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AP World History Chapter 1-6 Vocab

Terms in this set (89)

Dreamtime
a complex worldview of Australia's Aboriginal people that held that current humans live in a vibration or echo of ancestral happenings
Teosinte
the wild ancestor of maize
the original affluent society
term coined by the scholar Marshall Sahlins in 1972 to describe Paleolithic societies, which he regarded as wealthy not because they had so much but because they wanted or needed so little
Trance Dance
In San culture, a nightlong ritual held to activate a human being's inner spiritual potency to counteract the influences of gods and ancestors
Fertile Crescent
region sometimes known as Southwest Asia that includes the modern states of Iraq, Syria, Israel/Palestine, and southern Turkey; the earliest home of agriculture
Clovis Culture
the earliest widespread and distinctive culture of North America; named from the projectile point the group was famous for
Bantu Migration
the spread of Bantu-speaking peoples from their homeland in what is now southern Nigeria or Cameroon to most of Africa, in a process that started ca 3000 BCE and continued for several millennia
Shamans
In many early societies, people believed to have the ability to act as a bridge between living humans and supernatural forces, often by means of trances induced by psychoactive drugs
pastoral societies
human societies that rely on domesticated animals rather than plants as the main source of food; nomads lead their animals to seasonal grazing grounds rather than settling permanently in a single location
Austronesian Migration
the last phase of the great human migration that established a human presence in every habitable region of the earth
paleolithic settling down
the process by which peoples moved toward permanent settlement in the wake of the last Ice Age; settlement was marked by increasing storage of food and accumulation of goods as well as growing inequalities in society
Banpo
a Chinese archeological site, where the remains of a significant Neolithic village have been found
diffusion
the gradual spread of agricultural techniques without extensive population movement
Catalhuyuk
an important Neolithic site in what is modern day Turkey
Venus Figurines
Paleolithic carvings of the female form, often with exaggerated breasts, buttocks, hips and stomachs, which may have had a religious significance
Megafaunal Extinction
the dying out of a number of large animal species, including the mammoth and several species of horses and camels, that occurred around 10,000 years ago, at the end of the Ice Age; may have been caused by excessive hunting or the changing climate of the era
Gobekli Tepe
a ceremonial site comprising of 20 circles made up of carved limestone pillars in southeastern Turkey; the site, which dates to 11,600 years ago, was built by gathering and hunting people who lived at least part of the year in settled villages
chiefdoms
societal groupings governed by chiefs who typically rely on generosity, ritual status, or charisma rather than force to win obedience from the people
Secondary Products Revolution
a term used to describe the series of technological changes that began approximately 4000 BCE, as people began to develop new uses for their domesticated animals, exploiting a revolutionary new source of power
Ishi
the last surviving member of a gathering and hunting group known as the Yahi who lived in northern California; his people were driven into extinction during the second half of the 19th century by the intrusion of farming and herding "civilized" societies
Norte Chico
a region along the central coast of Peru, home of a civilization that developed in the period 3000-1800 BCE; also home to the largest of some 25 urban centers that emerged in the area at that time
Uruk
the largest city of ancient Mesopotamia
Nubia
a civilization to the south of Egypt in the Nile Valley, noted for development of an alphabetic writing system and a major iron-working industry by 500 BCE
The Gift of the Nile
the term for the region that benefited from the Nile's annual flood, which provided rich silt deposits and made agriculture possible and made it possible to support a significant human population
Paneb
an Egyptian foreman in charge of a crew of tomb workers whose misdeeds in life were recorded by a rival
patriarchy
literally "rule of the father", a social system of male dominance
Olmec Civilization
an early civilization the developed along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico around 1200 BCE
Epic of Gilgamesh
the most famous extant literary work from ancient Mesopotamia, it tells the story of one man's quest for immortality
Indus Valley Civilization
an early civilization that did not generate a state structure; there were no palaces, temples, elaborate graves, kings, or warrior classes
Rise of the State
a process of centralization that took place in the First Civilizations, growing out of the greater complexity of urban life in recognition of the need for coordination, regulation, adjudication, and military leadership
Central Asia/Oxus Civilization
a major first civilization which emerged around 2200 BCE in central Asia in what is now northern Afghanistan; an important focal point for a Eurasian-wide system of intellectual and cultural exchange
Mohenjo Daro/Harappa
major cities of the Indus Valley civilization; both of which flourished around 2000 BCE
Code of Hammurabi
a series of laws publicized at the order of the high king of Babylon; not actually a code, but a number of laws that proclaim the king's commitment to social order
Alexander the Great
conqueror from Macedon; conquered the Persian Empire and part of northwest India
Han Dynasty
a dynasty that ruled China from 206 BCE to 220 CE, creating a durable state based on Shihuangdi's state-building achievement
Hellenistic Era
the period from 323 to 30 BCE in which Greek culture spread widely in Eurasia and North Africa in the kingdoms ruled by Alexander's political successors
Persian Empire
a major empire that expanded from the Iranian plateau to incorporate the Middle East from Egypt to India; flourished from around 550 to 330 BCE
Greco-Persian Wars
two major Persian invasions of Greece, in 490 BCE and 480 BCE, in which the Persians were defeated on both land and sea
Trung Tac
a Vietnamese woman from an aristocratic military family who led an ultimately unsuccessful revolt against China following the execution of her husband
Pax Romana
the "Roman peace", a term typically used to denote the stability and prosperity of the early Roman Empire, especially in the first and second centuries
Athenian Democracy
a radical form of direct democracy in which much of the free male population of Athens had the franchise and officeholders were chosen by the lot
Qin Shihuangdi
literally "the first emperor from the Qin"; forcibly reunited China and established a strong and repressive state
Augustus
the great nephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar who emerged as the sole ruler of the Roman state at then end of an extended period of civil war
Ashoka
the most famous ruler of the Mauryan empire, who converted to Buddhism and tried to rule peacefully and with tolerance
Mauryan Empire
a major empire that encompassed most of India
Confucianism
the Chinese philosophy advocating the moral example of superiors as the key element of social order
Bhagavad Gita
a great Hindu epic text part of the much larger Mahabharata, which affirms the performance of caste duties as a path to religious liberation
Church of the East
a theologically and organizationally distinct Christian church based in Syria and Persia but with followers in southern India and Central Asia
Socrates
early Greek philosopher who turned rationalism toward questions of human existence; was killed when he refused to go into exile
Theravada
one of the two forms of Buddhism; refers to "The Teaching of the Elders", referred to the Buddha as an immensely wise teacher and model, but not divine; it was championed by monks and nun who withdrew from society to devote themselves to the quest for nirvana
Greek rationalism
a secularizing system of scientific and philosophic thought that developed in classical Greece in the period 600 to 300 BCE; it emphasized the power of education and human reason to understand the word in nonreligious terms
Daoism
a Chinese philosophy/popular religion that advocates simplicity and understanding of the world of nature, founded by the legendary Laozi
Perpetua
Christian convert from northern Africa who, in 203 CE was killed by the Romans for her faith
Legalism
a Chinese philosophy distinguished by an adherence to clear laws with vigorous punishments
Judaism
the monotheistic religion developed by the Hebrews, emphasizing a sole personal god (Yahweh) with concerns for social justice
Siddhartha Gautama
the Indian prince turned ascetic who founded Buddhism
Saint Paul
the first great popularizer of Christianity
Vedas
the earliest religious texts of India, a collection of ancient poems, hymns, and rituals that were transmitted orally before being written down around 600 BCE
Ban Zhao
a major female Confucian author of the Han dynasty China whose works give insight into the implication of Confucian thinking of women
Zoroastrianism
Persian monotheistic religion founded by the prophet Zarathustra
Upanishads
Indian mystical and philosophical works, written between 800 and 400 BCE
Jesus of Nazareth
the prophet/god of Christianity
Plato
one of the early Greek philosophers who wrote The Republic, a design for a good society
Mahayana
one of the two forms of Buddhism; stressed that help was available to reach enlightenment, the Buddha became something of a god
Aristotle
Greek philosopher who was a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great
Yellow Turban Rebellion
a massive Chinese peasant uprising inspired by Daoist teachings that began in 184 CE with the goal of establishing a new golden age of equality and harmony
Aspasia and Pericles
this couple is notable for their equitable relationship, a rarity in Athens for this era
Three Obediences
in Chinese Confucian thought, the notion that a woman is permanently subordinate to male control; first to her father, then to her husband, and finally to her son
Ge Hong
born into an upper class family in China during troubled times, his efforts to balance Confucian service to society and his own desire to pursue a more solitary and interior life in the Daoist tradition reflected in the situation of many in his class
China's scholar-gentry class
a term used to describe members of China's landowning families, reflecting their wealth from the land and the privilege that they derived as government officials
Varna and Jati
the system of social organization in India that has evolved over millennia; it is based on an original division of the populace into four inherited classes, with the addition of thousands of social distinctions based on occupation, which became the cell of social life in India
Greek and Roman slavery
in the Greek and Roman world, these were captives from war and piracy, abandoned children, and victims of long-distance trade; household service was a common occupation, while others were forced to work in mines and on plantations
Empress Wu
the only female "emperor" in Chinese history; she patronized scholarship, worked to elevate the position of women, and provoked a backlash of Confucian misogynist invective
ritual purity in India
the idea that members of higher castes must adhere to strict regulations limiting or forbidding their contact with objects and members of lower castes to preserved their own caste standing and their relationship with the gods
Wang Mang
a Han court official who usurped the throne and ruled from 8-23 CE; noted for his reform movement that included the breakup of large estates
Spartacus
a Roman gladiator who led the most serious slave revolt in Roman history from 73 to 71 BCE
Helots
the dependent, semi-enslaved class of ancient Sparta whose social discontent prompted the militarization of Spartan society
Meroe
a city that was the center of Nubia civilization governed by an all-powerful monarch that flourished from 300 BCE to 100 CE
Axum
a kingdom that replaced Meroe that had an economy based on agriculture and adopted Christianity as it's religion
Piye
a Kushite ruler who founded a dynasty that ruled both Egypt and Kush from Napata
Niger Valley Civilization
a city-based civilization that was known for it's lack of centralized state structures that flourished from 300 BCE to 900 CE
Maya Civilization
a major classical civilization in Mesoamerica that had an advanced security which led to many technological innovations
Chavin
the first culture in Andes which had clear distinctions between the elite class and ordinary people and spread widely
Moche
a civilization in Peru with a complex irrigation system and was governed by warrior-priests
Wari and Tiwanaku
prominent civilizations in the Andes Mountains where Tiwanaku depended on trade among different agricultural areas in the empire and Wari might've been originally dependent on Tiwanaku
Bantu Expansion
the gradual expansion of Bantu-speaking peoples into south Africa where the Bantu language was spread
Chaco Phenomenon
a major process of settlement in the Chaco canyon that was known for its settlement in large pueblos and for the building of hundreds of miles of roads
Mound Builders
members of the cultures that developed east of the Mississippi River distinguished by their large earthen mounds
Cahokia
the dominant center of the Mound Builders that had a large urban presence
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