AP World History – 8000 BCE to 600 CE

A type of religious belief that focuses on the roles of the various gods and spirits in the natural world and in human events. Animist religions are polytheistic and have been practiced in almost every part of the world.

The social system of the Aryans divided people into four castes, also known as Varnas. This caste system had a profound impact on the development of the Hindu religion. Each of the four main castes had specific roles to fulfill in society.

Represents a period of great cultural significance in society before the modern age. In a limited form of usage, classical refers to the age of Athens in ancient Greece and to the time of the Roman Republic and applied to non-Mediterranean cultures, such as the Qin dynasty of China.

A form of respect shown by children to their parents. Filial piety is a crucial concept in Confucian though, and can also be see in the respect and veneration shown to elders and ancestors.

The religious belief in one God. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all represent monotheist religions.

The term "Neolithic" means "new stone age." During the early years of the Neolithic period, which corresponds to the starting point of the AP World History course of 8000 BCE, humans discovered agriculture and settled into fixed communities.

A way of life in which people do not have a settled home but rather move from place to place in order to support their livelihood. Pastoral nomads move in order to find places for their animals to forage; hunter-gatherer nomads seek out new area for finding and hunting food.

Refers to a group that herds in domesticated animals for their livelihood. Often pastoral people are also nomadic.

A cultural trait in which one person is married to more than one spouse at a time.

Religious belief in more than one god. The ancient Greeks, for example, practice polytheism.

The trade routes that linked the Mediterranean area of the Roman Empire with the Chinese Qin dynasty. Silk textiles and other precious trade goods traveled across the silk roads about 2,000 years ago. Later, the Silk Roads flourished under the Mongol period of the 13th century.