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AP World History AMSCO Period 1 Vocab Flashcards

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9459556073overfarmingwhen agricultural land loses its fertility when used repeatedly0
9459565178overgrazingthe continual eating of grasses or their roots1
9459568331artifactsobjects made by people in the past2
9459576418homo sapiens sapiensmodern humans3
9459579423Paleolithic Periodearly years of human history; began 2.5 million years ago, ended 10,000 years ago -known for stone tools and weapons4
9459590229Neolithic Revolutiona set of dramatic changes in how people lived based on the development of agriculture5
9459598214monotheismworshiping only one deity6
9459616018Bronze Agebetween 3300-2300 B.C.E.; new metal was such an advance that it gave the era a new name7
9459644009civilizationa large society with cities and powerful states8
9459655959core 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
9459728099Jerichoone of humankind's first cities; built on the west bank of the Jordan River10
9459737304Catal Huyukanother ancient city that has well-preserved remains which help historians understand life back then11
9459755236textilesitems made of cloth12
9459764678specialization of laborthe process of allowing people to focus on limited tasks13
9459770396coppermetal found as a pure state in the ground; allowed for the making of bronze14
9459774193bronzemixture of tin and copper; creating a stronger mixture, huge advance15
9459783465hunter-forager(hunter-gatherers) people who survived by hunting animals and foraging for seeds, buts, fruit, and edible roots16
9459798757agriculturethe practice of raising crops or livestock on a continual and controlled basis17
9459810792surplusmore than what a civilization needs for themselves18
9459814693domesticationprocess of taming wild animals so that they could be brought to live with humans19
9459823617nomadic pastoralisma lifestyle based on people moving herds of animals from pasture to pasture20
9459828507kinship groupseveral hunter-forager families that moved together in search of food21
9459841162clana larger group of multiple kinship groups22
9459845817tribemultiple clans combined into a larger group23
9459860525patriarchal societya society dominated by men24
9459863038artisanspeople who made objects people needed (ex: clothing, pottery)25
9459863039merchantspeople who buy and sell goods for a living26
9459866910social stratificationthe system by which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy27
9459866911preistsmen who supervised religious ceremonies, and explained how ruler's behavior and rulings were based on religious doctrine28
9459870057priestesseswomen who supervised religious ceremonies, and explained how ruler's behavior and rulings were based on religious doctrine29
9510369591Tigris and Euphratesrivers that flow through modern Turkey through Iraq into the Persian Gulf30
9510371350Mesopotamiaarea between the Tigris and Euphrates31
9510371351Fertile Crescentregion that includes parts of Egypt and all of Mesopotamia32
9510372515Carthagea Phoenician colony on the coast of North Africa33
9510372516Saharadesert zone in northern Africa34
9510372517Kalaharidesert zone in southern Africa35
9510373858Nile Riverbegins in the interior of Africa and flows north to empty into the Meditteranean Sea36
9510373859desertificationthe creation of desert-like conditions37
9510375119Indus River Valleyriver valley in India38
9510375120environmental degradationmass deforestation and soil erosion39
9510376164deforestationremoval of large numbers of trees40
9510376165Huang HeYellow River; connects China's northern interior to the Yellow Sea41
9510378022Chiang JiangYangtze River; stretches almost 4,000 miles across Central China42
9510378023loessa type of fertile soil that is yellow in color43
9510380038MesoamericaCentral America and Mexico44
9510380039maizecorn45
9510382154Oceania and Polynesiathe region in the Pacific Ocean; New Guinea, Australia, and other islands46
9510382155division of laborother civilizations beginning to work in areas other than producing food47
9510382156barterthe direct exchange of goods without involving money48
9510383637polytheisticworshiping many gods49
9510383638zigguratslarge stepped pyramids50
9510384451astronomythe study of objects outside Earth's atmosphere51
9510384452astrologythe predicting the future by studying movements of stars and planets52
9510385913Hebrews (Israelites, Jews)lived in the region of Canaan (present-day Isreal, Palestine, and Lebanon)53
9510385914Abrahamfounder of Caanan who left Mesopotamia to settle there; Christians, Jews, and Muslims trace their roots to him54
9510387077Mosesthe man who led the Hebrews out of captivity to Canaan, and also introduced the 10 Commandments55
9510387078Ten Commandmentsa code of conduct that was influential in areas dominated by Christianity56
9510388352Jewish Diasporathe spreading of the Jews throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East57
9510390427theocratsrulers holding both religious and political power58
9510390428Atenthe sun god that Ahkenaton ordered Egypt to worship exclusively59
9510391709mummificationthe removing of the body's internal organs, drying the body with salts and packing its insides and wrapping it with chemically treated cloth60
9510391710AryansIndo-European speaking peoples from Central Asia (Persia)61
9510393442Hindioriginated from Sanskrit (India's sacred language), still widely spoken62
9510393443Vedascollection of Aryan religious hymns, poems, and songs63
9510393444Vedic Ageage of Aryans growing awareness of Dravidian beliefs64
9510394443brahminIndian priest65
9510394444brahmaa universal soul that connects all creatures on Earth66
9510394445dharmarighteous duties and deeds67
9510395453karmafate in the next life68
9510395454mokshaeternal peace or unity with brahma69
9510396734ancestor venerationthe belief that since the spirits of ancestors could speak to gods for them, making offerings to them to win their favor70
9510396735Golden Agea period in society of relative prosperity, peace, and innovation71
9510396736scribesa separate class of people who were skilled at reading and writing a certain language72
9510398200The Epic of Gilgameshthe oldest story on the Earth, written in cuneiform73
9510398201cuneiformworld's first writing system from the Sumerians74
9510399109alphabetic scripta system of symbols/letters that represent the sounds of speech; Phoenicians had a 22 letter alphabet75
9510400865hieroglyphicspicture writing used by the Ancient Egyptians76
9510400866papyrusa type of plant that grew along the Nile River that was used to make a type of paper77
9510402541Book of the Deada paper book that Egyptians put inside the coffins of the dead pharaohs that told the story of the dead person78
9510402542Indo-Europeana set of languages that involved Sanskrit and Latin79
9510403203Sanskritthe sacred language of the Aryans80
9510403204Rig-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
9510404743Upanishadsa foundational text for the set of beliefs that later became known as Hinduism82
9510404744pictographs/glyphsAncient Chinese graphic symbols that represented an an idea, concept or object83
9510405760Austronesian speakersOceanic peoples from southern China who moved from the Philippines and Taiwan84
9510405761feudalismlocal rulers governing as they wished, who paid taxes to the king and provided soldiers for the kings army85
9510410141Sumer and Sumeriansa group of nomadic pastoralists who migrated into Mesopotamia, settling alongiside people already living there86
9510410142Urukthe largest city-state in Sumer with a population of roughly 50,00087
9510410143city-statesa city and the land it controlled; several hundred square miles88
9510411299king and kingdomSumerian military rulers who ruled over a territory89
9510412439BabyloniansPersian invaders that controlled Mesopotamia and built a new capital city called Babylon, thus being known as Babylonians90
9510412440empirethe controlling of a large empire that included diverse cultural groups91
9510412441Phoenicianspeoples who occupied parts of Lebanon, Isreal and Jordan; most commonly known for their strong ships and vast trade network92
9510414674Old 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
9511521793Middle 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
9511532348New 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
9510414675Hyksosa group of pastoral nomadic people from Syria that invaded Egypt during the Middle Kingdom and were defeated before the New Kingdom96
9510415723Hittitiesa group of people who used iron rools and weapons, who eventually took over areas in Egypt after the fall of Ramses97
9510415724Kushancient kingdom south of Egypt that were mostly dependent on Egypt, controlled Egypt shortly before overthrown by the Assyrians98
9510415725Axumcivilization in present Ethiopia that had an agricultural and trading based economy, had many people converted to Christianity and some to Islam99
9510416928Dravidiansindigenous people of the Indian subcontinent100
9510416929Harappa and Mohenjo-Darotwo centers in the Indus River Valley; had advanced labor systems, a social heriarchy, and sewage systems101
9510420832Chavin 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
9510420833Olmecthe 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
9510421821Easter Islanda place in Oceania where settlers were divided into clans that had a chief and one head chief as a ruler of all clans104
9510421822aboriginalshunter-foragers in Australia that were not fazed by the new agricultural ways of the Austronesian people; kept their nomadic ways105
9510421823Hammurabia 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
9510422929King MenesEgyptian king who unified Upper and Lower Egypt before the formation of the old, middle, and new kingdoms107
9510422930pharaohthe king or queen that led the Egyptian government108
9510424368Akhenatona pharaoh of the New Kingdom who tried to make Egypt a monotheistic region that followed the sun god Aten; ultimately failed109
9510425614Ramses the Greata powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom that expanded the Egyptian empire into Southwest Asia110
9510425615Xia Dynastythe first Chinese dynasty; had no writing system so little is known111
9510426390Shang Dynastythe second Chinese dynasty; Shang rulers conquered neighboring peoples and established a larger empire112
9510426391Mandate 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
9510428049Zhou 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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