| Term | Definition |
| scribe | a professional writer |
| Fertile Crescent | a region in SW asia; site of the first civilizations |
| city- state | a city that is also a separate, independent state |
| polytheism | the belief in many gods |
| myth | a traditional story; in some cultures, a legend that explains people's beliefs |
| pharaoh | the title of the kings of ancient Egypt |
| dynasty | a series of rulers from the same family or ethnic group |
| absolute power | complete control over someone or something |
| regent | someone who rules for a child until the child is old enough to rule |
| ore | a mineral or combo of minerals mined for the production of metals |