Ancient Civilizations Review – Vocabulary Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, figures, and concepts from the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China to aid in exam preparation.

Civilization

A complex society with established language, customs, beliefs, arts, and specialized labor; from the Filipino root “bihasa” meaning expert.

Mesopotamia

Region between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers where the world’s earliest cities and states emerged.

Sumerians

Nomadic group that settled first in Mesopotamia; creators of city-states and early innovations.

Sumerian Social Hierarchy

Class system with priests & kings at the top, followed by merchants and farmers, and slaves at the bottom.

Polytheism

Belief in many gods; practiced widely in Sumer and other ancient cultures.

Anthropomorphic Gods

Deities described with human traits and behaviors, common in Sumerian religion.

Cuneiform

Wedge-shaped writing system invented by the Sumerians.

Akkadians

Semitic people who conquered Sumer under Sargon I and built history’s first empire.

Sargon I

Akkadian ruler (c. 2334-2279 BCE) who founded the first known empire centered at Ur.

First Empire

The Akkadian state established by Sargon I, uniting many Mesopotamian city-states.

Amorites

Semitic nomads who formed the Babylonian kingdom.

Babylonia

Mesopotamian empire with its capital at Babylon, famous for law and monumental architecture.

Hammurabi

Sixth king of Babylon who codified one of the earliest sets of laws.

Hammurabi’s Code

Collection of 282 laws based on retributive justice (lex talionis).

Lex Talionis

The legal principle of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

Assyrians

War-like people from northern Mesopotamia who built a vast empire famed for military campaigns.

Ashurbanipal

Assyrian king (c. 668-627 BCE) noted for effective rule and a great library at Nineveh.

Chaldeans

People who overthrew Assyria and ruled Neo-Babylon; centered in southern Babylonia.

Nebuchadnezzar II

Greatest Chaldean king; expanded empire and built the Hanging Gardens.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Terraced garden built by Nebuchadnezzar II; listed among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Cyrus the Great

Persian conqueror who captured Babylon in 539 BCE and founded the Achaemenid Empire.

Persians

Indo-European people who created a vast empire under leaders like Cyrus and Darius.

Indus Valley Civilization

Ancient culture (c. 2600-1900 BCE) along the Indus River; major cities Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.

Mohenjo-Daro

Planned Indus city known for grid layout, drainage, and citadel.

Harappa

Sister city to Mohenjo-Daro; center of Indus trade and craft production.

Himalayas

Mountain range whose snowmelt feeds the Indus River system.

Indus Script

Undeciphered writing system of the Indus civilization.

Dravidians

Dark-skinned original inhabitants of Indus cities, living in small settlements.

Aryans

Light-skinned Indo-European migrants who entered India after Indus decline.

Vedas

Sacred Aryan texts containing hymns, rituals, and lore.

Caste System

Rigid social grouping in ancient India dividing society into hereditary classes.

Brahmin

Priestly and scholarly caste at the top of the hierarchy.

Kshatriya

Warrior and ruling caste of ancient India.

Vaishya

Merchant and land-owning caste.

Sudra

Commoner, peasant, and servant caste.

Untouchables

People outside the caste system performing impure jobs; socially ostracized.

Chinese Civilization

World’s oldest continuous civilization, developing along the Huang He (Yellow) River.

Xia Dynasty

Legendary first Chinese dynasty (c. 2000-1570 BCE).

Shang Dynasty

First verifiable Chinese dynasty (c. 1570-1045 BCE) known for bronze casting and oracle bones.

Zhou Dynasty

Longest Chinese dynasty (1045-221 BCE) that introduced the Mandate of Heaven.

Mandate of Heaven

Belief that heaven grants emperors the right to rule based on virtue.

Confucianism

Philosophy aiming for a harmonious society through moral self-cultivation and proper relationships.

Taoism (Daoism)

Philosophy emphasizing harmony with nature and the Dao (Way).

Legalism

Philosophy holding that humans are selfish and require strict laws and harsh punishments.

Qin Dynasty

Short-lived dynasty (221-206 BCE) that unified China and standardized systems.

Shi Huangdi

First Qin emperor; built the first Great Wall sections and a massive tomb guarded by Terracotta Warriors.

Great Wall of China

Series of fortifications built to protect China’s northern frontier, begun on a large scale under Qin.

Han Dynasty

Dynasty (202 BCE-220 CE) that adopted Confucianism and opened the Silk Road.

Sui Dynasty

Dynasty (589-618 CE) that reunified China after prolonged division.

Grand Canal

Massive Sui engineering project linking the Huang He and Yangtze Rivers for trade and transport.

Tang Dynasty

Golden-age dynasty (618-907 CE) that refined the civil service examination system.

Civil Service Examination

Merit-based test used to select government officials, expanded in Tang times.

Song Dynasty

Dynasty (960-1279 CE) noted for economic growth, urbanization, and technological advances.

Yuan Dynasty

Mongol-led dynasty (1279-1368 CE) established by Kublai Khan.

Ming Dynasty

Native-Chinese dynasty (1368-1644 CE) famed for naval voyages and cultural revival.

Movable Type Printing

Ming innovation that allowed rapid book production and wider literacy.

Qing Dynasty

Manchu-founded dynasty (1644-1911 CE), China’s last imperial house.

Manchu

Ethnic group from Manchuria who established the Qing Dynasty.

1911 Revolution

Uprising that overthrew the Qing and ended China’s dynastic system, founding the republic.

Nile River Valley

Fertile region in northeast Africa where Egyptian civilization arose.

Pharaoh

Divine ruler of ancient Egypt considered a living god.

Hieroglyphics

Picture-based writing system of ancient Egypt.

Menes

King who united Upper and Lower Egypt, founding the early dynastic period.

Great Pyramid of Khufu

Largest pyramid in Giza, built during Egypt’s Old Kingdom as Khufu’s tomb.

Old Kingdom

Egyptian period (c. 2670-2150 BCE) marked by pyramid building.

Middle Kingdom

Period (2040-1650 BCE) of reunification, military expansion, and chariot warfare.

Hyksos

Asiatic rulers who introduced the chariot and temporarily controlled Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period.

New Kingdom

Egypt’s empire-building era (1550-1070 BCE), considered its peak of power.

Amenhotep IV / Akhenaten

Pharaoh who briefly introduced monotheistic worship of Aten.

Alexander the Great (in Egypt)

Macedonian conqueror who seized Egypt in 332 BCE and founded Alexandria.

Ptolemy

General of Alexander who established the Greek Ptolemaic Dynasty in Egypt.

Cambyses II

Persian king who made Egypt a Persian satrapy, beginning the 27th Dynasty.