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AP World History AMSCO Period 1 Vocab Flashcards

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10637827214overfarmingwhen agricultural land loses its fertility when used repeatedly0
10637827215overgrazingthe continual eating of grasses or their roots1
10637827216artifactsobjects made by people in the past2
10637827217homo sapiens sapiensmodern humans3
10637827218Paleolithic Periodearly years of human history; began 2.5 million years ago, ended 10,000 years ago -known for stone tools and weapons4
10637827219Neolithic Revolutiona set of dramatic changes in how people lived based on the development of agriculture5
10637827220monotheismworshiping only one deity6
10637827221Bronze Agebetween 3300-2300 B.C.E.; new metal was such an advance that it gave the era a new name7
10637827222civilizationa large society with cities and powerful states8
10637827223core and foundational civilizatonsthe main 6 river valley civilizations (Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Indian, Chinese, and American civilizations) that developed ways of life such as language, religious beliefs, and economic practices that influenced successor civilizations in those regions9
10637827224Jerichoone of humankind's first cities; built on the west bank of the Jordan River10
10637827225Catal Huyukanother ancient city that has well-preserved remains which help historians understand life back then11
10637827226textilesitems made of cloth12
10637827227specialization of laborthe process of allowing people to focus on limited tasks13
10637827228coppermetal found as a pure state in the ground; allowed for the making of bronze14
10637827229bronzemixture of tin and copper; creating a stronger mixture, huge advance15
10637827230hunter-forager(hunter-gatherers) people who survived by hunting animals and foraging for seeds, buts, fruit, and edible roots16
10637827231agriculturethe practice of raising crops or livestock on a continual and controlled basis17
10637827232surplusmore than what a civilization needs for themselves18
10637827233domesticationprocess of taming wild animals so that they could be brought to live with humans19
10637827234nomadic pastoralisma lifestyle based on people moving herds of animals from pasture to pasture20
10637827235kinship groupseveral hunter-forager families that moved together in search of food21
10637827236clana larger group of multiple kinship groups22
10637827237tribemultiple clans combined into a larger group23
10637827238patriarchal societya society dominated by men24
10637827239artisanspeople who made objects people needed (ex: clothing, pottery)25
10637827240merchantspeople who buy and sell goods for a living26
10637827241social stratificationthe system by which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy27
10637827242preistsmen who supervised religious ceremonies, and explained how ruler's behavior and rulings were based on religious doctrine28
10637827243priestesseswomen who supervised religious ceremonies, and explained how ruler's behavior and rulings were based on religious doctrine29
10637827244Tigris and Euphratesrivers that flow through modern Turkey through Iraq into the Persian Gulf30
10637827245Mesopotamiaarea between the Tigris and Euphrates31
10637827246Fertile Crescentregion that includes parts of Egypt and all of Mesopotamia32
10637827247Carthagea Phoenician colony on the coast of North Africa33
10637827248Saharadesert zone in northern Africa34
10637827249Kalaharidesert zone in southern Africa35
10637827250Nile Riverbegins in the interior of Africa and flows north to empty into the Meditteranean Sea36
10637827251desertificationthe creation of desert-like conditions37
10637827252Indus River Valleyriver valley in India38
10637827253environmental degradationmass deforestation and soil erosion39
10637827254deforestationremoval of large numbers of trees40
10637827255Huang HeYellow River; connects China's northern interior to the Yellow Sea41
10637827256Chiang JiangYangtze River; stretches almost 4,000 miles across Central China42
10637827257loessa type of fertile soil that is yellow in color43
10637827258MesoamericaCentral America and Mexico44
10637827259maizecorn45
10637827260Oceania and Polynesiathe region in the Pacific Ocean; New Guinea, Australia, and other islands46
10637827261division of laborother civilizations beginning to work in areas other than producing food47
10637827262barterthe direct exchange of goods without involving money48
10637827263polytheisticworshiping many gods49
10637827264zigguratslarge stepped pyramids50
10637827265astronomythe study of objects outside Earth's atmosphere51
10637827266astrologythe predicting the future by studying movements of stars and planets52
10637827267Hebrews (Israelites, Jews)lived in the region of Canaan (present-day Isreal, Palestine, and Lebanon)53
10637827268Abrahamfounder of Caanan who left Mesopotamia to settle there; Christians, Jews, and Muslims trace their roots to him54
10637827269Mosesthe man who led the Hebrews out of captivity to Canaan, and also introduced the 10 Commandments55
10637827270Ten Commandmentsa code of conduct that was influential in areas dominated by Christianity56
10637827271Jewish Diasporathe spreading of the Jews throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East57
10637827272theocratsrulers holding both religious and political power58
10637827273Atenthe sun god that Ahkenaton ordered Egypt to worship exclusively59
10637827274mummificationthe removing of the body's internal organs, drying the body with salts and packing its insides and wrapping it with chemically treated cloth60
10637827275AryansIndo-European speaking peoples from Central Asia (Persia)61
10637827276Hindioriginated from Sanskrit (India's sacred language), still widely spoken62
10637827277Vedascollection of Aryan religious hymns, poems, and songs63
10637827278Vedic Ageage of Aryans growing awareness of Dravidian beliefs64
10637827279brahminIndian priest65
10637827280brahmaa universal soul that connects all creatures on Earth66
10637827281dharmarighteous duties and deeds67
10637827282karmafate in the next life68
10637827283mokshaeternal peace or unity with brahma69
10637827284ancestor venerationthe belief that since the spirits of ancestors could speak to gods for them, making offerings to them to win their favor70
10637827285Golden Agea period in society of relative prosperity, peace, and innovation71
10637827286scribesa separate class of people who were skilled at reading and writing a certain language72
10637827287The Epic of Gilgameshthe oldest story on the Earth, written in cuneiform73
10637827288cuneiformworld's first writing system from the Sumerians74
10637827289alphabetic scripta system of symbols/letters that represent the sounds of speech; Phoenicians had a 22 letter alphabet75
10637827290hieroglyphicspicture writing used by the Ancient Egyptians76
10637827291papyrusa type of plant that grew along the Nile River that was used to make a type of paper77
10637827292Book of the Deada paper book that Egyptians put inside the coffins of the dead pharaohs that told the story of the dead person78
10637827293Indo-Europeana set of languages that involved Sanskrit and Latin79
10637827294Sanskritthe sacred language of the Aryans80
10637827295Rig-Vedaa section of the Veda that sheds light on ancient Indian society and their conflicts between Dravidian and Aryan societies, and outlined proper brahmin behavior81
10637827296Upanishadsa foundational text for the set of beliefs that later became known as Hinduism82
10637827297pictographs/glyphsAncient Chinese graphic symbols that represented an an idea, concept or object83
10637827298Austronesian speakersOceanic peoples from southern China who moved from the Philippines and Taiwan84
10637827299feudalismlocal rulers governing as they wished, who paid taxes to the king and provided soldiers for the kings army85
10637827300Sumer and Sumeriansa group of nomadic pastoralists who migrated into Mesopotamia, settling alongiside people already living there86
10637827301Urukthe largest city-state in Sumer with a population of roughly 50,00087
10637827302city-statesa city and the land it controlled; several hundred square miles88
10637827303king and kingdomSumerian military rulers who ruled over a territory89
10637827304BabyloniansPersian invaders that controlled Mesopotamia and built a new capital city called Babylon, thus being known as Babylonians90
10637827305empirethe controlling of a large empire that included diverse cultural groups91
10637827306Phoenicianspeoples who occupied parts of Lebanon, Isreal and Jordan; most commonly known for their strong ships and vast trade network92
10637827307Old Kingdoma period of stability in Egypt in which kings and queens ruled as theocrats, and wielded considerable authority in public life; all land belonged to the pharaoh and were descended from gods; collapsed due to drought, which led to famine93
10637827308Middle Kingdoma period of Egyptian stability in which Mentuhotep II took power, and reunited Egypt under a central government and diminished the power of provincial governors; placed an emphasis on statues/art of the pharaoh that depicted them as wise; built numerous temples and irrigation projects; ended due to invasions from the Hyksos from Syria94
10637827309New Kingdoma period of Egyptian stability in which after the defeat of the Hyksos, pharoahs used their powerful army to expand into Mesopotamia and Nubia; collapsed due to internal chaos and failed defense against aggressive neighbors95
10637827310Hyksosa group of pastoral nomadic people from Syria that invaded Egypt during the Middle Kingdom and were defeated before the New Kingdom96
10637827311Hittitiesa group of people who used iron rools and weapons, who eventually took over areas in Egypt after the fall of Ramses97
10637827312Kushancient kingdom south of Egypt that were mostly dependent on Egypt, controlled Egypt shortly before overthrown by the Assyrians98
10637827313Axumcivilization in present Ethiopia that had an agricultural and trading based economy, had many people converted to Christianity and some to Islam99
10637827314Dravidiansindigenous people of the Indian subcontinent100
10637827315Harappa and Mohenjo-Darotwo centers in the Indus River Valley; had advanced labor systems, a social heriarchy, and sewage systems101
10637827316Chavin civilizationthe civilization that existed in modern Peru centered at Chavin de Huantar; traded, lived in valleys, used llamas for transportation, developed irrigation systems, potter; dissolved into regional groups because had weak political structure102
10637827317Olmecthe civilization that flourished in the east and central Mexico, agricultural, traded with countries many miles away, carved human head statues and constructed massive pyramids, developed a calendar and a number system, used glyphs103
10637827318Easter Islanda place in Oceania where settlers were divided into clans that had a chief and one head chief as a ruler of all clans104
10637827319aboriginalshunter-foragers in Australia that were not fazed by the new agricultural ways of the Austronesian people; kept their nomadic ways105
10637827320Hammurabia Babylonian king who had established control over all of Mesopotamia; also created a law called the Code of Hammurabi (eye for an eye punishment)106
10637827321King MenesEgyptian king who unified Upper and Lower Egypt before the formation of the old, middle, and new kingdoms107
10637827322pharaohthe king or queen that led the Egyptian government108
10637827323Akhenatona pharaoh of the New Kingdom who tried to make Egypt a monotheistic region that followed the sun god Aten; ultimately failed109
10637827324Ramses the Greata powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom that expanded the Egyptian empire into Southwest Asia110
10637827325Xia Dynastythe first Chinese dynasty; had no writing system so little is known111
10637827326Shang Dynastythe second Chinese dynasty; Shang rulers conquered neighboring peoples and established a larger empire112
10637827327Mandate of Heaventhe ancient Chinese idea that a just ruler's power was bestowed by the gods; were referred to as sons of heaven; invasions or natural disasters were signs that a ruler no longer had a Mandate of Heaven113
10637827328Zhou Dynastythe third Chinese dynasty; the longest dynasty of all time; had a Golden Age; expanded into a larger territory and centralized power114

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