the great in 323 BCE to the Roman conquest of Egypt in 30 BCE when Greek culture spread

Hellenization

The spread of Greek ideas, cultures and traditions to Non-Greek groups across a wide area

Epicureanism

System of philosophy, based on the teachings of Epicurus, who viewed life as a contentment, free from fear and suffering as the greatest good

Stoicism

Philosophy based on the idea of Zeno that held that people could only be happy when living in accordance with nature, and excepting whatever happened

Senate

The assembly that was the main institution of power in the Roman republic, originally composed only of aristocrats

Patricians

The Roman hereditary aristocracy, who had most of the political power in the republic

plebeians

The common people of Rome who were free, but had few of the Patricians advantage

Consuls

Primary executives in the Roman republic, elected for one year terms who commanded the army in battles, administered states business and supervise financial affairs

Punic wars

A series of three wars between Rome and Carthage, in which Rome emerged of the victor

Parterfamilias

The oldest dominant male of the family who held great power over the lives family members

Pax Romania

The Roman peace a term invented by historian Edward Gibbon in the 18th century, to describe the first and second centuries C.E, which he saw as a time of political stability and relative peace

Messiah

In Jewish belief, an anointed leader who would bring a period of peace and happiness for Jews

Pagan

Originally referred to those who lived in the countryside the term came to me those who practice religions other than Judaism or Christianity

Bishop

A Christian church official with jurisdiction over certain areas and the power to determine the correct interpretation of Christian teachings

Great wall

A rammed-earth fortification built along the northern border of China during the reign of the first emperor

Confucian Classics

The ancient text recovered during the Han dynasty, the Confucian scholars treated as sacred Scriptures

Records of the Great historian

A comprehensive history of China, written by Sima Qian

Silk Road

The trade routes across Central Asia linking China to Western Eurasia

Tributary system

A system first established during the Han Dynasty to regulate contacts with foreign power. States and tribes beyond its borders, the invoice bearing gifts and receive gifts and return

Eunuchs

Castrated male who played an important role as palace servants

Age of division

The period after the fall of the Han dynasty when China was politically divided

Grand canal

Canal built during the Sui dynasty that connected the Yellow and Yangzi rivers. It was notable for strengthening, China’s internal cohesions and economic development.

Pure Land

A school of Buddhism that taught that by calling on the Buddha Amitabha, one can achieve rebirth in Amitabha’s Pure land paradise.

Chan

A school of Buddhism (known as Japan as Zen) that rejected the authority of the sutras, and claim that superiority of the mind to mind transmission of Buddhist truths

Shinto

The way of gods, Japan’s native religion

Nara

Japan’s capital in first true city it was established in 710, and modeled on the capital Tang capital of Chang’an

Justinians Code

Multipart collection of laws and legal commentary issued in the sixth century by the emperor Justinian

Dioceses

Geographic administrative districts of the church, each under the authority of the bishop and centered on a cathedral

Heresy

A religious practice or believe Judge unacceptable by church officials

Popes

Heads of the Roman Catholic Church, who became political as well as religious authorities. The period of a popes term in office is called a pontification.

Orthodox Church

Another name for the eastern Christian church over which emperors continue to have power

Sacrament

certain rituals of the church believed to act as a conduit of God’s grace such as a baptism

Iconoclastic Controversy

The conflict over the veneration of religious images in the Byzantine Empire

Wergeld

Compensatory payment for death or injury set in many barbarian law codes

Penance

Ritual in which Christians asked a priest for forgiveness for sins and the priest set certain actions to atone for their sins

Saints

People who were venerated for having lived or died in a way that was spiritually heroic or noteworthy

Merovingian

Dynasty of rulers that decisively unified the franks under the reign of the Clovis, and ruled the Frankish kingdom until the 17th century