World History-Exam Review (Test VOCAB)

12/15/23

Paleolithic Period

the prehistoric era that began about 10,000 B.C.

pictographs

an early step in the development of writing

technology

the skills and tools people use to meet their basic needs

Jericho

one of the first Neolithic villages

polythesistic

describes people who believe in many gods

anthropology

Study of the origins and development of people and their societies

Neolithic Period

the era in prehistory that dates from at least 2 million B.C to about 10,000 B.C.

animism

the belief that spirits and forces exist within animals, objects, or dreams

Donald Johanson

first to discover enough of a skeleton to provide a good look at an early hominid

Mary and Louis Leakey

Discovered evidence at Olduvai Gorge that early hominids learned to use tools

Delta

the marshy area formed by silt deposits at the mouth of some rivers

zoroaster

religious figure who introduced the idea of a single wise god to the Persian empire

Rosetta Stone

the key to unlocking the meaning of ancient Egyptian writing and language

cuneiform

the form of writing composed of wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets

diaspora

the scattering of Jews across different parts of the world

Sabbath

the Jewish holy day of rest and worship

Sargon

the ruler who created the world's first empire

hieroglyphics

the form of writing in which symbols or pictures represent concepts or sounds

Nebuchadnezzar

the ruler who is thought to have build the Hanging Gardens in Babylon.

Hatshepsut

the female ruler of Egypt who encouraged trade during the new Kingdom

tyrant

a person who gains power by force

ostracism

banishing a public figure

Parthenon

a Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Athena

Homer

the author of the Illiad and the Odyssey

Hippocrates

the Greek physician who set ethical standards for doctors

Herodotus

the Greek historian often called the "Father of History"

citizen

a free resident of a Greek city-state

Pericles

an Athenian statesman who expanded democracy

Alexandria

the Egyptian cultural capital of the Hellenistic world

polis

a Greek city-state, consisting of a city and the surrounding countryside

latifundia

huge estates bought up by wealthy Roman families

republic

a form of government in which the people choose some of the officials

Ptolemy

the Hellenistic scientist who argued that the Earth was the center of the universe

heresy

belief contrary to official Church teaching

dictator

a ruler who has complete control over foreign lands and peoples

Virgil

the author of the Aeneid

mercenaries

foreign soldiers serving for pay

legion

the basic military unit of the Roman army

Augustine

a scholar who combined Christian doctrine with Greco-Roman learning

imperialism

the policy of establishing control over foreign lands and peoples

serf

a peasant bound to the land

troubadour

a wandering musician

apprentice

a trainee in the guild system

Clovis

the Frankish leader who conquered the former Roman province of Gaul

journeyman

a salaried worker in the guild system

fief

an estate granted to a vassal by his lord

charter

a document that set out the rights and privileges of a town

St. Francis of Assisi

the founder of the first order of friars

papal supremacy

authority over all secular rulers

knight

a mounted warrior