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AP World History: Ancient World Flashcards

First set of words in the AP World History book by the Princeton Review.

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4408395524AgricultureThe deliberate effort to modify a portion of Earth's surface through the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock for sustenance or economic gain.0
4408395525Agrarianpertaining to land or its cultivation; Ex. agrarian reform, agrarian society1
4408395526Bands/ Clansextended family groups that generally lived together2
4408395527Barbarianwithout civilizing influences3
4408395528Bureaucracysystem of managing government through departments run by appointed officials (not elected)4
4408395529Civilizationa society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations)5
4408395530City-Statesdifferent sections of land owned by the same country but ruled by different rulers (e.g. Greece)6
4408395531Classicalof or characteristic of a form or system felt to be of first significance before modern times7
4408395532Domesticationprocess of changing plants or animals to make them more useful to humans8
4408395533Economysystem by which goods and services are produced and distributed to meet people's needs9
4408395534Egalitariana person who believes in the equality of all people10
4408395535Emperorsupreme ruler of an empire11
4408395536Empiremany territories, countries, or peoples controlled by one government (also just any territory ruled by an emperor)12
4408395537Feudalisma political system and a social system where by a powerful lord would offer "protection" in return for "service"13
4408395538Foragingthe process of scavenging for food14
4408395539Hierarchya series of ordered groupings of people or things within a system15
4408395540HierarchicalOf, relating to, or arranged in a hierarchy16
4408395541Hunter-GathererA hunter-gatherer society is one whose primary subsistence method involves the direct procurement of edible plants and animals from the wild, foraging and hunting without significant recourse to the domestication of either plants nor animals17
4408395542Irrigationsupplying dry land with water by means of ditches, sprinklers, etc.18
4408395543Monarchya government in which power is in the hands of a single person who usually inherits their power19
4408395544Monotheismbelief in a single God20
4408395545NeolithicThe New Stone Age from circa 8500 to 4500 BCE: The period of the Stone Age associated with the ancient Agricultural Revolution(s)21
4408395546Nomadic(of groups of people) tending to travel and change settlements frequently22
4408395547Pastoralrelating to shepherds or herdsmen or devoted to raising sheep or cattle (e.g. pastoral peoples)23
4408395548PaleolithicThe Old Stone Age from circa 750,00 to 500,000 years BCE to 8,500 years BCE: The period of the Stone Age associated with the evolution of humans and the development of minor tools24
4408395549Philosophythe rational investigation of questions about existence, knowledge, and ethics25
4408395550Polytheismbelief in multiple Gods26
4408395551River Valleythe fertile land surrounding a river- the first civilizations arose near them27
4408395552Sedentaryremaining in one place28
4408395553Settlementthe act of colonizing or a small group of people in a sedentary position29
4408395554Subsistencethe necessities of life, the resources of survival30
4408395555Surplusa quantity much larger than is needed31
4408395556Sustenancethe act of sustaining life by food or providing a means of subsistence32
4408395557Theocracygovernment run by religious leaders33
4408395558Traditionalconsisting of or derived from tradition; customary practices34
4408395559Urbanizationthe social process whereby cities grow and societies become more urban35
4408395560Vassalslesser lords who pledged their service and loyalty to a greater lord -- in a military capacity36
4408395561Alexander the Greatking of Macedon, conqueror of Greece, Egypt, and Persia; founder of Alexandria (356-323 BC)37
4408395562Analects of Confucius"something that is repeated" - a collection of Confucius' famous sayings38
4408395563Bronze Agea period between the Stone and Iron ages, characterized by the manufacture and use of bronze tools and weapons39
4408395564Byzantiumthe civilization that developed from the eastern Roman Empire following the death of the emperor Justinian (C.E. 565) until the fall of Constantinople (C.E.1453)40
4408395565Calendara system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year41
4408395566Code of Hammurabithe set of laws drawn up by Babylonian king Hammurabi dating to the 18th century BC, the earliest legal code known in its entirety42
4408395567CuneiformOne of the first written languages known: A system of writing in which wedge-shaped symbols represented words or syllables. It originated in Mesopotamia and was used initially for Sumerian and Akkadian but later was adapted to represent other languages of western Asia.43
4408395568Democracya political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them44
4408395569Eight Fold PathEight steps to end suffering and attain enlightenment according to Buddhist tradition.45
4408395570Four Noble Truthsas taught by the Buddha, the four basic beliefs that form the foundation of Buddhism46
4408395571Gothic MigrationsThe Migration period, also called the Barbarian Invasions or German: Völkerwanderung (wandering of the peoples), was a period of human migration that occurred roughly between the years 300 to 700 CE in Europe, marking the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages. These movements were catalyzed by profound changes within both the Roman Empire and the so-called 'barbarian frontier'. Migrating peoples during this period included the Goths, Vandals, Bulgars, Alans, Suebi, Frisians, and Franks, among other Germanic and Slavic tribes.47
4408395572Great Walla fortification 1,500 miles long built across northern China in the 3rd century BC48
4408395573Han Dynastyimperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time from 206 BC to AD 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy49
4408395574HellenismThe ideals and principles that spread from Greece through much of the ancient world. Much of its influence such as philosophy, athletics, and architecture penetrated the Middle East.50
4408395575The HunsFierce warriors from Central Asia- First invaded southeastern Europe and then launched raids on nearby kingdoms51
4408395576Indian Ocean Tradeconnected to Europe, Africa, and China.; worlds richest maritime trading network and an area of rapid Muslim expansion.52
4408395577Iron Agethe period following the Bronze Age; characterized by rapid spread of iron tools and weapons53
4408395578Jewish DiasporaA "scattering" of the Jewish people54
4408395579LegalismIn Chinese history, Legalism was one of the main philosophic currents during the Warring States Period- A philosophy of focusing on the text of written law to the exclusion of the intent of law, elevating strict adherence to law over justice, mercy and common sense55
4408395580Pax RomanaA period of peace and prosperity throughout the Roman Empire, lasting from 27 B.C. to A.D. 180.56
4408395581PyramidsHuge stone tombs with four triangle-shaped walls that met in a point on top57
4408395582Roman RepublicThe period from 507 to 31 B.C.E., during which Rome was largely governed by the aristocratic Roman Senate.58
4408395583Roman Senatea council of wealthy and powerful Romans that advised the city's leaders59
4408395584Shang CivilizationChina's first dynasty almost 2000 BCE60
4408395585Shi Huang Diharsh ruler who united China for the first time and used legalism in ruling (Qin China)61
4408395586Siddhartha Gautamafounder of Buddhism; born a prince; left his father's wealth to find the cause of human suffering; also know as Buddha62
4408395587Silk Road TradeThe most famous of the trading routes established by pastoral nomads connecting the Chinese, Indian, Persian, and Mediterranean civilizations; transmitted goods and ideas among civilization.63
4408395588The Torahthe most sacred text of Judaism64
4408395589The Vedas of HinduismAryan hymns originally transmitted orally but written down in sacred books from the 6th century B.C.E.65
4408395590Zigguratsa temple or tomb of the ancient Assyrians, Sumerians, or Babylonians, having the form of a terraced pyramid of successively receding stories66

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