AMSCO AP World History Chapter 2

Rivers that flow south from modern-day Turkey through what is now Iraq to empty into the Persian Gulf

Greek word meaning "between rivers", "the cradle of civilization"

Overlaps with Mesopotamia but also includes an area to the west, along the Mediterranean coast

A group of nomadic pastoralists

Civilization that provided the core and the foundation of several other civilizations in the Middle East

The largest city in Sumer, with a population of 50,000

An independent city with its own form of government

Worshiping many gods

Large Stepped Pyramids

The world's first writing system

People who were skilled at cuneiform and were charged with record-keeping and later with the writing of history and myths

Possibly the oldest written story on earth

Persian people who invaded and took control of Mesopotamia

A large territory that included diverse cultural groups

The Babylonian's most powerful king

282 laws carved into stone monuments, their main purpose was to protect people's rights

The study of objects outside Earth's atmosphere

Predicting the future by studying the movements of stars and planets

Occupied parts of present-day Lebanon, Israel and Jordan around 3000 B.C.E.

A Phoenician colony on the coast of North Africa that became a significant outpost in the region

A system of symbols (letters) that represent the sounds of speech

Lived in the region of Canaan--present-day Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon

Founded Canaan; Jews, Christians, and Muslims all trace their religious heritage back to him

Led the Hebrew people out of Egypt

A code of conduct that became very influential in areas dominated by Christianity

The spreading of Jews throughout the Mediterranean world and the Middle East

1. Mediterranean 2. Desert 3. Rain forest 4. Savanna

A desert in northern Africa

A desert in southern Africa

A river that begins in the interior of Africa and flows north to empty into the Mediterranean Sea

The creation of desert-like conditions

United upper and lower Egypt

Three longs periods of stability in Egyptian history

King or Queen leading Egyptian government

Rulers holding both religious and political power

Pastoral nomadic people from modern Syria who invaded Egypt, ending the Middle Kingdom

The pharaoh who tried to change Egypt's religion during the New Kingdom

The sun god that Akhenaton wanted the Egyptian people to worship

A powerful pharaoh who expanded the Egyptian Empire into Southwest Asia

Invaders of the Egyptian Empire during the end of the New Kingdom

Removing the body's internal organs, drying the body with salts, and packing its insides and wrapping it with chemically treated cloth

A form of picture-writing

A type of plant that was used to create an early form of paper

A paper book that Egyptians put in the coffins of dead pharaohs and some nobles; each version of the book was different since it told the story of the dead person

A kingdom in the Upper Nile Valley that was heavily influenced by Egyptian culture

An important kingdom economically; After Nubia fell to decline, it reemerged as this kingdom

A kingdom founded on the plateau ofpresent-day Ethiopia; had an agricultural economy, Christianity was the official religion

Home to the indigenous peoples of the Indian subcontinent

The indigenous peoples of the Indian subcontinent

Two sophisticated urban centers in the Indus River Valley

Damage to or destruction of the natural environment

The removal of trees faster than forests can replace themselves

Indo-European-speaking peoples originally from Central Asia

A system by which one thing is exchanged for another

The sacred language of the Aryans

Official language of India, Sanskirt evolved into this

Overarching group of languages including English, French, Latin, and Greek Largest language family 48% of the world

A collection of Aryan religious hymns, poems, and songs

Outlined proper priestly (brahmin) behavior

Age marked by the Aryans' growing awareness of Dravidian beliefs

A foundational text for the set of religious beliefs that later became known as Hinduism

Priests

An overarching, universal soul that connects all creatures on Earth

To escape the seemingly endless cycle of birth and rebirth, one must perform righteous duties and deeds, known as one's:

One's fate

Eternal peace and unity with brahma

Two major rivers in China

A type of fertile soil that is yellow in color

Not much is known about this dynasty It began with Yu passing power to his son Qi

A series of rulers who all belong to the same family

The kings in this dynasty wielded tremendous economic and religious power

The practice of praying to your ancestors. Found especially in China.

Pictures that stand for words or ideas; picture writing

Longest dynasty in Chinese history

The first 200 years of the Zhou rule, a period in society of relative peace, prosperity, and innovation

In Chinese history, the divine approval thought to be the basis of royal authority

A system of government based on landowners and tenants

Corn

Central America and what is now Mexico

A civilization along the coast of Peru

To weld, fuse or join, as with a soldering gun

The foundation of several advanced civilizations in Mesoamerica

Pictures and symbols of real objects, used as a form of writing

The vast region in the Pacific Ocean that includes New Guinea, Australia, and more than a thousand other islands

Originated in southern China and later moved to Taiwan and the Philippines, Introduced agriculture to the people of New Guinea

Australian natives who remained hunter-foragers

A chain of South Pacific islands that includes Samoa, Hawaii, Easter Island, and New Zealand

An example of how humans can degrade ecosystems to a point that civilization collapses

The rejection of moral or ethical principles