Primary Source
written or created by people who lived during a historical event. The writers might have been participants or observers. Includes letters, diaries, journals, speeches, and articles
Secondary Source
From people who were not present at the original event. They are written after the event. They often combine information from a number of different accounts.
Neolithic Revolution
A prehistoric period that began about 8000 BC and in some areas ended as early as 3000 BC during which people learned to polish stone tools, make pottery, grow crops, and raise animals.
Artisan
A skilled worker, such as a weaver or potter, who makes goods by hand.
Ziggurat
A tiered, pyramid shaped structure that formed part of a Sumerian temple
Cuneiform
A system of writing with wedge-shaped symbols, invented by the Sumerians around 3000 BC
Scribe
One of the professional record keepers in early civilizations
hieroglyphics
An ancient Egyptian writing system in which pictures were used to represent ideas and sounds
papyrus
A tall reed that grows in the Nile Delta, used by the ancient Egyptians to make a paper-like material to write on.
Monarchy
A government in which power is in the hands of a single person
Theocracy
A government controlled by religious leaders.
Dynasty
A series of rulers from a single family
Polytheistic
belief in many gods
Ur
an ancient city of Sumer located on a former channel of the Euphrates River
Sumer
A group of ancient city-states in southern Mesopotamia; the earliest civilization in Mesopotamia.
Mesopotamia
The land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Patrician
a member of an upper-class family in Mesopotamia
Plebeian
of the common people of Mesopotamia
Code of Hammurabi
the set of laws drawn up by Babylonian king Hammurabi dating to the 18th century BC, the earliest legal code known in its entirety
Indus Valley Civilization
an ancient civilization that flourished in the Indus and Ghaggar-Hakra river valleys primarily in what is now Pakistan and western India
Grid System
Method of planning used by the people of the Indus Civilization
3500-3000BCE
What period was Mesopotamia in?
3000-2000BCE
What period was Egypt in?
2500-1750BCE
What period was Indus in?
2000-1500BCE
What period was China in?
fertile soil
What impact did the Euphrates, Tigris, and Nile Rivers have on Mesopotamia and Egypt?
Each letter stood for an idea
What was significant about Chinese writing?
rivers, deserts, and mountains
How was China isolated from other civilizations?
Mandate of Heaven
in Chinese history, the divine approval thought to be the basis of royal authority
Pyramids
monumental architecture typical of Old Kingdom Egypt; used as burial sites for pharaohs.
Khufu
Egyptian pharaoh who built the great pyramid
mummification
a process of embalming and drying corpses to prevent them from decaying. Used by Ancient Egypt to transport people to after life.
Monarchy
What was the government of Mesopotamia?
Theocracy
What was the government of Egypt?
not recorded, but well organized
government in Indus
Dynasties that believed in Mandate of Heaven
government in China
Rivers were unpredictable, dense cities opened them up for attack, natural resources were limited.
Impact of environment in Mesopotamia
Surrounding desert limited trade but kept out invaders, Nile river was used a lot
Impact of environment in Egypt
Mountains formed natural barriers, Indus river flooded often
Impact of environment in Indus
Were isolated from other civilizations, Huang He was main river
Impact of environment in China