History Ch. 1-3
Terms
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- archaeologists
- specially trained scientists who work to uncover the story of prehistoric people
- artifacts
- human-made objects, giving hints how of the people lived.
- anthropologists
- scientists who study the culture of a certain people, examine artifacts
- culture
- a people's unique wat of life
- paleontologists
- scientists who study fossils
- Mary Leakey
- archaeologist who led an expedition in East Africa, found footprints that resemebled human prints. Found skeletion and named it Homo habilis.
- hominids
- humans and other creatures that walk upright. Also had opposable thumbs.
- Lucy
- discovered by Donald Johanson. Is a complete skeleton of a female hominid.
- Paleolithic Age
- aka Old Stone Age, earlier and longer part of Stone Age, people created stone chopping tools.
- Neolithic Age
- aka New Stone Age, people learned to polish tools, make pottery, farm, and raise livestock.
- Homo habilis
- "man of skill." First peoples to make stone tools
- Homo erectus
- "upright man." More intelligent than Homo habilis. Developed technology, were skillful hunters, invented better tools. First to use fire! Developed beginnings of spoken language.
- Homo sapiens
- "wise men." Name for modern humans. 2 groups" Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons.
- Neanderthals
- group of Homo sapiens. Tried to explain and control world, developed religion and rituals. First to hold funerals/burials.
- Cro-Magnons
- group of Homo sapiens. Identical to modern humans, made new tools, created art, were superior hunters.
- nomads
- highly mobile people who moved from place to place searching for food.
- hunter-gatherers
- nomads who got food by hunting animals and gathering plant foods.
- Neolithic Revolution
- aka agricultural revolution. Changed human-life due to beginnings of farming. Caused because of changing climate.
- slash-and-burn farming
- a method in farming in which they cut trees or grasses and burned them to clear a field.
- domestication
- the taming of animals
- Catal Huyuk
- "forked mound." An agricultural village discovered by archaeologists. Located on fertile plain of Turkey. Had rich, fertile soil and had dark rock used to make glass.
- civilization
- a complex culture with: 1.advanced cities 2.specialized workers 3. complex institution 4.record keeping 5.advanced technology
- specialization
- the development of skills in a specific kind of work.
- artisans
- skilled workers who make goods by hand.
- institution
- a long-lasting pattern of organization in a community.
- scribes
- professional record keepers. Invented cuneiform and wrote with a stylus.
- cuneiform
- "wedge shaped." A Sumerian writing system created by scribes. Consisted of pictographs.
- Bronze Age
- the time period in which people began to use bronze to fashion tools and weapons.
- Ur
- one of the earliest cities in Sumer, was a highly sophisticated civilization. Had social classes, great trader, beautiful art, plows, irrigation systems, barters, and ziggurats.
- Sumer
- one of the 1st civilizations. Located in Mesopotamia. used characteristics of civilizations.
- barter
- the way of trading goods and services without money.
- ziggurat
- a tiered, pyramid-shaped structure that formed part of a Sumerian temple.
- Fertile Crescent
- an arc of rich farmland in SW Asia between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea.
- Mesopotamia
- "land between the rivers." A plain included in the Fertile Crescent. Framed by the Tigris and Euphrates.
- Mesopotamia's Environmental Challenges
- 1. unpredictable flooding/drought (solved by irrigation) 2. no natural barriers (solved by building city walls) 3. limited natural resources (solved by trade)
- city-state
- a city and its surrounding lands functioning as an independaent political unit.
- Early Governments of Sumer
- controlled by temple priests who demanded a portion of every farmer's crops as taxes. During war, a tough commander led the city. Some military leaders became full-time leaders.
- dynasty
- a series of ruled from a single family.
- cultural diffusion
- the process in which a new idea or a product spreads from one culture to another
- polytheism
- the belief in more than one god
- Sumerian social classes
- 1. Kinds, landholders, priests 2. wealthy merchants 3. ordinary Sumerian people 4. slaves
- Sumerian women
- could work as merchants, farmers, artisans. Could join priesthood and some learned to read and write.
- Sumerian arithmetic/technology
- developed a number system based on 360, base on seconds in a minute and degress of a circle.
- Sumerian architecture
- invented arches, columns, ramps, pyramid, and ziggurats.
- Sumerian writing system
- called cuneiform. One of the 1st writing systems, helped w/ record keeping.
- Sargon
- a conqueror who defeated the city-states of Sumer. From Akkad. Took control of Mesopotamia. Created 1st empire.
- empire
- a political unit in which a number of peoples or countries are controlled by a single ruler.
- Hammurabi
- emperor of Babylonian Empire, most enduring legacy = Code of Hammurabi
- Code of Hammurabi
- created by Hammurabi to maintain peace. Had 282 laws dealing with family, business,propery issues, and crime. Set different punishments for men/women and rich/poor. Goal- "to bring about the rule of righteousness"
- Egyptian Environmental Challenges
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1. Nile's waters were too low - starvation
2. Nile's waters were too high - destruction/flooding 3. Natural barriers forced Egyptians to live on a very small portion of land. - delta
- a broad, marshy, triangular area of land formed by deposits of silt and the river mouth.
- Narmer
- king of Egypt who united both Upper (white) and Lower (red) Egypt. Wore a red and white crown to show unification. Made the capital Memphis. Establish 1st Egyptian dynasty.
- pharaohs
- Egyptian god-kings who were thought to be as splendid as gods of heaven.
- theocracy
- a type of government in which rule is based on religious authority
- pyramid
- a massive structure with a rectangular base and four triangular sides, sometimes used as burial places.
- mummification
- the process of preserving bodies, involves enbalming and drying the corpse.
- Egyptian social classes
- 1. king, queen, royal family 2. upper class 3. middle class 4. lower class
- hieroglyphics
- "sacred carving," a more flexible writing system in which a picture stoff for an idea.
- papyrus
- Egyptian's new writing surface, use papyrus reeds to form a paperlike surface.
- Egyptian science/technology
- developed a calendar with 365 days and divided the year into 12 months, each with 30 days. Developed a written number system which helped w/ taxes. Doctors also new how to check heart rates and to use splints. They also used surgery.
- subcontinent
- a large landmass that forms a distinct part of a continent.
- monsoons
- seasonal winds that blew from the NE from Oct-Feb and SW from June-Oct.
- Indus Valley Environmental Challenges
- 1. yearly floods were unpredictable 2. rivers changed course (Indus and Ganges) 3. wet/dry seasons were unpredictable due to monsoons.
- Harappan civilization
- another name for Indus Valley civilization. Named this because of numerous discoveries in Harappa.
- Harappan Culture
- based on agriculture. Developed a written language, animals were very important, culture was a theocracy, and conducted a thriving trade.
- loess
- fertile soil blown by the winds from deserts in China.
- Chinese Environmental Challenges
- 1. Huang He's flooding was disastrous 2. were isolated, trade was limited 3. natural boundaries did not fully protect.
- Shang Dynasty
- 1st family of Chinese rulers to leave written records. Shang kings built elaborate palaces and tombs.
- Chinese family
- was center of Chinese society. The most important virtue = respoect for parents. Women were treated as inferiors.
- Chinese religion
- believed spirits of family ancestors brough good fortunes or disasters to their family. Shang worshipped Shang Di, and consulted gods through oracle bones.
- oracle bones
- animals bones and tortoise shells on which priests had scracthed questions for the gods.
- Chinese writing system
- each symbol stands for one syllable. No links between spoken and written language. All people learned the same language. Too many symbols--hard to learn.
- Zhou Dynasty
- overthrew the Shang, adopted much of Shang culture.
- Mandate of Heaven
- the divine approval thought to be the basis of royal authority.
- dynastic circle
- the pattern of rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties
- feudalism
- a political system in which nobles are granted the use of lands that legally belonged to the king in return for military service and loyalty.
- Chinese technology
- 1. roads and canals were created 2. coined money was introduced 3. blast furnaces were developed.
- Indo-Europeans
- a group of nomadic people who came from the steppes of the Caucasus
- steppes
- dry grasslands
- migrations
- movements of a people from one region to another
- Hittites
- an Indo-European people who setteld in Anatolia. Formed an empire (capital-Hattusas).
- Anatolia
- aka Asian Minor, huge peninsula is SW Asia.
- Hittite technology
- excelled in technology of war. used a lot of iron, created chariots. Technology made it a very military empire.
- Aryans
- an Indo-European people who were settling in India. They left almost no records.
- Vedas
- the Aryans' sacred litertaure. Vedas are 4 collections of prayers, spells, and ritual instructions.
- Aryan social classes
- 1. Brahmins (priests) 2. warriors 3. peasants/traders.
- Aryan Caste System
- made up of for castes. 1. Brahmins (priests) 2. Kshatriyas (rulers/warriors) 3. Vaishyas (peasants/traders) 4. Shudras (laborers).
- Mahabharata
- 1 of the greatest epics of India. Reflects the struggles that took place in India as the Aryans moved south.
- Hinduism
- a collection of religious beliefs that developed slowly over a long period of time.
- Upanishads
- teachers' comments that were written as dialogues between teachers and students.
- Moksha
- a state of perfect understanding of all things and liberation from desires and suffering
- reincarnation
- the process in which an individual soul or spirit is born again and again until moksha is achieved.
- karma
- good or bad deeds, influences specific life circumstances
- Hindu Gods
- 3 main gods: 1. Brahma, the creator 2. Vishnu, the protector 3. Shiva, the destroyer. These 3 gods formed a supreme god: Brahman
- Jainism
- a religion founded in India that sprung from Hinduism. Members believe that everything in the universe had a soul and should not be harmed.
- Buddhism
- a religion developed from religious questioning. Sprung from ideas of Hinduism.
- Siddhartha Gautama
- founder of Buddhism who was born into a novle family. To make sure he would become a great ruler, his father isolated him in a palace for many years. He wandered for many years seaking enlightenment. His voyages and teachings formed Buddhism.
- enlightenment
- a state of perfect wisdom in which one understands basic truths about the universe.
- Four Noble Truths
- 1. Life is filled w/ suffering and sorrow 2. The cause of suffering is peoples selfish desires 3. To end all suffering one must end all desires 4. Follow the 8 Fold Path to overcome desires and reach enlightenment.
- Eight Fold Path
- called the Middle Way between desires and self-denial. It was a guide to behavior and by following this one could achieve nirvana.
- nirvana
- Buddha's word for release from selfishness and pain.
- dharma
- Buddhist doctrine and teachings
- Minoans
- powerful seafaring people who dominated trader in E Mediterranean. They lived on Crete. Produced fine pottery and were successful traders.
- Knossos
- Minoan capital city in Crete.
- Phoenicians
- the most powerful traders of the Mediterranean. Lived in current Lebanon. Never unified into a country, created city-states. Were great shipbuilders and seafarers. Were famous for their red-purple dye which led to great trade.
- Phoenician Alphabet
- symbols stood for sounds. The word alphabet comes from Phoenician letters. They spread this alphabet with those who they traded with.
- Palestine
- the region at the eastern end of the Mediteranean Sea were the Phoenicians lived.
- Canaan
- the ancient home of the Hebrews.
- Torah
- the 1st 5 books of the Hebrew Bible--the most sacred writings of the Jews.
- Abraham
- a shepherd who lived in Ur. God commanded him to moved his people to Canaan. Was chosen as the father of the Hebrews.
- monotheism
- the belief in a single god
- covenant
- the mutual promise between between God and the founder of the Hebrew people.
- Moses
- the man who led the Hebrews out of slavery. Moses climbed to the top of Mount Sinai were he received 2 stone tablets (10 Commandments) from God
- 10 Commandments
- given to Moses from God on Mount Sinai. The code included rules about society and religion. Believed "an eye for an eye"-- similar to the Hammurabi Code.
- Israel
- a kingdom of the united Hebrews in Palestine.
- Saul
- 1 of 3 kinds who united the Hebrews. He drove out the Philistines from Palestine. Was portrayed as a tragic man.
- David
- 1 of 3 kinds who united the Hebrews. Son of Saul. Most popular leader. United the tribes, founded a dynasty, and set Jerusalem as the capital.
- Soloman
- 1 of 3 kinds who united the Hebrews. Son of David. Most powerful of kinds. Built a trading empire and beautified Jerusalem.
- Judah
- a Hebrew kingdom in Palestine. The southern part when the kingdom split.
- tribute
- peace money paid by a weaker power to a stronger.
- Cyrus the Great
- Persian king who conquered Babylon and allowed many exiles to return to Jerusalem.