 | Term | Definition |
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Hominids |
human beings and the humanlike creatures that preceded them |
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prehistory |
the time during the development of human culture before the appearance of the written word |
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artifacts |
object made by human beings, either hand-made or mass-produced |
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anthropologists |
scientists who study characterists of humans and their ancestors |
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civilization |
a society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations) |
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culture |
the attitudes and behavior that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization |
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evolution |
a process in which something passes by degrees to a different stage (especially a more advanced or mature stage) |
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animistic |
of or pertaining to the doctrine of animism |
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monotheistic |
believing that there is only one god |
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polytheistic |
worshipping or believing in more than one god |
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specialization |
the act of specializing |
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Paleolithic Age |
second part of the Stone Age beginning about 750,00 to 500,000 years BC and lasting until the end of the last ice age about 8,500 years BC |
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Neolithic Age |
latest part of the Stone Age beginning about 10,000 BC in the middle east (but later elsewhere) |
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Bronze Age |
(archeology) a period between the Stone and Iron ages, characterized by the manufacture and use of bronze tools and weapons |
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Mesopotamia |
first civilization located between the Tigris & Eurphrates Rivers in present day Iraq; term means "land between the rivers;" Sumerian culture |
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cuneiform |
an ancient wedge-shaped script used in Mesopotamia and Persia |
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city-state |
a city with political and economic control over the surrounding countryside |
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ziggurat |
a rectangular tiered temple or terraced mound erected by the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians |
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immortals |
beings who live forever |
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Hammurabi's Code |
a set of laws put together by babylons most powerful king |
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Sumerians |
People who dominated Southern Mesopotamia through the end of the 3rd Millennium BCE. Responsible for the creation of irrigation technology, cunieform, and religious conceptions. |
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Akkadians |
Sargon the Great-first empire, standardized weights and measures, first standing army |
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Babylonians |
semetic group called amorights who developed Babylon Kingdom, conquered Sumer and Akkad, expanded to control water, Hammurabi greatest king |
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assyrians |
"Spartans of the near east." ONe of the most warlike ppl in history. Army- very powerful. fully equiped with iron. used charriots, calvary. war machines, controlled ppl through systematic terrorism. To destroy national feeling used mass deporttion. Culture-not original. Borrowedheavily from others and unified deverse elements.Had originality in ther relief structure. Women of palace set to secluded quarters. in public-veiled. Synonym to brutality. they publicized it other countries didnt. |
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Chaldeans |
a semitic-speaking peoples also called the neo babylonians this group of people, thier king Nabopolassar joined forces with Medes to capture the Assyrian Capital Nineveh, thier other two kings Nebuchadnezzar who made significant changes to babylon making it famous and Nabonidus was the last king who had great intrest in history collecting scholors to record it |
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Hebrews |
First group to believe in one god only = monotheism |
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Phoenicans |
Seafaring people (Canaanites and Syrians) who scattered trading colonies from one end of the mediterraean to the other |
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Ashurbanipal |
king of Assyria who built a magnificent palace and library at Nineveh (668-627 BC) |
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Cyrus |
Founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Between 550 and 530 B.C.E. he conquered Media, Lydia, and Babylon. Revered in the traditions of both Iran and the subject peoples. |
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Darius |
The great king of Persia. He was able to become a king after a year of a civil war following the death of someone. He is responsible for the expansion of Persia. He made a province in western India and expanded Persia as far north as Macedonia |
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Xerxes |
Persian leader who invaded Greece |
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David |
(Old Testament) the 2nd king of the Israelites |
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pharoah |
Egyptian ruler who was believed to be the son of Re, the sun god, in human form. He had total authority over people and land. |
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pyramid |
a massive memorial with a square base and four triangular sides |
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Hieroglyphics |
a writing system in which pictures and symbols are used to represent words and sounds |
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Narmer |
Egyptian King who is believed to have brought 2 Egyptian Kingdoms together. |
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Hatshepsut |
Queen of Egypt (1473-1458 B.C.E.). Dispatched a naval expedition down the Red Sea to Punt (possibly Somalia), the faraway source of myrrh. There is evidence of opposition to a woman as ruler, and after her death her name was frequently expunged. (p.66) |
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Thutmose |
Stepson of Hatshepsut. Had large army. Conquered Syria and other lands for Egypt. Trade made the Egyptians rich. |
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Amenhotep |
King of Egypt, and his reign was one of peace and proserity. |
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Tutankhamon |
young pharoh's treasures form collection of Egyptian artifacts |
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Ahmose |
Ahmose I (sometimes written Amosis I and meaning The Moon is Born) was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Eighteenth dynasty. |
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Old Kingdom |
starts 2600 BC, lasts almost 500 years |
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Middle Kingdom |
Time period in Egyptian history when there was great turbulence. |
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New Kingdom |
Time period in Egyptian history when the Egyptian Empire began. |
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Knossos |
an ancient town on Crete where Bronze Age culture flourished from about 2000 BC to 1400 BC |
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Trojan War |
(Greek mythology) a great war fought between Greece and Troy |
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Iliad |
a Greek epic poem (attributed to Homer) describing the siege of Troy |
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Odyssey |
a Greek epic poem (attributed to Homer) describing the journey of Odysseus after the fall of Troy |
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Homer |
ancient Greek epic poet who is believed to have written the Iliad and the Odyssey (circa 850 BC) |
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Minoans |
PEOPLE: These people seemed to be mainly farmers and traders, and lived on the island of Crete. |
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Mycenaeans |
PEOPLE: A group of people that were warlike and measured wealth by the number of weapons they owned. |
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democracy |
the political orientation of those who favor government by the people or by their elected representatives |
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aristocracy |
a privileged class holding hereditary titles |
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Draco |
Athenian lawmaker whose code of laws prescribed death for almost every offense (circa 7th century BC) |
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Solon |
Athenian reformer of the 6th century; established laws that eased the burden of debt on farmers, forbade enslavement for debt |
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Cleisthenes |
made athenian assembly-law making body, granted some citizenship to some imms. and former slaves. set-up council of 500, introduced Ostracism |
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monarchy |
Government by a single, sovereign ruler. |
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Persian Wars |
Conflicts between Greek city-states and the Persian Empire, ranging from the Ionian Revolt (499-494 B.C.E.) through Darius's punitive expedition that failed at Marathon. Chronicled by Herodotus. (131) |
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acropolis |
hill-top fortress meaning "high city" |
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Peloponnesian War |
Conflict between Athenian And Spartan Alliances. The war was largely a consequence of Athenian imperialism. Possession of a naval empire allowed Athens to fight a war of attrition. Ultimately, Sparta prevailed because of Athenian errors/Persian $$$ (135) |
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Phalanx |
Tight military formation of men eight or more ranks deep |
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Alexander the Great |
successor of Philip of Macedon; 1st global empire, but no lasting bureaucracy; spread of Hellenism is greatest achievement |
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Tiber River |
Rome lies on the banks of the river |
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Estruscans |
first settlers of rome |
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Republic |
a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them |
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patricians |
A group of people who made up the ruling class of Rome |
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plebians |
Members of the lower class of Ancient Rome including farmers, merchants, artisans and traders |
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Senate |
a group of 300 men elected to govern rome in the roman republic |
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Tribunes |
Chosen representatives by patricians Assembly of tribes elected them. |
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12 tables |
who-plebians/government; when-450 b.c.; where-rome; why-made it possible for plebians to appeal judgement handed down by patrician judge |
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legions |
A well-trained army divides their soldiers in to large groups called... |
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Punic Wars |
who-romas, carthaginians; when-264-146 b.c.; where-rome and carthage; why-rome conquered land, farmers lost land which led to riots, people fleed to rome, greed overcame republic |
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triumvirate |
government by three persons who share authority and responsibility |
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Julius Caesar |
Made dictator for life in 45 BCE, after conquering Gaul, assinated in 44 BCE by the Senate because they were afraid of his power |
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Augustus |
Roman statesman who established the Roman Empire and became emperor in 27 BC |
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Pax Romana |
peaceful time in Roman history that lasted more than 2oo years |
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Christianity |
a monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior |
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Constantine |
Emperor of Rome who adopted the Christian faith and stopped the persecution of Christians (280-337) |
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Nero |
Roman Emperor notorious for his monstrous vice and fantastic luxury (was said to have started a fire that destroyed much of Rome in 64) but the Empire remained prosperous during his rule (37-68) |
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Hadrian |
Roman Emperor who was the adoptive son of Trajan |
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Marcus Aurelius |
Last of the “Good Emperors”, Wrote “Meditations” personal reflections of his beliefs, End of the Pax Romana |
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Commodus |
Marcus Aurelius' weak spoiled son who was named successor |
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Diocletian |
He was a general that became emperor in A.D. 284, introduced reforms |
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Edict of Milan |
313 CE Constantine makes Christianity the primary religion of the Roman Empire |
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Charlemagne |
King of the Franks who conquered much of Western Europe, great patron of leterature and learning |
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Pope |
the head of the Roman Catholic Church |
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Franks |
Only large, united kingdom in early Middle Ages |
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feudalism |
the social system that developed in Europe in the 8th C |
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manor |
the mansion of the lord of the manor |
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vassal |
feudalism, one who held land of a superior lord |
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Renaissance |
the period of European history at the close of the Middle Ages and the rise of the modern world |
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reformation |
a religious movement of the 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches |
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crusades |
a series of military expeditions in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries by Westrn European Christians to reclain control of the Holy Lands from the Muslims |
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