melc unit 4 + 5

lexical lists

educational cuneiform texts organized by category, used to teach scribes writing and vocabulary

stela

an upright stone or wooden slab used in ancient times to record important events, rulers, or laws

rosetta stone

ancient egyptian stone w/ the same text written in three scripts which helped scholars decipher hieroglyphics

abecedary

an inscription consisting of the letters of an alphabet, typically in standard order, used for teaching literacy

source criticism

analytical evaluation of an ancient text’s reliability, bias, authorship, date, and original context

historical consciousness

an ancient culture’s awareness and ideological framing of its own past

Ma’at

the ancient egyptian concept of truth, justice, balance, and order in the universe

enuma anu enlil

major series of 70 cuneiform tablets containing omens based on celestial observations

importance of venus

used for chronological and astrological calculations; priests observed venus to interpret omens and predict events

lunar calendar

calendar system based on monthly moon cycles

battle of kadesh 1274 bce

clash between ramesses II and the hittites; resulted in a peace treaty as no side every won a clear victory

Cyrus Cylinder

An ancient clay cylinder written after Persian King Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon in 539 BCE. describes his rule and restoration of temples and religious practices

Sumerian Kings List

An ancient mesopotamian text listing sumerian kings and their reigns, mixing historical rulers w/ legendary kings. structured around the principle that kingship was brought down from heaven

palermo stone

stela preserving annals of egyptian kings, nile flood heights, and ritual events

berossos and manetho

priests who wrote about histories of babylon and egypt in greek, helping to preserve their civilizations’ histories for later generations