Comprehensive Study Notes: Ancient History (Paleolithic to Barbarian Invasions)

Cätal Höyük

First settlement of human history; in present day Turkey.

Frescoes

Román paintings on walls that were painted on rich peoples houses.

The arch

Etruscan innovation

Latifundias

large landowners who bought up small farms in the Roman Empire after small Roman families had to go to military service.

History

The study of past human events (archaeology).

Paleolithic (Old Stone Age)

Period ending at $8{,}000\,\mathrm{BCE}$, characterized by hunting and gathering, small populations, and no permanent settlements.

Neolithic Revolution

Shift from hunting/gathering to plant/animal cultivation starting in $8{,}000\,\mathrm{BCE}$, leading to sedentary communities, domestication, and technological changes.

Fertile Crescent

Land between the Tigris & Euphrates rivers, also known as Mesopotamia.

Hammurabi

c

’s Code

First written laws from Mesopotamia, based on the principle of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."

Cuneiform

Earliest form of writing, developed in Mesopotamia.

Hieroglyphics

Ancient Egyptian writing system.

Pharaoh

The title of the ruler in ancient Egypt.

Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

Indus River civilization major cities, known for sophisticated urban planning and infrastructure.

Hittites

First people to use iron weapons; from Anatolia; utilized horse-drawn chariots.

Polis

An ancient Greek city-state, a political unit of an urban center with rural territory, featuring an acropolis, agora, fortified walls, and public buildings.

Hoplite warfare and the phalanx formation

An ancient Greek infantry formation of armored soldiers.

Hellenism

Meaning “to imitate the Greeks,” referring to the spread of Greek language and lifestyle and synthesis of indigenous and Greek culture after Alexander's conquests.

The Silk Roads

Connected the Mediterranean to East Asia, facilitating trade and cultural exchange.

S.P.Q.R.

The foundational motto of the Roman Republic, meaning “The Senate and the People of Rome.”

The Twelve Tables

The first written code of Roman law (c. 450 BCE), establishing legal rights for plebeians and patricians.

Punic Wars

A series of wars between Rome and Carthage to control Sicily, Sardinia, Spain, and North Africa.

Mare Nostrum

Latin term meaning “Our Sea,” referring to the Mediterranean Sea under Roman control.

Romanization

Refers to the process of spreading Latin language, Roman clothing, and lifestyle throughout the Roman Empire.

Ma’at

Refers to a cosmic order, relevant in Egyptian context.