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AP World History AMSCO Period 1 Vocab Flashcards

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10457984925overfarmingwhen agricultural land loses its fertility when used repeatedly0
10457984926overgrazingthe continual eating of grasses or their roots1
10457984927artifactsobjects made by people in the past2
10457984928homo sapiens sapiensmodern humans3
10457984929Paleolithic Periodearly years of human history; began 2.5 million years ago, ended 10,000 years ago -known for stone tools and weapons4
10457984930Neolithic Revolutiona set of dramatic changes in how people lived based on the development of agriculture5
10457984931monotheismworshiping only one deity6
10457984932Bronze Agebetween 3300-2300 B.C.E.; new metal was such an advance that it gave the era a new name7
10457984933civilizationa large society with cities and powerful states8
10457984934core 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
10457984935Jerichoone of humankind's first cities; built on the west bank of the Jordan River10
10457984936Catal Huyukanother ancient city that has well-preserved remains which help historians understand life back then11
10457984937textilesitems made of cloth12
10457984938specialization of laborthe process of allowing people to focus on limited tasks13
10457984939coppermetal found as a pure state in the ground; allowed for the making of bronze14
10457984940bronzemixture of tin and copper; creating a stronger mixture, huge advance15
10457984941hunter-forager(hunter-gatherers) people who survived by hunting animals and foraging for seeds, buts, fruit, and edible roots16
10457984942agriculturethe practice of raising crops or livestock on a continual and controlled basis17
10457984943surplusmore than what a civilization needs for themselves18
10457984944domesticationprocess of taming wild animals so that they could be brought to live with humans19
10457984945nomadic pastoralisma lifestyle based on people moving herds of animals from pasture to pasture20
10457984946kinship groupseveral hunter-forager families that moved together in search of food21
10457984947clana larger group of multiple kinship groups22
10457984948tribemultiple clans combined into a larger group23
10457984949patriarchal societya society dominated by men24
10457984950artisanspeople who made objects people needed (ex: clothing, pottery)25
10457984951merchantspeople who buy and sell goods for a living26
10457984952social stratificationthe system by which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy27
10457984953preistsmen who supervised religious ceremonies, and explained how ruler's behavior and rulings were based on religious doctrine28
10457984954priestesseswomen who supervised religious ceremonies, and explained how ruler's behavior and rulings were based on religious doctrine29
10457984955Tigris and Euphratesrivers that flow through modern Turkey through Iraq into the Persian Gulf30
10457984956Mesopotamiaarea between the Tigris and Euphrates31
10457984957Fertile Crescentregion that includes parts of Egypt and all of Mesopotamia32
10457984958Carthagea Phoenician colony on the coast of North Africa33
10457984959Saharadesert zone in northern Africa34
10457984960Kalaharidesert zone in southern Africa35
10457984961Nile Riverbegins in the interior of Africa and flows north to empty into the Meditteranean Sea36
10457984962desertificationthe creation of desert-like conditions37
10457984963Indus River Valleyriver valley in India38
10457984964environmental degradationmass deforestation and soil erosion39
10457984965deforestationremoval of large numbers of trees40
10457984966Huang HeYellow River; connects China's northern interior to the Yellow Sea41
10457984967Chiang JiangYangtze River; stretches almost 4,000 miles across Central China42
10457984968loessa type of fertile soil that is yellow in color43
10457984969MesoamericaCentral America and Mexico44
10457984970maizecorn45
10457984971Oceania and Polynesiathe region in the Pacific Ocean; New Guinea, Australia, and other islands46
10457984972division of laborother civilizations beginning to work in areas other than producing food47
10457984973barterthe direct exchange of goods without involving money48
10457984974polytheisticworshiping many gods49
10457984975zigguratslarge stepped pyramids50
10457984976astronomythe study of objects outside Earth's atmosphere51
10457984977astrologythe predicting the future by studying movements of stars and planets52
10457984978Hebrews (Israelites, Jews)lived in the region of Canaan (present-day Isreal, Palestine, and Lebanon)53
10457984979Abrahamfounder of Caanan who left Mesopotamia to settle there; Christians, Jews, and Muslims trace their roots to him54
10457984980Mosesthe man who led the Hebrews out of captivity to Canaan, and also introduced the 10 Commandments55
10457984981Ten Commandmentsa code of conduct that was influential in areas dominated by Christianity56
10457984982Jewish Diasporathe spreading of the Jews throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East57
10457984983theocratsrulers holding both religious and political power58
10457984984Atenthe sun god that Ahkenaton ordered Egypt to worship exclusively59
10457984985mummificationthe removing of the body's internal organs, drying the body with salts and packing its insides and wrapping it with chemically treated cloth60
10457984986AryansIndo-European speaking peoples from Central Asia (Persia)61
10457984987Hindioriginated from Sanskrit (India's sacred language), still widely spoken62
10457984988Vedascollection of Aryan religious hymns, poems, and songs63
10457984989Vedic Ageage of Aryans growing awareness of Dravidian beliefs64
10457984990brahminIndian priest65
10457984991brahmaa universal soul that connects all creatures on Earth66
10457984992dharmarighteous duties and deeds67
10457984993karmafate in the next life68
10457984994mokshaeternal peace or unity with brahma69
10457984995ancestor venerationthe belief that since the spirits of ancestors could speak to gods for them, making offerings to them to win their favor70
10457984996Golden Agea period in society of relative prosperity, peace, and innovation71
10457984997scribesa separate class of people who were skilled at reading and writing a certain language72
10457984998The Epic of Gilgameshthe oldest story on the Earth, written in cuneiform73
10457984999cuneiformworld's first writing system from the Sumerians74
10457985000alphabetic scripta system of symbols/letters that represent the sounds of speech; Phoenicians had a 22 letter alphabet75
10457985001hieroglyphicspicture writing used by the Ancient Egyptians76
10457985002papyrusa type of plant that grew along the Nile River that was used to make a type of paper77
10457985003Book of the Deada paper book that Egyptians put inside the coffins of the dead pharaohs that told the story of the dead person78
10457985004Indo-Europeana set of languages that involved Sanskrit and Latin79
10457985005Sanskritthe sacred language of the Aryans80
10457985006Rig-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
10457985007Upanishadsa foundational text for the set of beliefs that later became known as Hinduism82
10457985008pictographs/glyphsAncient Chinese graphic symbols that represented an an idea, concept or object83
10457985009Austronesian speakersOceanic peoples from southern China who moved from the Philippines and Taiwan84
10457985010feudalismlocal rulers governing as they wished, who paid taxes to the king and provided soldiers for the kings army85
10457985011Sumer and Sumeriansa group of nomadic pastoralists who migrated into Mesopotamia, settling alongiside people already living there86
10457985012Urukthe largest city-state in Sumer with a population of roughly 50,00087
10457985013city-statesa city and the land it controlled; several hundred square miles88
10457985014king and kingdomSumerian military rulers who ruled over a territory89
10457985015BabyloniansPersian invaders that controlled Mesopotamia and built a new capital city called Babylon, thus being known as Babylonians90
10457985016empirethe controlling of a large empire that included diverse cultural groups91
10457985017Phoenicianspeoples who occupied parts of Lebanon, Isreal and Jordan; most commonly known for their strong ships and vast trade network92
10457985018Old 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
10457985019Middle 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
10457985020New 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
10457985021Hyksosa group of pastoral nomadic people from Syria that invaded Egypt during the Middle Kingdom and were defeated before the New Kingdom96
10457985022Hittitiesa group of people who used iron rools and weapons, who eventually took over areas in Egypt after the fall of Ramses97
10457985023Kushancient kingdom south of Egypt that were mostly dependent on Egypt, controlled Egypt shortly before overthrown by the Assyrians98
10457985024Axumcivilization in present Ethiopia that had an agricultural and trading based economy, had many people converted to Christianity and some to Islam99
10457985025Dravidiansindigenous people of the Indian subcontinent100
10457985026Harappa and Mohenjo-Darotwo centers in the Indus River Valley; had advanced labor systems, a social heriarchy, and sewage systems101
10457985027Chavin 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
10457985028Olmecthe 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
10457985029Easter Islanda place in Oceania where settlers were divided into clans that had a chief and one head chief as a ruler of all clans104
10457985030aboriginalshunter-foragers in Australia that were not fazed by the new agricultural ways of the Austronesian people; kept their nomadic ways105
10457985031Hammurabia 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
10457985032King MenesEgyptian king who unified Upper and Lower Egypt before the formation of the old, middle, and new kingdoms107
10457985033pharaohthe king or queen that led the Egyptian government108
10457985034Akhenatona pharaoh of the New Kingdom who tried to make Egypt a monotheistic region that followed the sun god Aten; ultimately failed109
10457985035Ramses the Greata powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom that expanded the Egyptian empire into Southwest Asia110
10457985036Xia Dynastythe first Chinese dynasty; had no writing system so little is known111
10457985037Shang Dynastythe second Chinese dynasty; Shang rulers conquered neighboring peoples and established a larger empire112
10457985038Mandate 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
10457985039Zhou 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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