AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP World History: Ancient World Flashcards

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

Terms : Hide Images
6805356735AgricultureThe 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
6805356736Agrarianpertaining to land or its cultivation; Ex. agrarian reform, agrarian society1
6805356737Bands/ Clansextended family groups that generally lived together2
6805356738Barbarianwithout civilizing influences3
6805356739Bureaucracysystem of managing government through departments run by appointed officials (not elected)4
6805356740Civilizationa society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations)5
6805356741City-Statesdifferent sections of land owned by the same country but ruled by different rulers (e.g. Greece)6
6805356742Classicalof or characteristic of a form or system felt to be of first significance before modern times7
6805356743Domesticationprocess of changing plants or animals to make them more useful to humans8
6805356744Economysystem by which goods and services are produced and distributed to meet people's needs9
6805356745Egalitariana person who believes in the equality of all people10
6805356746Emperorsupreme ruler of an empire11
6805356747Empiremany territories, countries, or peoples controlled by one government (also just any territory ruled by an emperor)12
6805356748Feudalisma political system and a social system where by a powerful lord would offer "protection" in return for "service"13
6805356749Foragingthe process of scavenging for food14
6805356750Hierarchya series of ordered groupings of people or things within a system15
6805356751HierarchicalOf, relating to, or arranged in a hierarchy16
6805356752Hunter-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
6805356753Irrigationsupplying dry land with water by means of ditches, sprinklers, etc.18
6805356754Monarchya government in which power is in the hands of a single person who usually inherits their power19
6805356755Monotheismbelief in a single God20
6805356756NeolithicThe New Stone Age from circa 8500 to 4500 BCE: The period of the Stone Age associated with the ancient Agricultural Revolution(s)21
6805356757Nomadic(of groups of people) tending to travel and change settlements frequently22
6805356758Pastoralrelating to shepherds or herdsmen or devoted to raising sheep or cattle (e.g. pastoral peoples)23
6805356759PaleolithicThe 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
6805356760Philosophythe rational investigation of questions about existence, knowledge, and ethics25
6805356761Polytheismbelief in multiple Gods26
6805356762River Valleythe fertile land surrounding a river- the first civilizations arose near them27
6805356763Sedentaryremaining in one place28
6805356764Settlementthe act of colonizing or a small group of people in a sedentary position29
6805356765Subsistencethe necessities of life, the resources of survival30
6805356766Surplusa quantity much larger than is needed31
6805356767Sustenancethe act of sustaining life by food or providing a means of subsistence32
6805356768Theocracygovernment run by religious leaders33
6805356769Traditionalconsisting of or derived from tradition; customary practices34
6805356770Urbanizationthe social process whereby cities grow and societies become more urban35
6805356771Vassalslesser lords who pledged their service and loyalty to a greater lord -- in a military capacity36
6805356772Alexander the Greatking of Macedon, conqueror of Greece, Egypt, and Persia; founder of Alexandria (356-323 BC)37
6805356773Analects of Confucius"something that is repeated" - a collection of Confucius' famous sayings38
6805356774Bronze Agea period between the Stone and Iron ages, characterized by the manufacture and use of bronze tools and weapons39
6805356775Byzantiumthe 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
6805356776Calendara system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year41
6805356777Code 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
6805356778CuneiformOne 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
6805356779Democracya political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them44
6805356780Eight Fold PathEight steps to end suffering and attain enlightenment according to Buddhist tradition.45
6805356781Four Noble Truthsas taught by the Buddha, the four basic beliefs that form the foundation of Buddhism46
6805356782Gothic 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
6805356783Great Walla fortification 1,500 miles long built across northern China in the 3rd century BC48
6805356784Han Dynastyimperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time from 206 BC to AD 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy49
6805356785HellenismThe 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
6805356786The HunsFierce warriors from Central Asia- First invaded southeastern Europe and then launched raids on nearby kingdoms51
6805356787Indian Ocean Tradeconnected to Europe, Africa, and China.; worlds richest maritime trading network and an area of rapid Muslim expansion.52
6805356788Iron Agethe period following the Bronze Age; characterized by rapid spread of iron tools and weapons53
6805356789Jewish DiasporaA "scattering" of the Jewish people54
6805356790LegalismIn 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
6805356791Pax RomanaA period of peace and prosperity throughout the Roman Empire, lasting from 27 B.C. to A.D. 180.56
6805356792PyramidsHuge stone tombs with four triangle-shaped walls that met in a point on top57
6805356793Roman RepublicThe period from 507 to 31 B.C.E., during which Rome was largely governed by the aristocratic Roman Senate.58
6805356794Roman Senatea council of wealthy and powerful Romans that advised the city's leaders59
6805356795Shang CivilizationChina's first dynasty almost 2000 BCE60
6805356796Shi Huang Diharsh ruler who united China for the first time and used legalism in ruling (Qin China)61
6805356797Siddhartha Gautamafounder of Buddhism; born a prince; left his father's wealth to find the cause of human suffering; also know as Buddha62
6805356798Silk 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
6805356799The Torahthe most sacred text of Judaism64
6805356800The Vedas of HinduismAryan hymns originally transmitted orally but written down in sacred books from the 6th century B.C.E.65
6805356801Zigguratsa temple or tomb of the ancient Assyrians, Sumerians, or Babylonians, having the form of a terraced pyramid of successively receding stories66

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!