World History Chapter 2 Key Terms

people who migrated into Mesopotamia; created first civilization within the region; organized area into city-states

a form of political organization typical of Mesopotamian civilizations; consisted of agricltural hinterlands ruled by an urban based king

a form of writing developed by the Sumeritylans using a wedge shaped stylus and clay tablets

the first literary epic in Western civilizations; included story of Great flood

massive towers usually associated with Mesopotamian temple complexes

a religious outlook that sees gods in many aspects of nature and propitiates them to help control and explain nature; typical of Mesopotamian religion

societies distinguished by reliance on sedentary agriculture, ability to produce food surpluses, and existence of nonfarming elites, as well as merchant and manufacturing groups

ruler of city-state of Akkhad; established the first empire in Mesopotamian civilization

unified all of Mesopotamia; collapsed due to foreign invasion

the most important ruler of the Babylonian empire; responsible for codification of law

an Indo-European people who entered Mesopotamia; destroyed the Babylonian empire

title of kings of ancient Egypt

first pharaoh of Egyptian Old Kingdom

Egyptian pharaoh of the New Kingdom; attempted to establish a one-god religion, replacing the traditional Egyptian pantheon of gods

monumental architecture typical of Old Kingdom Egypt; used as burial sites for pharaohs

the act of preserving the bodies of the dead; practiced in Egypt to preserve the body for enjoyment of the afterlife

an African state that developed along the upper reaches of the Nile; conquered Egypt and ruled it for several centuries

kingdom located in Ethiopian highlands; replaced Meroe in first century C.E.; recieved strong influence from Arabian peninsula; eventually converted to Christianity

the exclusive worship of a single god; introduced by the Jew into Western civilization

a civilization that developed on the island of Crete; capital at the palace complex of Knossos

seafaring civilization located on the shores of the eastern Meditterranean; established colonies throughout the Mediterranean