Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, and Ancient Greece Study Guide

A set of vocabulary flashcards to help review key terms and concepts from Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, and Ancient Greece.

Potter's Wheel

A technological advance in Mesopotamia used for shaping pottery.

Stele of Naram-Sin

An example of relief sculpture representing the ruler's power.

Relief Sculpture

A sculptural technique where figures are carved into a flat surface.

Nemes

A striped headdress associated with Pharaohs in Ancient Egypt.

Cobra

A symbol that guarded the gates of the underworld in Ancient Egyptian culture.

Flail and Crook

Symbols of Osiris representing punishment and shepherding duties respectively.

False Beard

Symbol of power and divinity worn by Pharaohs and deities like Osiris.

Hierarchical Scale

An artistic technique where the size of figures is based on their social importance.

Composite View

A way of depicting the human body in both profile and frontal views in Ancient Egyptian art.

Humanism

A philosophical stance in Ancient Greece focusing on human potential and achievements.

Olympics

Ancient Greek games that celebrated athleticism and competition.

Idealized Figure Style

Art style that depicts figures as perfect and without flaws.

Naturalistic Figure Style

Art style that attempts to accurately represent figures from real life.

Stylized Figure Style

Art style that emphasizes decorative elements and abstract representations.

Amphora

A type of vase used in Ancient Greece often for storage.

Rosetta Stone

An artifact that helped decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Ka

The spiritual essence of a person in Ancient Egyptian belief.

Mastaba

An ancient Egyptian tomb structure with a flat roof and sloping sides.

Sphinx

A mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head, symbolizing strength and wisdom.

Shamash

The sun god in Mesopotamian mythology.

Horus

The sky god in Ancient Egyptian mythology, symbolizing kingship.

Bat

An ancient symbol of motherhood and fertility in Egyptian culture.

Cuneiform

A system of writing developed by the Sumerians, one of the earliest known writing systems.

Ziggurat

A massive stepped tower associated with Mesopotamian temple complexes, often dedicated to a patron god.

Hammurabi's Code

A well-preserved Babylonian law code of ancient Mesopotamia, famous for its 'an eye for an eye' principle.

Ishtar Gate

The eighth gate to the inner city of Babylon, known for its vibrant glazed brick relief sculptures.

Sumerians

The earliest known civilization in Mesopotamia, credited with many fundamental innovations like the wheel and writing.

Akkadians

An ancient Semitic empire in Mesopotamia that unified Sumerian city-states under Sargon the Great.

Babylonians

An ancient Mesopotamian state known for its powerful kings like Hammurabi and its impressive city of Babylon.

Assyrians

An ancient Mesopotamian empire known for its military prowess and monumental art, especially relief sculptures.

Lamassu

A protective deity from ancient Assyria, depicted with a human head, the body of a lion or bull, and eagle wings.

Pyramid

A monumental structure built as tombs for pharaohs in Ancient Egypt, symbolizing their ascent to the afterlife.

Hatshepsut

One of the most famous female pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, known for her prosperous reign and extensive building projects.

Akhenaten

An Ancient Egyptian pharaoh known for his attempt to establish monotheistic worship of the Aten (sun disc).

Tutankhamun

An Ancient Egyptian pharaoh whose relatively undisturbed tomb provided significant archaeological insights into the New Kingdom.

Osiris

The Ancient Egyptian god of the underworld, the dead, and resurrection, often depicted with green skin.

Isis

The Ancient Egyptian goddess of motherhood, magic, and fertility, wife of Osiris and mother of Horus.

Anubis

The Ancient Egyptian god of mummification and the afterlife, often depicted as a jackal or a man with a jackal's head.

Book of the Dead

A collection of spells and prayers written on papyrus, used by ancient Egyptians to guide the deceased through the afterlife.

Canopic Jars

Containers used in ancient Egypt to hold preserved internal organs during mummification, often topped with heads of gods.

Parthenon

A famous temple on the Athenian Acropolis, dedicated to the goddess Athena, exemplifying classical Greek architecture.

Doric Order

One of the three classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture, characterized by simple, sturdy columns with plain capitals.

Ionic Order

One of the three classical orders, characterized by slender fluted pillars with a large base and two opposing volutes (scrolls) in the capital.

Corinthian Order

The most ornate of the classical orders, characterized by slender fluted columns and elaborate capitals decorated with acanthus leaves.

Plato

An influential ancient Greek philosopher, student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, known for his theory of Forms.

Socrates

A classical Greek philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, known for the Socratic method.

Democracy

A system of government where the citizens exercise power either directly or through elected representatives, originating in ancient Athens.

Acropolis

A citadel or complex built on a high hill in many Greek cities, most famously in Athens, often containing temples and public buildings.