Worlds together, Worlds apart Chapter 2

bronze

a metal that is formed when copper is merged with arsenic or tin, a useful metal for tools and weapons

city-state

a political organization based on the authority of a single, large city that controls the surrounding countryside

river basins

areas drained by a river and that included all its tributaries

social hierarchies

distinctions between the privileged and the less privileged

territorial state

a form of political organization that holds authority over a large population and landmass,; its power is extended over a wide area that is larger than that of city-states

urban-rural divide

the interdependent distinction where people of the cities created lifestyles on specialized labor and the mass production of goods, while those in the country remained dependent upon land cultivation and tending the livestock. Grains and animal products were exchanged for goods from the Urban centers

Uruk

the first urban center of the world; near the Euphrates river, called "shining city" of King Gilgamesh

What did most inhabitants do for work as opposed to solely producing their own food?

They now worked in specialized professions

What determined where and how people settled?

Reliable water sources

What was the most coveted metal?

Copper

What significant intellectual advancement was made as urban enclaves evolved?

Writing systems

Where was the largest population center in the Americas?

The Valley of Tehuacan near modern day Mexico City

What coveted rare material was sought after in trade for its superb use in tools?

Obsidian

Where was cultural information exchanged

In the borderlands, far from big cities, where traders would meet.

Where did the world's first complex society arise?

The Mesopotamian River Basin

What did the Mesopotamians create that was so revolutionary?

Irrigation Systems with help from Levees

To what is the Mesopotamian yield of grain compared to?

The yield of grain from modern-day Canada

What were the second and third most sought after items in trade?

Lapis lazuli and tin

Why was Mesopotamian trade more successful than Egypt?

Egypt was surrounded by impassable deserts, Nile rapids, and the Mediterranean Sea.

Which groups were dominant in Mesopotamia?

Sumerians, Hurrians, Akkadians

What were the earliest cities in Mesopotamia?

Eridu, Nippur, Uruk

What was always at the center of Mesopotamian cities?

The Temple

In the Steppe lands of Inner Mongolia

small communities turned primarily to animal breeding and herding.

In Sumerian households...

monogamy was the norm.

The first territorial-state was established where and by who?

In Akkad by Sargon the Great

What is most notable about the Harappan civilization?

Their distinct system of writing and epic poems

What is known of the Nile River?

It had predictable annual flooding and a large amount of silt that was good for farming.

The demise of Egypt did NOT occur because of...

External invasions

In Longshan culture, what was coveted by the elite and used by Shamans in rituals?

Jade

What did the Longshan residents do to tell the future?

They burned deer scapulas so diviners could interpret the cracks.