HIST106 key trms

Amarna archive

Collection of 14th century BCE diplomatic letters found at Amarna in Egypt, written in Akkadian between major Late Bronze Age rulers.

amphora

Two-handled ceramic storage jar used widely in Mediterranean trade, especially for transporting wine and oil.

Anunnaki

Group of major Mesopotamian deities; in myth associated with cosmic authority and the creation of humanity.

archaeoscience

Application of scientific techniques (DNA analysis, isotopes, paleobotany, climate reconstruction) to archaeological research.

charismatic power

Authority based on an individual’s perceived extraordinary qualities, divine favor, or heroic leadership.

corvée

System of unpaid, state-required labor used for canals, pyramids, temples, and other public works.

cognitive revolution

Development (ca. 70,000–50,000 BCE) of advanced symbolic thought, language, and complex culture in Homo sapiens.

cultivation

Human tending and managing of plant growth without full genetic domestication.

cuneiform

Wedge-shaped writing system developed in Mesopotamia; evolved from logographic to syllabic uses.

determinism

The theory that large structural forces (climate, economics, environment) drive historical change.

domestication

Process by which plants or animals become genetically altered and dependent on humans through selective breeding.

earthquake storm

A sequence of connected earthquakes occurring over time along linked fault systems.

Enkidu

Wild man and companion of Gilgamesh; represents nature before civilization in Mesopotamian epic.

entheogen

Psychoactive substance used in religious rituals to induce trance or spiritual experiences.

epic

Long narrative poem recounting heroic deeds central to a culture’s identity.

grain core

Region capable of producing visible, storable, assessable grain surpluses that support early state formation.

Hammurabi

Amorite king of Babylon (r. 1792–1750 BCE) known for territorial expansion and his law code.

henotheism

Belief in one primary god without denying the existence of other gods.

Herodotus

5th century BCE Greek historian often called the “Father of History.”

Hisarlik

Archaeological site in modern Turkey identified as ancient Troy; a multi-layered tel.

hydraulic despotism

Theory that large irrigation systems required centralized control, leading to authoritarian states.

Inanna

Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, fertility, and political authority (later identified with Ishtar).

intermediary period

A transitional phase between stronger centralized regimes, often marked by fragmentation (e.g., Egyptian Intermediate Periods).

Knossos

Minoan palace complex on Crete, major center of Late Bronze Age Aegean civilization.

Marduk

Chief god of Babylon elevated to supreme status during Hammurabi’s reign.

mode of production

Marxist concept describing how a society organizes labor and resources to produce goods.

Mohenjo Daro

Major urban center of the Indus Valley Civilization (ca. 3000–1900 BCE).

Neolithic

“New Stone Age”; period marked by agriculture, sedentary settlement, and polished stone tools.

oracle bones

Ox scapulae or turtle plastrons used for divination in Shang dynasty China; earliest evidence of Chinese writing.

paleobotany

Study of ancient plant remains (seeds, pollen, phytoliths) to reconstruct early agriculture and diet.

paleoenvironmental proxies

Natural records such as pollen cores or sediment layers used to reconstruct past climate conditions.

paleogenomics

Study of ancient DNA to reconstruct population movement and ancestry.

pastoralism

Economic system based primarily on herding domesticated animals, often involving mobility.

philology (historical)

Study of language change over time to reconstruct earlier languages (e.g., Proto Indo European).

primitive matriarchy

Theoretical early social system in which women held primary religious or political authority (debated in scholarship).

Proto Indo European(s)

Reconstructed ancestral language and steppe-associated population from which many Eurasian languages descend.

Sargon of Akkad

Ruler (c. 2334–2279 BCE) who founded the first territorial empire in Mesopotamia by conquering Sumerian city-states.

scribal culture

Society in which literacy and record-keeping are controlled by trained scribes and administrators.

Sea Peoples

Groups mentioned in Egyptian and Near Eastern sources associated with upheavals around 1200 BCE.

shamanism

Religious practice involving trance states and mediation between human and spirit worlds.

stratigraphy

Archaeological method of analyzing soil layers; older layers lie beneath newer ones.

syllabary

Writing system in which symbols represent syllables rather than individual sounds.

tel

Artificial mound formed from successive layers of human occupation (Turkish: tepe).

Teotihuacán

Large Mesoamerican city (ca. 100–700 CE) known for monumental pyramids and centralized planning.

Uluburun shipwreck

Late Bronze Age shipwreck off the coast of Turkey containing copper, tin, luxury goods, and evidence of international trade.