AMSCO World History Chapter 02 Vocabulary

rivers that flow south from Turkey through Iraq into the Persian Gulf; the site of many important early civilizations

the area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; means "between rivers"

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

a Phoenician colony on the coast of North Africa; a significant outpost in the region

a large desert in northern Africa

a desert in southern Africa

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

the creation of desert-like conditions

area in which the Dravidians established Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable

the clearing of trees, transforming a forest into cleared land

a major river in China; runs through the northern interior to the Yellow Sea

a major river in China; runs 4000 miles across Central China

a type of fertile soil that is yellow in color

Central America and what is now Mexico

corn

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

a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1000 islands in thester central and southern Pacific Ocean, including Samoa, Hawaii, Easter Island, and New Zealand

the assignment of different parts of a manufacturing process or task to different people in order to improve efficiency

a system by which one thing is exchanged for another

worshipping many gods

large stepped Sumerian pyramids

the study of objects outside Earth's atmosphere

predicting the future by studying movements of stars and planets

lived in Canaan; descendents became known as Israelites and later as Jews

Hebrews that lived during the Jewish Diaspora

a later name for Israelites; believers in Judaism

left Mesopotamia and founded Canaan in 2000BC; ancestor of all Jews, Christians, and Muslims

led the Hebrews out of Egypt; introduced the Ten Commandments

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

belief in one deity

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

a sun god; Akhenaton called for worship to him only

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

Indo-European speaking peoples originally from Central Asia

commonly spoken in modern northern India; originated from a commonly used tongue used in Aryan society

a collection of Aryan hymns, poems, and songs

priestly

800-400BC; marked by the Aryans' growing awareness of Dravidian beliefs

an overarching, universal soul that connects all creatures on Earth

righteous duties and deeds described in the Upanishads

fate

eternal peace and unity with brahma

the belief that ancestral spirits have the power to intervene in the affairs of the living

a period in a society of relative peace, prosperity, and innovation

a class of people skilled at cuneiform; charged first with record-keeping and later with writing history and myths

the oldest written story on the earth; concerns the adventures of a king who ruled Uruk

the world's first writing system; consisted of marks carved onto wet clay tablets

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

a form of picture writing developed by the people in the Nile Valley

a type of plant that grew along the Nile River; its fibers were used to create a type of paper

a paper book that was put in coffins of pharaohs and nobles; told the story of the dead person

a major language branch comprised of those found in Europe and large parts of Asia

the Aryans' sacred language in which most literary and religious works were recorded

sheds light on ancient Indian society; outlined proper brahmin behavior

a collection of religious thought that illuminated several new religious concepts; created through blending of both Aryan and Dravidian beliefs

graphic symbols

pictures and symbols of real objects

originated in southern China, then moved to Taiwan, the Phillipines, and New Guinea

dominated by men

each had its own territory and was headed by a male chief who ruled with advice from a committee in Aryan society

origins lie in the Zhou regional network of rulers with relationships based on mutual defense agreements

a group of nomadic pastoralists that migrated into Mesopotamia before 5000BC

a civilization created by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia

the largest city in Sumer with a population of 50000

a city that with its surrounding territory forms an independent state

military rulers

the territory over which a king rules

a group of Persians who invaded Mesopotamia in 1900BC; built a new capital city called Babylon

a large territory that includes diverse cultural groups

occupied modern-day Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan around 3000BC; developed the alphabetic script

the first of three major time periods in Egypt; government centralized, pharaohs had power; fell to a rebellious noble class

the second of three major time periods in Egypt; established by Mentuhotep II in 2040BC; encouraged loyalty through art and literature; fell to Hyksos invasions

the last of three major time periods in Egypt; Ramses expanded territory and built more temples and statues; declined after his death

a pastoral nomadic people from modern Syria who defeated Middle Kingdom Egypt with superior technology

a group of invaders with iron tools and weapons; invaded New Kingdom Egypt

a kingdom that arose after the decline of Nubia in 2500BC

the civilization that conquered Kush in 340s CE

indigenous peoples of the Indian subcontinent; established Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

(H) one of two urban centers established by Dravidians in the Indus River Valley

(M) one of two urban centers established by Dravidians in the Indus River Valley

existed from 1000-200BC on the coast of Peru; center was Chavin de Huantar; fell because of weak political structure

the foundation of later civilizations such as the Maya and Aztec; lived in Mexico from 1200-400BC; agricultural society

the civilization that settled here built distinctive large stone statues

people belonging to one of the indigenous peoples of Australia

Babylonians' most power king; created a set of laws, reorganized tax structure, abolished local governments

a set of coded laws that protected people's rights; built on the idea of "an eye for an eye"

united Upper and Lower Egypt in 3100BC; establishes a capital at Memphis

the king or queen leading the government in Egypt

rulers holding both religious and political power

a pharaoh who called for the worship of one god, Aten

a powerful pharaoh who expanded the empire, built temples and statues, and made peace with the Hittites

the first dynasty in China; began when Yu passed his power to Qi, lasted 400 years; little is known because a writing system had not yet developed

a series of rulers who all belong to the same family

began in 1750BC when Tang overthrew the Xia king and took power; lasted 600 years

the idea that a just ruler's power is bestowed by the gods

began in 1045BC when military man Wu used his own army to challenge Shang rule and kill the king