World History MidTerms

Paleolithic Era

The period from the evolution of human-like beings to around 9000 BCE when modern-day humans started to farm.

Nomads

People who frequently move from place to place in search of food, never living in one place for very long.

Hunter-gatherers

People who obtained their food from foraging, the act of finding food, and hunting or fishing.

Artifacts

Objects made by humans like tools, buildings, weapons, art, pottery, and clothing that are usually found and studied by archaeologists.

Archaeology

The study of the past through what has been left behind.

Anthropology

The study of the origins and development of people and their society.

Neolithic Era

The period in human history that came after the start of agriculture and before the development of the first civilizations.

Fertile Crescent

An area in the Middle East between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers which developed agriculture around 11,000 BCE.

Cultural diffusion

The process of exchanging goods and ideas between different cultures.

Catal Huyuk

One of the first places in the world where humans lived in dense settlements, from about 7500 to 5700 BCE.

Hieroglyphics

A form of writing used by the ancient Egyptians, which was not readable until thousands of years later.

Pharaoh

The ruler of ancient Egypt, believed to be a god on Earth.

Hammurabi's Code

A set of laws and rules created by Hammurabi, one of the most important leaders of Mesopotamia.

Cuneiform

A form of writing used by the people of Mesopotamia.

Indus River Valley Civilization

An ancient civilization located in present-day Pakistan, known for its well-planned cities and advanced plumbing systems.

Hinduism

The religion practiced by the people of the Indus River Valley Civilization, characterized by belief in multiple gods and the concept of reincarnation.

Daoism

A philosophy, religion, and way of life practiced in ancient China, emphasizing connections with nature.

Confucianism

A belief system founded by Confucius in China, emphasizing peace, harmony, and following government leaders.

Yellow River

The river that played a crucial role in the ancient Chinese civilization, known for its disastrous floods.

Mandate of Heaven

The belief that rulers in ancient China had the divine right to rule, but could lose it if they failed to govern properly.

Shi Huangdi

Leader who emerged after the Warring period, unified the kingdoms, and practiced legalism.

Legalism

The philosophy followed by Shi Huangdi and the Qin dynasty, which emphasized strict laws and harsh punishments.

Great Wall of China

A massive building project ordered by Shi Huangdi as a punishment for the people and to protect against invasions.

Silk Road

A network of trade routes controlled by Shi Huangdi, where silk, jade, porcelain, and tea were exchanged for other goods.

Polytheistic

The religious belief system of Classical Greece, which worshipped multiple gods.

Parthenon

A temple dedicated to the patron goddess Athena, located on the Acropolis in Athens.

Pythagorean Theorem

A mathematical concept developed by Pythagoras to explain the relationship between the angles and legs of a triangle.

Socratic Method

A teaching method used by Socrates, involving questioning and critical thinking to stimulate intellectual growth.

Delian League

An alliance led by Athens to control other Greek city-states and collect taxes for the benefit of Athens.

Persian Empire

A vast empire located primarily in Asia, ruled by dictators such as Cyrus and Darius, with advancements in architecture and politics.

Hellenistic Empire

The empire established by Alexander the Great, which spread Greek culture and had advancements in trade and religion.

Alexandria Library

A famous library in Alexandria, Egypt, created by Alexander the Great, which housed knowledge from across his empire.

Roman Empire

An empire that expanded throughout the Etruscan Peninsula, North Africa, and coastal Spain, with a strong navy and trade routes.

Apennine Mountains

Mountain range running down the center of Italy, providing snowmelt for fertile farmland.

Roman Provinces

Carthage, Macedonia, Greece, and parts of Asia that became Roman provinces.

Silk Road

Trade routes near which the Romans sought to gain control.

Roman Religion

Rome had many temples for their gods, derived from Greek and Etruscan religious festivals.

Roman Architecture

Emphasized grandeur, improved design of columns and arches, built structures like the Colosseum and aqueducts.

Roman Art

Blended idealized perfection with realism, used mosaics and frescoes to depict scenes from daily life.

Roman Medicine

Influenced by Greek practice, Galen made unique contributions through observation and examination.

Roman Politics

Rome had two consuls, one for day-to-day leadership and one for military leadership.

Julius Caesar

Popular military leader who became dictator, improved infrastructure, and expanded Roman citizenship.

Augustus

Caesar's heir, ruled for 41 years, beginning the Pax Romana and transitioning Rome from a republic to an empire.

Roman Economy

Trade was vital, especially after seizing Sicily, unique currency, trade routes expanded empire's resources.

Roman Society

Family was the basic unit, education highly valued, gender roles, and social structure.

Gupta and Mauryan Geography

Gupta in India, under the Himalayas, Mauryan covered most of India except the south.

Gupta and Mauryan Religion

Gupta mainly Hinduism, Buddhism tolerated; Mauryan Buddhism, Ashoka made it official.

Gupta and Mauryan Advancements/Art

Gupta sculpted in caves, Mauryan known for Ashoka's rock and pillar edicts, Gupta invented pi, decimal points, trigonometry, and negative numbers.

Gupta and Mauryan Politics

Gupta ruled by Chandragupta II, Mauryan ruled by Ashoka, both used emperors as rulers.

Gupta and Mauryan Economics

Both used Silk Roads and Indian Ocean for trade, had standardized currency, Gupta taxed trade and earned from mines and lands.

Gupta and Mauryan Society

Clear social structure, including priests, warriors/rulers, traders/merchants, artisans/farmers, and slaves/untouchables.

Roman Empire

Key concepts include gaining, consolidating, and maintaining power, public works, laws, diplomacy, standardized language, and control of trade routes.