Unit 5 Eastern Mediterranean Civilizations Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, civilizations, and concepts from the Unit 5 Eastern Mediterranean Civilizations study guide, including Pastoral Nomads, Hittites, Phoenicians, Israelites, and Minoans.

pastoral nomad

A person who depends on hunting and farming and follows migratory routes.

cultural diffusion

The spread of cultural traits, such as languages, styles, and food, between different peoples.

migration

The movement of people away from their usual residence to a new location.

Hittites

A kingdom located in Asia Minor and Anatolia that threatened the Egyptians and utilized war chariots and iron weapons.

iron weapons

Military gear forged from iron that provided a combat advantage because they were harder, sharper, and cheaper than bronze.

chariot

A fast, durable, and mobile two-wheeled open vehicle pulled by horses and used in warfare.

Phoenicians

A seafaring people organized into loosely allied city-states who created an extensive Mediterranean trade empire.

alphabet (Phoenician)

A writing system consisting of 22 signs used to represent spoken sounds.

Tyrian purple

A rare, reddish-purple natural dye derived from snail mucus.

Gauloi

Wide Phoenician cargo ships designed with large capacity and good structure to carry heavy loads across trade networks.

warship (Phoenician)

A vessel equipped with weapons that provided fast, strategic transportation in defense of the Phoenician trade empire.

Israelites

Semitic-speaking pastoral nomads who lived in the region between Mesopotamia and Egypt.

monotheism

The religious belief in only one god.

covenant

A formal agreement, pact, or promise carrying significant religious meaning.

Tanakh

The sacred religious scripture of the Israelites, also known as the Hebrew Bible, that continues to be used today.

Minoans

An ancient, wealthy, and complex civilization located on the island of Crete that influenced the Greeks but was not Greek.

Knossos

An enormous Minoan palace complex featuring elaborate architecture and modern buildings.

Arthur Evans

The archaeologist who discovered the Minoan civilization at Knossos in the early 1900s and named it after the mythical King Minos.

Thera

The island whose volcanic eruption and resulting tidal waves serve as one leading theory for the collapse of Minoan civilization.

Mycenaeans

Mainland Greeks whose invasion is proposed as a major theory explaining the collapse of the Minoan civilization.