Terms : Hide Images
| 14345889107 | Sahara | Desert running across northern Africa; separates the Mediterranean coast from southern Africa | 0 | |
| 14345891048 | Shinto | Religion of early Japanese culture; devotees worshipped numerous gods and spirits associated with the natural world; offers of food and prayers made to gods and nature spirits | 1 | |
| 14345891522 | Olmec Culture | Cultural tradition that arose in Mexico c. 1200 b.c.e.; featured irrigated agriculture, urbanism, elaborate religion, and beginnings of calendrical and writing systems | 2 | |
| 14345893111 | Teotihuacan | Site of classic culture in central Mexico; urban center with important religious functions; supported by intensive agriculture in surrounding regions; population of as much as 200,000 | 3 | |
| 14345893776 | Maya | Classic culture emerging in southern Mexico and Central America contemporary with Teotihuacan; extended over broad region; featured monumental architecture, written language, calendrical and mathematical systems, highly developed religion | 4 | |
| 14345894819 | Inca | Group of clans centered at Cuzco that were able to create empire incorporating various Andean cultures; term also used for leader of empire | 5 | |
| 14345912287 | Polynesia | Islands contained in a rough triangle whose points lie in Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island | 6 | |
| 14345912801 | Yellow Turbans | Chinese Daoists who launched a revolt in 184 CE in China promising a golden age to be brought about by divine magic | 7 | |
| 14345914441 | Sui | Dynasty that succeeded the Han in China; emerged from strong rulers in northern China; united all of northern China and reconquered southern China. | 8 | |
| 14345914900 | Tang | Dynasty that succeeded the Sui in 618 C.E.; more stable than previous dynasty. | 9 | |
| 14345915454 | Rajput | Regional princes in western India; emphasized military control of their regions | 10 | |
| 14345916472 | Devi | Mother goddess within Hinduism; widely spread following collapse of Guptas; encouraged new emotionalism in religious ritual | 11 | |
| 14345916846 | Islam | Major world religion having its origins in 610 C.E. in the Arabian peninsula; meaning literally submission; based on prophecy of Muhammad. | 12 | |
| 14345917908 | Allah | Supreme God in strictly monotheistic Islam | 13 | |
| 14345919734 | Byzantine Empire | Eastern half of the Roman Empire that survived the fall of the Western half. Retained Mediterranean culture, particularly Greek; later lost Palestine, Syria, and Egypt to Islam; capital at Constantinople. | 14 | |
| 14345922540 | Justinian | Early Byzantine emperor, responsible for major building in Constantinople and a codification of Roman law; his efforts to recapture some additional previously Roman territory ended in failure. | 15 | |
| 14345925470 | Saint Augustine | Influential church father and theologian (354-430 C.E.); born in Africa and ultimately bishop of Hippo in Africa; champion of Christian doctrine against various heresies and very important in the long-term development of Christian thought on such issues as predestination. | 16 | |
| 14345926263 | Coptic | Christian sect in Egypt, later tolerated after Islamic takeover | 17 | |
| 14345927594 | Bodhisattvas | Buddhist holy men who accumulated spiritual merits during their lifetime; Buddhists prayed to them in order to receive some of their holiness | 18 | |
| 14345928295 | Mahayana | Chinese version of Buddhism; placed considerable emphasis on Buddha as god or savior | 19 | |
| 14345931812 | Benedict of Nursia | Founder of monasticism in what had been the western half of the Roman Empire; established Benedictine Rule in the 6th century; paralleled development of Basil's rules in Byzantine Empire. | 20 | |
| 14345932774 | Animism | A religious outlook that sees gods in many aspects of nature and propitiates them to help control and explain nature; typical of Mesopotamian religions | 21 | |
| 14345934918 | Feudalism | A political system in which nobles are granted the use of lands that legally belong to their king, in exchange for their loyalty, military service, and protection of the people who live on the land | 22 | |
| 14345953050 | Paleolithic age | The Old Stone Age ending in 12,000 B.C.E.; typified by use of crude stone tools and hunting and gathering for subsistence. | 23 | |
| 14345954991 | Neolithic age | The New Stone Age between 8000 and 5000 B.C.E.; period in which adaptation of sedentary agriculture occurred; domestication of plants and animals accomplished | 24 | |
| 14345961068 | Neolithic revolution | The succession of technological innovations and changes in human organization that led to the development of agriculture, 8500-3500 B.C.E. | 25 | |
| 14345963473 | Bronze Age | From about 4000 B.C.E., when bronze tools were first introduced in the Middle East, to about 1500 B.C.E., when iron began to replace it. | 26 | |
| 14345965659 | Band | a level of social organization normally consisting of 20 to 30 people; nomadic hunters and gatherers; labor divided on a gender basis | 27 | |
| 14345966322 | Catal Huyuk | Early urban culture based on sedentary agriculture; located in modern southern Turkey; was larger in population than Jericho, had greater degree of social stratification. | 28 | |
| 14345970853 | civilization | Societies distinguished by reliance on sedentary agriculture, ability to produce food surpluses, and existence of non-farming elites, as well as merchant and manufacturing groups. | 29 | |
| 14345972050 | Cuneiform | A form of writing developed by the Sumerians using a wedge shaped stylus and clay tablets. | 30 | |
| 14345974325 | Ziggurats | Massive towers usually associated with Mesopotamian temple complexes. | 31 | |
| 14345976499 | city-state | A form of political organization typical of Mesopotamian civilizations; consisted of agricultural hinterlands ruled by an urban-based king. | 32 | |
| 14345977851 | Babylonian Empire | Unified all of Mesopotamia circa 1800 B.C.E.; collapsed due to foreign invasion circa 1600 B.C.E. | 33 | |
| 14345981591 | Hammurabi | The most important ruler of the Babylonian empire; responsible for codification of law. | 34 | |
| 14345986190 | Kush | An African state that developed along the upper reaches of the Nile c. 100 B.C.E.; conquered Egypt and ruled it for several centuries. | 35 | |
| 14345987375 | Harrapa | Along with Mohenjodaro, major urban complex of the Harappan civilization; laid out on planned grid pattern. | 36 | |
| 14345987622 | Mohenjo-Daro | Along with Harappa, major urban complex of the Harappan civilization; laid out on planned grid pattern. | 37 | |
| 14345989148 | Yellow River | Also known as the Huang-He. The second longest river in China. The majority of ancient Chinese civilizations originated in its valley. | 38 | |
| 14345990026 | Shang | First Chinese dynasty for which archeological evidence exists; capital located in Ordos bulge of the Huanghe; flourished 1600 to 1046 B.C.E. | 39 | |
| 14345992030 | Oracles | Shamans or priests in Chinese society who foretold the future through interpreting animal bones cracked by heat; inscriptions on bones led to Chinese writing | 40 | |
| 14345993188 | Ideographs | Pictographic characters grouped together to create new concepts; typical of Chinese writing | 41 | |
| 14345994906 | Phonecians | Seafaring civilization located on the shores of the eastern Mediterranean; established colonies throughout the Mediterranean | 42 | |
| 14345998172 | Shi Huangdi | Founder of the short-lived Qin dynasty | 43 | |
| 14345998663 | Qin Dynasty | Established in 221 B.C.E. at the end of the Warring States period following the decline of the Zhou dynasty; fell in 207 B.C.E. | 44 | |
| 14345999030 | Han Dynasty | Chinese dynasty that succeeded the Qin in 202 BCE; ruled for next 400 years | 45 | |
| 14346001409 | Zhou | Originally a vassal family of Shang China; possibly Turkic in origin; overthrew the Shang and established second historical Chinese dynasty that flourished 1122 to 256 B.C.E. | 46 | |
| 14346005327 | Scholar-gentry | Chinese class created by marital approach/linkage | 47 | |
| 14346009881 | Jesuit | A member of a roman catholic religious order. | 48 | |
| 14346036412 | Brahman | a member of the highest Hindu caste, that of the priesthood. | 49 | |
| 14346038243 | Buddah | creator of a major Indian and Asian religion; born in the 6th century B.C.E.; taught that enlightenment could be achieved only by abandoning desires for earthly things. | 50 | |
| 14346039310 | Alexander the Great | Successor of Philip II; successfully conquered Persian Empire prior to his death in 323 BCE; attempted to combine Greek and Persian cultures | 51 | |
| 14346040411 | Himalayas | Mountain region marking the northern border of the Indian subcontinent; site of the Aryan settlements that formed small kingdoms or warrior republics | 52 | |
| 14346041178 | Aryans | Indo-European nomadic pastoralists who replaced Harappan civilization; militarized society | 53 | |
| 14346041179 | Sanskirt | The sacred and classical Indian language | 54 | |
| 14346041841 | Vedas | Aryan hymns originally transmitted orally but written down in sacred books from the 6th century B.C.E. | 55 | |
| 14346042222 | Mahabharata | Indian epic of war, princely honor, love, and social duty; written down in the last centuries BCE; previously handed down in oral form | 56 | |
| 14346043552 | Ramayana | One of the great epic tales from classical India; traces adventures of King Rama and his wife, Sita; written 4th to 2nd centuries B.C.E. | 57 | |
| 14346044125 | Upanishads | Later books of the Vedas; contained sophisticated and sublime philosophical ideas; utilized by Brahmans to restore religious authority | 58 | |
| 14346044990 | Varnas | clusters of caste groups in Aryan society; four social castes- Brahmans (priests), warriors, merchants, and peasants; beneath four Aryan castes was group of socially untouchable Dasas | 59 | |
| 14346047028 | Untouchables | Low social caste in Hindu culture; performed tasks that were considered polluting- street sweeping, removal of human waste, and tanning | 60 | |
| 14346048852 | Indra | Cheif deity of the Aryans; depicted as a colossal, hard-drinking warrior. | 61 | |
| 14346051500 | Chandragupta Maurya | founder of Maurya dynasty; established first empire in Indian subcontinent; first centralized government since Harappan civilization | 62 | |
| 14346051935 | Mauryan | Dynasty established in Indian subcontinent in 4th century BCE following invasion by Alexander the Great | 63 | |
| 14346052328 | Ashoka | Grandson of Chandragupta Maurya; completed conquests of Indian subcontinent; converted to Buddhism and sponsored spread of new religion throughout his empire. | 64 | |
| 14346052930 | Dharma | The caste position and career determined by a person's birth; Hindu culture required that one accept one's social position and perform occupation to the best of one's ability in order to have a better situation in the next life. | 65 | |
| 14346053425 | Guptas | Dynasty that succeeded the Kushans in the 3rd century C.E.; built empire that extended to all but the southern regions of Indian sub-continent; less centralized than Mauryan Empire. | 66 | |
| 14346054092 | Kautilya | Political advisor to Chandragupta Maurya; one of the authors of Arthashastra; believed in scientific application of warfare. | 67 | |
| 14346055240 | Gurus | Originally referred to as Brahmans who served as teachers for the princes of the imperial court of the Guptas | 68 | |
| 14346056058 | Vishnu | The Brahman, later Hindu, god of sacrifice; widely worshipped | 69 | |
| 14346058139 | Shiva | Hindu, god of destruction and reproduction; worshipped as the personification of cosmic forces of change | 70 | |
| 14346059406 | Reincarnation | The successive attachment of the soul to some animate form according to merits earned in previous lives. | 71 | |
| 14346062184 | Nirvana | The Buddhist state of enlightenment, a state of tranquility | 72 | |
| 14346063327 | Kamasutra | Written by Vatsayana during Gupta era; offered instructions on all aspects of life for higher-caste males, including grooming, hygiene, etiquette, selection of wives, and lovemaking | 73 | |
| 14346063749 | Stupas | Stone shrines built to house pieces of bone or hair and personal possessions said to be relics of the Buddha; preserved Buddhist architectural forms | 74 | |
| 14346066628 | Hittite | Ancient people who established a powerful empire in Asia minor and Syria. | 75 | |
| 14346067646 | Zoroastrianism | system of religion founded in Persia in the 6th century BC by Zoroaster | 76 | |
| 14346068479 | Cyrus the Great | Established massive Persian Empire by 550 B.C.E.; successor state to Mesopotamian empires. | 77 | |
| 14346069604 | Pericles | Athenian political leader during 5th century BCE; guided development of Athenian Empire; died during early stages of Peloponnesian War | 78 | |
| 14346070419 | Peloponnesian Wars | Wars from 431 to 404 BCE between Athens and Sparta for dominance in southern Greece; resulted in Spartan victory but failure to achieve political unification of Greece | 79 | |
| 14346071309 | Phillip II | Ruled Macedon from 359 to 336 BCE; founder of centralized kingdom; later conquered rest of Greece, which was subjected to Macedonian authority | 80 | |
| 14346072104 | Hellenistic Period | that culture associated with the spread of Greek influence as a result of Macedonian conquests; often seen as the combination of Greek culture with eastern political forms | 81 | |
| 14346073120 | Alexandria, Egypt | One of the cities founded by and named for Alexander the Great; site of ancient Mediterranean's greatest library; center of literary studies | 82 | |
| 14346073988 | Roman Republic | The balanced constitution of Rome from c. 510 to 47 B.C.E.; featured an aristocratic Senate, a panel of magistrates, and several popular assemblies. | 83 | |
| 14346074589 | Punic Wars | Fought between Rome and Carthage to establish dominance in the western Mediterranean; won by Rome after three separate conflicts | 84 | |
| 14346077100 | Carthage | Originally a Phoenician colony in northern Africa; became a major port and commercial power in the western Mediterranean; fought the Punic Wars with Rome for dominance of the western Mediterranean. | 85 | |
| 14346077465 | Hannibal | Great Carthaginian general during Second Punic War; successfully invaded Italy but failed to conquer Rome; finally defeated at Battle of Zama | 86 | |
| 14346077956 | Julius Caesar | Roman general responsible for conquest of Gaul; brought army back to Rome and overthrew republic; assassinated in 44 BCE by conservative senators | 87 | |
| 14346079569 | Augustus Caesar | Name given to Octavian following his defeat of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra; first emperor of Rome. | 88 | |
| 14346081503 | Diocletian | Roman emperor from 284 to 305 C.E.; restored later empire by improved administration and tax collection. | 89 | |
| 14346082306 | Constantine | Roman emperor from 312 to 337 C.E.; established second capital at Constantinople; attempted to use religious force of Christianity to unify empire spiritually. | 90 | |
| 14346083489 | Polis | A city-state in ancient Greece. | 91 |
