real history midterm

Theocracy

A government controlled by religious leaders

Cuneiform

A form of writing developed by the Sumerians using a wedge shaped stylus and clay tablets.

Assyrians

The people of Assyria who destroyed Israel's Northern Kingdom in 722 BC.

Sumer

The world's first civilization, founded in Mesopotamia, which existed for over 3,000 years.

Dynasty

a powerful family or group of rulers that maintains its position or power for some time

Pharaoh

A king of ancient Egypt, considered a god as well as a political and military leader.

Bureaucracy

A large, complex organization composed of appointed officials

Old Kingdom Egypt

- Era of pyramid building
- 2700 BC-2200 BC

Middle Kingdom Egypt

(2040 BCE - 1640 BCE) Period in ancient Egyptian history characterized by internal strife and hardships, and the invasion, and subsequent take over by the neighboring Hyksos.

New Kingdom Egypt

the period 1550 BC-1050 BC where Egypt reached the height of its power and glory; King Ahmose key figure

Great Pyramids of Giza

Egypt, Old Kingdom (c. 2500 BCE)

Great Sphinx

Huge monument "guarding" the great pyramid

Epic of Gilgamesh

An epic poem from Mesopotamia, and among the earliest known works of literary writing.

Pastoral Nomadism

A form of subsistence agriculture based on herding domesticated animals.

Phoenicians

A maritime people who spread their alphabet to others including the Hebrews, Romans, and Greeks.

Kingdom of Israel

Semitic speaking people who descended from Abraham

Kingdom of Judah

The name of the southern kingdom after the splitting of the monarchy. It included the territory originally belonging to just two of the twelve tribes, Judah and Benjamin.

Babylonians

A group of people who conquered the Sumerians. They had a very famous king named Hammurabi. Hammurabi created nearly 300 laws known as Hammurabi's Code of Laws, the old known legal system based on the concept of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth".

Code of Hammurabi

A collection of 282 laws. One of the first (but not THE first) examples of written law in the ancient world.

Prehistory

Time before writing was invented

civilization

A society with cities, a central government, job specialization, and social classes

city-state

A city with political and economic control over the surrounding countryside

Ziggurat

A rectangular tiered temple or terraced mound erected by the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians

Mesopotamia

A region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that developed the first urban societies. In the Bronze Age this area included Sumer and the Akkadian, Babylonian and Assyrian empires. Means "land between the rivers."

Fertile Crescent

an area of rich farmland in Southwest Asia where the first civilizations began

Hieroglyphics

An ancient Egyptian writing system in which pictures were used to represent ideas and sounds

Nile River

The river in which early kingdoms in Egypt were centered around.

domesticate

to tame; to bring plants or animals under human control

Israelites/Hebrews

Created the first monotheistic religion in the world.

Judaism

A religion with a belief in one god. It originated with Abraham and the Hebrew people. Yahweh was responsible for the world and everything within it. They preserved their early history in the Old Testament.

Minoans

The Mediterranean society that formed on the island of Crete and who were a big maritime society.

Mycenaeans

First Greek-speaking people; invaded Minoans; dominated Greek world 1400 B.C. to 1200 B.C.; sea traders; lived in separate city-states.

Mediterranean Sea

A large, almost landlocked arm of the Atlantic Ocean touching Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Akkadian Empire

began in 2350 BCE when Sargon - King of Akkad - began conquering Sumerian cities. The empire was the first to unite city-states under a single ruler and ruled for 200 years.

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Hominids

Creatures that walk upright

Paleolithic Age

(750,000 BCE - 10,000 B.C.E.) Old Stone Age. A period of time in human history characterized by the use of stone tools and the use of hunting and gathering as a food source.

Archaeology

the study of the past based on what people left behind (artifacts)

Anthropology

Study of the origins and development of people and their societies

Homo sapiens sapiens

"wise, wise humans," a species that appeared in Africa between 150,000 and 200,000 years ago; they were the first anatomically modern humans

Artifacts

object made by human beings, either hand-made or mass-produced

Characteristics of Civilizations

Government, written language, stable food supply, social structure, religious system, developed culture, and technology.

Out of Africa Theory

theory that Africa is the birthplace for all human species; humans migrate from Africa towards other areas of the world around 1.5 million years ago

Ice Age

A period of extremely cold temperatures when part of the planet's surface was covered with massive ice sheets.

Neolithic Revolution

The switch from nomadic lifestyles to a settled agricultural lifestyle is this revolution.

systematic agriculture / farming

organized growing of food on a regular schedule, allowing people to produce an abundant supply of food

Artisans

skilled workers who make goods by hand

Culture

Beliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people.

confluence

a place where two rivers or streams join to become one

Polytheistic

Belief in many gods

Monotheistic

Belief in one God

Hinduism

A religion and philosophy developed in ancient India, characterized by a belief in reincarnation and a supreme being who takes many forms.

Ancient Indus Valley Civilization

Developed concept of zero in math, urban culture, early form of Hindu religion, caste system, Indo-European languages have there roots here, Sanskrit, Yoga. Also, a Bronze Age civilization that existed from approximately 3300-1300 BCE. It was one of the three major early civilizations in the ancient world, along with Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. Traded with Sumer.

Indus River

A river that flows from Tibet, through the Himalayas and Hindu Kush into the Arabian Sea.

Hindu Kush

A mountain range that is a barrier between India and Afghanistan. Is one of the highest mountain ranges in the world, but not as tall as the Himalayas.

Himalayan Mountain Range

A mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest.

Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, and Bay of Bengal

The water features that surround India.

Harappan Civilization

Another name for the Indus valley civilization that arose along the Indus river, possibly as early as 7000 BC; characterized by sophisticated city planning (grids)

Monsoons

A seasonal wind pattern that causes wet and dry seasons.

Cotton

One of the number one crops that the Indus River Valley Civilizations traded with other civilizations like the Sumerians in Mesopotamia.

Mohenjo-Daro

Largest city of the Indus Valley civilization. It was centrally located in the extensive floodplain of the Indus River. Little is known about the political institutions of Indus Valley communities, but the large-scale implies central planning, a citadel, the Great Bath, and a Granery.

Great Bath of Mohenjo-Daro

Contained in citadel and emulated in smaller settlements.

Vedic Period

The period in India following the Indus Valley period, from about 1500 BCE to 500 BCE. Historians believed that Indo-European peoples migrated to North India from Central Asia and began to settle and establish kingdoms

Sanskrit

(Hinduism) an ancient language of India (the language of the Vedas and of Hinduism)

Theocracy

A government controlled by religious leaders

Polytheism

Belief in many gods

Aryans

nomads from Europe and Asia who migrated to India and finally settled; vedas from this time suggest beginning of caste system

Vedas

Ancient Sanskrit writings that are the earliest sacred texts of Hinduism.

Caste System

a set of rigid social categories that determined not only a person's occupation and economic potential, but also his or her position in society

Patriarchal Society

Society in which men are considered to have more power.

Reincarnation

In Hinduism and Buddhism, the process by which a soul is reborn continuously until it achieves perfect understanding.

Upanishad

A major book in Hinduism that is often in the form of dialogues that explored the Vedas and the religious issues that they raised.

Brahman

the eternal essence of reality and the source of the universe, beyond the reach of human perception and thought

Karma

(Hinduism and Buddhism) the effects of a person's actions that determine his destiny in his next incarnation

Brahmin

The highest of the four classes of the caste system, traditionally made up of priests.

Dharma

The religious and moral duties of an individual according to Hinduism

Buddhism

The teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that enlightenment obtained through right conduct and wisdom and meditation releases one from desire and suffering and rebirth.

Four Noble Truths of Buddhism

1) All life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow. 2) The cause of suffering is non-virtue, or negative deeds and mindsets such as hated and desire. 3) The only cure for suffering is to overcome non-virtue. 4) The way to overcome non-virtue is to follow the Eightfold Path.

Eightfold Path (Buddhism)

right view, right intentions, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right concentration, right mindfulness

Nirvana (Buddhism)

Name given to reaching the state of perfect peace in Buddhism, the end of suffering.

Eastern and Western Ghats

The mountain range that runs along the east and west coast of India.

Mauryan Empire

(321-185 BCE) This was the first centralized empire of India whose founder was Chandragupta Maurya.

Gupta Empire

Ancient Indian Empire that was founded by Sri Gupta and is considered to be the Golden Age of India.

Ashoka

Third ruler of the Mauryan Empire in India (r. 270-232 B.C.E.). He converted to Buddhism and broadcast his precepts on inscribed stones and pillars, the earliest surviving Indian writing. (p. 184)

Golden Age of India

The period between the 3rd century and 6th century CE is known as the Golden Age of India because of the large achievements Indians made in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, science, religion and philosophy during the Gupta Empire.

Sri Gupta (Chandragupta I)

Founder of the Gupta dynasty

Kalidasa/Shakuntala

Famous Indian poet and dramatist & the famous play he wrote

Aryabhata

most famous mathematician of the Gupta Empire and the first scientist known to have used algebra

Vishnu Sharma

Indian author of the Panchatantra fables, one of the most widely translated non-religious books in history.

Arthashastra

The famous ancient Indian book on statecraft, economic policy, and military strategy. Written by Kautilya.

Chandragupta Maurya

Founder of Maurya dynasty; established first empire in Indian subcontinent; first centralized government since Harappan civilization

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Shang Dynasty (China)

(1650 - 1027 BCE) Considered to be the earliest dynasty in China. A major contribution to Chinese culture was an advanced system of writing, by using pictographs, or drawings of objects, and ideographs, or drawings that expressed a thought or idea.

Dao

Chinese system of beliefs which describes the way a king must rule; the way

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School of Law (legalism)

System of laws that rigidly prescribed punishments and rewards for specific behaviors. They stressed the direction of all human activity toward the goal of increasing the power of the ruler and the state.

Bronze Artifacts (China)

Evidence of the first Ancient Chinese Dynasty (Shang)

Feudal System

A political and social system based on the granting of land in exchange for loyalty, military assistance, and other services

Golden Age of Philosophy

Period of time when scholars were included in intellectual activity, debate and asked advice from state rules.

Great Wall of China

The world's longest man made structure built to keep invaders from the north out of China, started by the Qin Dynasty, expanded by the Han Dynasty,

Civil Servants Exam (China)

Introduced by the Hand dynasty, this difficult exam helped create a regular system for new government officials and established a school to train candidates; government appointments are determined by competitive exams.

Golden Age of China: Tang and Song Dynasty

The Golden Age of China took place during the Tang and Song Dynasties. Like all Golden Ages, this was a period of tremendous achievements in the arts, science, math, and literature: gunpowder, the compass, block printing, works of art using porcelain.

Grand Canal in China

The 1,100-mile (1,700-kilometer) waterway linking the Yellow and the Yangzi Rivers. It was begun in the Han period and completed during the Sui Empire.

Sui Yangdi

second emperor of Sui; completes Grand Canal; high taxes and forced labor spur hostility resulting in his assassination in 618

Fire lance

primitive kind of gun that the Chinese made
backfired once the mongols learned the secrets of it and used it themselves.

Scholar Gentry (China)

A group of people who controlled much of the land and produced most of the candidates for civil service.

Wu Zhao

Became Empress in 690. She assumed the title herself- the only woman in China to do so.

Dowry

property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage

Mongols

People from Central Asia when united ended up creating the largest single land empire in history.

Genghis Khan

Also known as Temujin; he united the Mongol tribes into an unstoppable fighting force; created largest single land empire in history.

Khanates

Mongol kingdoms, in particular the four subdivisions of Genghis Khan's empire ruled by his heirs

Khanbalik

The "city of the khan," founded as a new capital city for the Mongols after their conquest of China; now the city of Beijing.

Neo-Confucianism

A philosophy that emerged in Song-dynasty China; it revived Confucian thinking while adding in Buddhist and Daoist elements.

Chinese poetry during the Tang dynasty

often celebrated nature

Ancient Japan

Started as clans who each worshipped their own nature gods/goddesses. They were not united until the Yamato clan claimed power.

Ancient Korea

Started as clans just like Japan. The Han empire conquered them and they learned much from China like confucianism, Buddhism, Writing and central government as well as the Civil Service Exam.

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Ancient China

The Shang dynasty is known for its advancements in bronze metallurgy and the development of writing systems, which laid the foundation for future dynasties.

Mandate of Heaven

A political theory of ancient China in which those in power were given the right to rule from a divine source

Himalayan Mountains

Highest mountain range in the world, seperates India from China

Yellow River (Huang He)

Chinese river that periodically floods causing destruction to farmland and hunger for the Chinese people. Also called "China's Sorrow."

Yangtze River (Chang Jiang)

-longest & largest river in China (longest river in Asia)
-Territory between 2 rivers holds most of China's population & is VERY FERTILE
-flows from Tibetan Plateau to Shanghai
-3rd longest river in world

Xia Dynasty

This was the earliest known dynasty. There is no written evidence of this early time period, but artifacts have been found. Some historians think it's mythical.

Oracle Bones (China)

The earliest known Chinese writing is found on these from ritual activity of the Shang period.

Zhou Dynasty

A decentralized Chinese dynasty in China because of the massive size, and whose emperor was the first to claim to be a link between heaven and earth. Iron metallurgy increased in this dynasty.

Qin Dynasty

(221-207 BCE) The first centralized dynasty of China that used Legalism as its base of belief.

Han Dynasty

(202 BCE-220 CE) This dynasty continued the centralization of the Qin Dynasty, but focused on Confucianism and education instead of Legalim.

Silk Road

Connected China, India, and the Middle East. Traded goods and helped to spread culture and was created

Confucianism

The system of ethics, education, and statesmanship taught by Confucius and his disciples, stressing love for humanity, ancestor worship, reverence for parents, and harmony in thought and conduct.

Filial Piety

In Confucian thought, one of the virtues to be cultivated, a love and respect for one's parents and ancestors.

Aristocrats

wealthy upper class

Daoism/Taoism

A Chinese philosophy where people practice humility, lead a simple life and have harmony with nature

inaction (wuwei)

no real purpose for movement (not for self gain); effortless doing (go with the flow)

Legalism (China)

a philosophy emphasizing strict obedience to the law system.

Warring States Period

Period in China from 403 to 221 B.C.E. that was typified by disorder and political chaos.

Oracle Bones

The earliest known Chinese writing is found on these from ritual activity of the Shang period.

Warring States Period in China

The three centuries when Chinese states battled for territory. (481/403 BCE - 221 BCE) The Qin Dynasty ultimately took over and became the first unified Chinese state.

First Imperial Dynasty

Qin Dynasty

cultural diffusion

The spread of ideas, customs, and technologies from one people to another

Marco Polo

Venetian merchant and traveler. His accounts of his travels to China offered Europeans a firsthand view of Asian lands and stimulated interest in Asian trade.

Apollo

God of light, archery, and prophecy.

Thucydides

Known as the "Father of Scientific History" who wrote extensively about the Peloponnesian War

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Athens

A democratic Greek polis who accomplished many cultural achievements, and who were constantly at war with Sparta. They are known for philosophy and education.

Sparta

A powerful Greek military polis that was often at war with Athens. Used slaves known as helots to provide agricultural labor.

city-state (polis)

Self-governing city surrounded by its territory with its own economic system as well.

Socrates

(470-399 BCE) An Athenian philosopher who thought that human beings could lead honest lives and that honor was far more important than wealth, fame, or other superficial attributes.

Plato

Socrates' most well known pupil. Founded an academy in Athens.

Aristotle

A Greek Philosopher, taught Alexander the Great, started a famous school, studied with Plato

Alexander the Great

Between 334 and 323 B.C.E. he conquered the Persian Empire, reached the Indus Valley, founded many Greek-style cities, and spread Greek culture across the Middle East.

Athenian Democracy

A type of government used in Athens which is sort of a combine of majority rule and democracy.

The Persian Wars (500-479 B.C.E.)

A series of wars between the Greeks (mainly Athens) and the Persians in which the Greeks were usually victorious.

Peloponnesian War

War between Athens and Spartan Alliances. The war was largely a consequence of Athenian imperialism in the Aegean region. It went on for over 20 years. Ultimately, Sparta prevailed but both were weakened sufficient to be soon conquered by Macedonians, later leading to the Hellenistic Empire and Alexander the Great.

Minoans

The Mediterranean society that formed on the island of Crete and who were a big maritime society.

Mycenaeans

first Greek-speaking people; invaded Minoans; dominated Greek world 1400 B.C. to 1200 B.C.; sea traders; lived in separate city-states; invovled in Trojan War against Troy

Persians

Ethnic group that settled in what is now Iran. They were rivals for control of Mesopotamia with the Greeks, and later the Arabs.

Crete

the largest Greek island in the Mediterranean

Mount Olympus

the higest mountain in Greece, where the ancient Greeks believed many of their gods and godesses lived

Knossos

an ancient Minoan city on the island of Crete

Myth

Stories used to explain the world, especially events that ancient civilizations could not understand.

Athena

One of the most powerful of the Greek gods. Each polis in the Greek landscape honored different gods, and Athena was the most common choice.

Hellenism/Hellenistic

Spread of Greek culture into Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East during and after Alexander the Great.

Prometheus

(Greek mythology) the Titan who stole fire from Olympus and gave it to mankind

Zeus

King of the gods and ruled over Mount Olympus; he was also the god of the sky, lightning, thunder, and law and order.

Hera

Zeus' sister and wife, and she was the goddess of marriage and childbirth.

Poseidon

Zeus' brother and the god of the sea

Medusa

She is best known for having hair made of snakes and the uncanny ability to turn anyone who looked at her into stone

Doric Column

The oldest and simplest of the three main orders of classical Greek architecture, characterized by heavy fluted columns with plain, saucer-shaped capitals and no base.

Corinthian Column

This type of column is the most complex, with carvings that looks like leaves at the top. This style was primarily used by the Romans.

Epic poem

A long narrative poem telling of a hero's struggles and adventures

Fable

A brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters

Iliad

Famous epic poem written by Homer and talks about the Trojan War.

The Tortoise and the Hare

Written by Aesop, this is one of his most famous fables

Ancient Greek Olympics

A religious ceremony to honor the gods; it was a series of ceremonies and festivals. Only men competed in these contests, and competitions were held every four years.

Greek Tragedies

A serious drama that shows the downfall of an important character. This type of play might start positively, but as the story progresses the main character's situation must get worse and worse.

Greek Comedies

A comedy is a less serious form of drama that often pokes fun at politics, important people, and beliefs. They usually end happily, much the opposite of a tragedy.

Oedipus Rex

Famous example of a tragedy; (Greek mythology) a tragic king of Thebes who unknowingly killed his father Laius and married his mother Jocasta.

Ptolemy

His work on astronomy and star and planetary positions allowed others to advance new theories. (He thought the Earth was the center of the universe).

Archimedes

He understood the law of levers, and that to move an innate object one needs a lever and a fulcrum placed close to an object. This allowed sailors to lift heavy objects! He also discovered a method to calculate the volume of an irregularly shaped object.

Hypatia

The greatest mathematician of her time and invented the astrolabe, a device not only used to measures star distances but also as a tool in navigation

Polis

A city-state in ancient Greece.

Herodotus

Greek Historian, considered the father of History. He came from a Greek community in Anatolia and traveled extensively, collecting information in western Asia and the Mediterranean lands.

Syllogism

A form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. This was created by Aristotle.

Socratic Method

Way of teaching developed by Socrates that used a question-and-answer format to force students to use their reason to see things for themselves

philosopher

a person who searches for wisdom or enlightenment

Ionic Column (Greek)

Ionic columns are more slender than Doric columns and are characterized by the scroll-like ornaments at the top. These were more common on the Greek islands.