World History Modern AP Edition - Prologue and The Classical Era (Vocabulary)

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the Prologue through the Classical Era as presented in the notes.

Modern humans

Homo sapiens who appeared in East Africa between 200,000 and 100,000 BCE; hunter-gatherers with small groups.

Animism

Religious belief that deities or spirits inhabit natural features like animals, mountains, or rivers.

Out of Africa migration

Movement of humans beyond East Africa (roughly 100,000–60,000 BCE), leading to global settlement.

Hunter-gatherers

Societies living in small groups relying on hunting and foraging; no permanent homes.

Fire control

Early humans learned to make and manage fire, a major technological advance.

Stone tools

Tools crafted from stone, developed early in human history through knapping.

Agricultural Revolution

Around 10,000 years ago; farming and animal domestication began, creating surpluses.

Surplus

An excess of food allowing some people to specialize in nonfood activities.

Specialization

Division of labor where people focus on specific trades or crafts.

Writing

The invention of systems to record transactions, laws, and information.

Bronze and Iron

Metallurgy replacing stone tools; bronze and iron tools and weapons emerge.

City-state

Independent political unit consisting of a city and surrounding area.

Sumer

Early Mesopotamian civilization in the Tigris-Euphrates region; city-states and trade center.

Cuneiform

One of the world’s first writing systems developed by the Sumerians.

Ziggurat

Massive temple-pyramid complexes in Mesopotamian cities.

Pharaoh

Ruler of ancient Egypt; centralized authority and symbol of state power.

Hieroglyphics

Egyptian writing system using picture-like symbols.

Indus Valley Civilization

Civilizations in the Indus River valley (Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro); planned cities; advanced plumbing.

Harappa

Major city of the Indus Valley Civilization; part of its urban network.

Mohenjo-Daro

Major city of the Indus Valley Civilization; known for urban planning.

Indus script

Undeciphered writing system used by the Indus Valley people.

Huang He (Yellow River)

Cradle of Chinese civilizations; early social and political development in northern China.

Ancestor veneration

Respect and ritual honoring of deceased family members in Chinese culture.

Aryans

Indo-European-speaking peoples who migrated into South Asia and influenced early Hindu ideas.

Vedas

Sacred scriptures brought by the Aryans; foundational in early Hinduism.

Caste system

Rigid social stratification in Hindu society restricting mobility.

Reincarnation

Belief that the soul is reborn into new bodies after death.

Hinduism

Relatively ancient South Asian religion—Vedas, caste, karma, reincarnation; later conceptions of a supreme deity.

Zoroastrianism

Early monotheistic religion from Persia emphasizing good vs. evil and free will.

Judaism

Monotheistic faith tracing to Abraham; covenant with Yahweh; Old Testament.

Buddhism

Religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama focused on suffering, the path to cessation of suffering.

Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha)

Founder of Buddhism who attained enlightenment under the bodhi tree.

Four Noble Truths

Core Buddhist teaching about suffering and its cessation.

Eightfold Path

Guidelines for ethical and mental development leading to enlightenment.

Nirvana

Liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth in Buddhism.

Spread of Buddhism

Buddhism’s expansion across India and Asia via missionaries and trade.

Mauryan Empire

First major South Asian empire (c. 322–187 BCE); centralized administration and roads.

Ashoka

Mauryan emperor who promoted Buddhism and issued edicts; expanded infrastructure.

Gupta Empire

South Asian empire (c. 320–550 CE) known as India’s Golden Age; advances in math, medicine.

Confucianism

Philosophical system emphasizing education, virtue, filial piety, and respect for authority.

Daoism

Philosophical tradition focusing on harmony with nature and inner reflection.

Mandate of Heaven

Chinese belief that heaven grants emperors the right to rule; withdrawal signals legitimacy loss.

Zhou Dynasty

Earlier Chinese dynasty introducing the Mandate of Heaven concept and Warring States period.

Qin Dynasty

First Chinese imperial dynasty; centralized rule, standardization, early legalism.

Han Dynasty

Chinese imperial golden age; strong bureaucracy, civil service exams, innovations.

Civil service exam

Merit-based exams used to select officials for the Han and later dynasties.

Silk Roads

Network of trade routes linking East and West across Eurasia; cultural exchange.

Greco-Roman democracy

Early democratic practices in Athens; direct participation of free male citizens.

Pericles

Leader of Athens during its Golden Age; promoted democracy and culture.

Twelve Tables

Written Roman laws displayed publicly to protect citizens’ rights.

Justinian Code

Codification of Roman law under Justinian; influenced European legal tradition.

Hagia Sophia

Grand Byzantine church built under Justinian; later a mosque and now a museum.