Chapter 1-8 World History Review Flashcards

Question-and-answer flashcards covering key concepts from Chapter 1-8 lecture notes on civilization, Neolithic Revolution, metallurgy, regions, and timelines.

What are the five characteristics of a civilization?

Advanced cities; specialized workers; complex institutions; record keeping (writing); and advanced technology (with surplus enabling these).

What term describes the process of extracting and working metals?

Metallurgy.

What major transformation marks the shift from hunting and gathering to settled life and farming?

The Neolithic Revolution (the shift to agriculture and domestication of plants and animals).

Which animals were first domesticated during the Neolithic Revolution?

Goats and sheep.

Besides animals, what else was domesticated during the Neolithic Revolution?

Crops (cultivated plants/grains) for agriculture.

Why is food surplus important in the development of civilizations?

It allows population growth and specialization of labor (surplus leads to more workers with different roles).

Around what time did Mesopotamia become the oldest known civilization?

Approximately 4000–3000 BCE.

In BCE/CE time, which direction do the numbers move as you go back in time?

BCE numbers increase as you go backward; CE numbers increase forward after zero. The calendar goes from BCE toward zero and then CE forward.

What major world regions are studied for map regions in the notes?

East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Africa (West/East/South/North), Europe, North America, Latin America, and Oceania.

What are the Central Asian “five stans”?

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

What geographic feature divides European Russia from Asian Russia?

The Ural Mountains.

Which cultures are included in East Asia according to the notes?

China, Japan, and the Koreas (with Tibet/Taiwan noted as related considerations).

Which countries are typically included in Southeast Asia?

Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines.

Which countries are typically included in South Asia?

India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.

Who were the original inhabitants of the Indus Valley civilization?

The Dravidians.

What is the Fertile Crescent?

The fertile arc in the Middle East where Mesopotamia developed; notable as a region where early agriculture first thrived.

Name two major Indus Valley cities.

Mohenjo-daro and Harappa.

In ancient China, what is the order of the traditional social hierarchy from top to bottom?

Emperor; nobles/priests; farmers; artisans; merchants.

What is the classical era timeframe given in the notes?

Approximately 600 BCE to 600 CE.

What is a theocracy?

A government ruled by religious leaders claiming divine authority (Egypt is given as an example).

Did all early civilizations practice slavery?

No. Slavery became more prominent in the classical era; not every early civilization had slavery at that time.

What is Latin America as defined in the notes?

All lands south of the Rio Grande to the Pacific (Caribbean, Central America, and South America); Mexico is variably included depending on context.

What is the policy on test corrections described in the notes?

You can do test corrections to earn back credit up to a 70; you must explain why the corrected answer is right.