Chapter 3 Study Guide

Fertile Crescent

A large band of fertile land in Southwest Asia located between deserts and mountains.

Silt

Rich, fertile soil carried and deposited by rivers and floods.

Flooding in Mesopotamia

Floods spread rich silt across the land. People built basins to store water, canals to carry water to fields, and dikes to control floods.

Polytheism

The belief in and worship of many gods.

Monotheism

The belief in and worship of one god.

City

State

Sargon I

The ruler of the Akkadians who conquered Sumer and northern Mesopotamia and created the world's first empire.

Permanent Army

An army that is maintained continuously instead of only being formed during times of war.

Akkadians

A people who lived north of Sumer and were united under Sargon I.

Akkadian Empire

The world's first empire, created by Sargon I after he conquered Sumer and northern Mesopotamia.

Hammurabi

The Amorite king of Babylon who created a famous set of laws.

Code of Hammurabi

A collection of 282 laws covering topics such as trade, theft, injury, and murder.

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

A list of seven remarkable structures built by ancient civilizations.

Great Pyramid of Giza

The oldest of the Seven Wonders and the only one still standing today.

Statue of Zeus at Olympia

One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, built in honor of the Greek god Zeus.

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and a large tomb.

Lighthouse of Alexandria

One of the Seven Wonders that helped guide ships into the harbor of Alexandria.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, traditionally described as a series of beautiful gardens.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

One of the Seven Wonders, built in honor of the Greek goddess Artemis.

Colossus of Rhodes

One of the Seven Wonders, a huge statue built on the island of Rhodes.

Impact of the Seven Wonders

They inspired people and showed the creativity, skill, and capabilities of ancient civilizations.

Cyrus the Great

The founder of the Persian Empire who conquered large amounts of land and allowed conquered people to keep their traditional customs and beliefs.

Persian Empire

A large empire created by Cyrus the Great that united many different peoples and territories.

Zoroastrianism

A religion based on the teachings of Zoroaster and centered around the god Ahura Mazda.

Dualism

The belief that the world is controlled by two opposing forces, such as good and evil.

Ahura Mazda

The god of goodness in Zoroastrianism.

Ahriman

The force of evil in Zoroastrianism.

Royal Road

A road about 1,500 miles long that connected major cities in the Persian Empire.

Nile River

A major river in Egypt that provided water, transportation, and fertile soil for farming.

Advantages of Egypt's Location

The Nile provided water and fertile soil, while the river's cataracts made Egypt difficult to invade.

Nile Delta

The area where the Nile spreads out and deposits rich, fertile silt.

Black Land

The name associated with Egypt's rich, dark soil created by the Nile's silt.

Cataracts

Rocky sections of a river with swift and dangerous rapids.

Menes

The Egyptian leader who unified Upper and Lower Egypt around 3100 BC.

Pyramids

Large stone structures built in ancient Egypt as tombs for pharaohs.

Purpose of the Pyramids

Pyramids were built as tombs for pharaohs and were designed to protect their bodies and belongings.

How Pyramids Were Built

Pyramids were built using limestone blocks by workers who were mostly peasants. Professional supervisors directed the work.

Hatshepsut

A powerful female pharaoh who ruled Egypt around 1500 BC and presented herself in traditionally masculine ways.

Ka

The Egyptian word for a person's soul or life force.

Egyptian Afterlife Beliefs

Egyptians believed the soul continued after death and that the body needed to be preserved so the ka could survive.

Mummification

The process of preserving a dead person's body to prevent it from decomposing.

Egyptian Social Structure

Egyptian society was organized with the pharaoh at the top, followed by the royal family, government workers, priests, scribes, military, artisans, merchants, and peasants.

Pharaoh

The highest

Scribe

A person trained to read and write. Becoming a scribe was one way to move up in Egyptian society.

Peasants

Farmers and workers who made up about 90% of Egypt's population and were at the bottom of the social structure.

Rosetta Stone

A stone discovered by French soldiers in 1799 that contained the same message written in Greek, Demotic, and Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Hieroglyphics

An ancient Egyptian writing system that used pictures and symbols to represent words and sounds.

Demotic

A simplified form of Egyptian writing used in ancient Egypt.

Nubia

A region south of Egypt known for skilled archers and valuable resources.

Nubian Archers

Skilled warriors who were hired by Egyptians as police and soldiers.

Kush

A powerful kingdom in southern Nubia that began to flourish around 1700 BC.

Piankhi (Piye)

A Kushite ruler who conquered Egypt around 750 BC and established Kushite rule over Egypt.