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AP World History - Period 1 Flashcards

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11462913242overfarmingwhen agricultural land loses its fertility when used repeatedly0
11462913243overgrazingthe continual eating of grasses or their roots1
11462913244artifactsobjects made by people in the past2
11462913245homo sapiens sapiensmodern humans3
11462913246Paleolithic Periodearly years of human history; began 2.5 million years ago, ended 10,000 years ago -known for stone tools and weapons4
11462913247Neolithic Revolutiona set of dramatic changes in how people lived based on the development of agriculture5
11462913248monotheismworshiping only one deity6
11462913249Bronze Agebetween 3300-2300 B.C.E.; new metal was such an advance that it gave the era a new name7
11462913250civilizationa large society with cities and powerful states8
11462913251core 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
11462913252Jerichoone of humankind's first cities; built on the west bank of the Jordan River10
11462913253Catal Huyukanother ancient city that has well-preserved remains which help historians understand life back then11
11462913254textilesitems made of cloth12
11462913255specialization of laborthe process of allowing people to focus on limited tasks13
11462913256coppermetal found as a pure state in the ground; allowed for the making of bronze14
11462913257bronzemixture of tin and copper; creating a stronger mixture, huge advance15
11462913258hunter-forager(hunter-gatherers) people who survived by hunting animals and foraging for seeds, buts, fruit, and edible roots16
11462913259agriculturethe practice of raising crops or livestock on a continual and controlled basis17
11462913260surplusmore than what a civilization needs for themselves18
11462913261domesticationprocess of taming wild animals so that they could be brought to live with humans19
11462913262nomadic pastoralisma lifestyle based on people moving herds of animals from pasture to pasture20
11462913263kinship groupseveral hunter-forager families that moved together in search of food21
11462913264clana larger group of multiple kinship groups22
11462913265tribemultiple clans combined into a larger group23
11462913266patriarchal societya society dominated by men24
11462913267artisanspeople who made objects people needed (ex: clothing, pottery)25
11462913268merchantspeople who buy and sell goods for a living26
11462913269social stratificationthe system by which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy27
11462913270preistsmen who supervised religious ceremonies, and explained how ruler's behavior and rulings were based on religious doctrine28
11462913271priestesseswomen who supervised religious ceremonies, and explained how ruler's behavior and rulings were based on religious doctrine29
11462913272Tigris and Euphratesrivers that flow through modern Turkey through Iraq into the Persian Gulf30
11462913273Mesopotamiaarea between the Tigris and Euphrates31
11462913274Fertile Crescentregion that includes parts of Egypt and all of Mesopotamia32
11462913275Carthagea Phoenician colony on the coast of North Africa33
11462913276Saharadesert zone in northern Africa34
11462913277Kalaharidesert zone in southern Africa35
11462913278Nile Riverbegins in the interior of Africa and flows north to empty into the Meditteranean Sea36
11462913279desertificationthe creation of desert-like conditions37
11462913280Indus River Valleyriver valley in India38
11462913281environmental degradationmass deforestation and soil erosion39
11462913282deforestationremoval of large numbers of trees40
11462913283Huang HeYellow River; connects China's northern interior to the Yellow Sea41
11462913284Chiang JiangYangtze River; stretches almost 4,000 miles across Central China42
11462913285loessa type of fertile soil that is yellow in color43
11462913286MesoamericaCentral America and Mexico44
11462913287maizecorn45
11462913288Oceania and Polynesiathe region in the Pacific Ocean; New Guinea, Australia, and other islands46
11462913289division of laborother civilizations beginning to work in areas other than producing food47
11462913290barterthe direct exchange of goods without involving money48
11462913291polytheisticworshiping many gods49
11462913292zigguratslarge stepped pyramids50
11462913293astronomythe study of objects outside Earth's atmosphere51
11462913294astrologythe predicting the future by studying movements of stars and planets52
11462913295Hebrews (Israelites, Jews)lived in the region of Canaan (present-day Isreal, Palestine, and Lebanon)53
11462913296Abrahamfounder of Caanan who left Mesopotamia to settle there; Christians, Jews, and Muslims trace their roots to him54
11462913297Mosesthe man who led the Hebrews out of captivity to Canaan, and also introduced the 10 Commandments55
11462913298Ten Commandmentsa code of conduct that was influential in areas dominated by Christianity56
11462913299Jewish Diasporathe spreading of the Jews throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East57
11462913300theocratsrulers holding both religious and political power58
11462913301Atenthe sun god that Ahkenaton ordered Egypt to worship exclusively59
11462913302mummificationthe removing of the body's internal organs, drying the body with salts and packing its insides and wrapping it with chemically treated cloth60
11462913303AryansIndo-European speaking peoples from Central Asia (Persia)61
11462913304Hindioriginated from Sanskrit (India's sacred language), still widely spoken62
11462913305Vedascollection of Aryan religious hymns, poems, and songs63
11462913306Vedic Ageage of Aryans growing awareness of Dravidian beliefs64
11462913307brahminIndian priest65
11462913308brahmaa universal soul that connects all creatures on Earth66
11462913309dharmarighteous duties and deeds67
11462913310karmafate in the next life68
11462913311mokshaeternal peace or unity with brahma69
11462913312ancestor venerationthe belief that since the spirits of ancestors could speak to gods for them, making offerings to them to win their favor70
11462913313Golden Agea period in society of relative prosperity, peace, and innovation71
11462913314scribesa separate class of people who were skilled at reading and writing a certain language72
11462913315The Epic of Gilgameshthe oldest story on the Earth, written in cuneiform73
11462913316cuneiformworld's first writing system from the Sumerians74
11462913317alphabetic scripta system of symbols/letters that represent the sounds of speech; Phoenicians had a 22 letter alphabet75
11462913318hieroglyphicspicture writing used by the Ancient Egyptians76
11462913319papyrusa type of plant that grew along the Nile River that was used to make a type of paper77
11462913320Book of the Deada paper book that Egyptians put inside the coffins of the dead pharaohs that told the story of the dead person78
11462913321Indo-Europeana set of languages that involved Sanskrit and Latin79
11462913322Sanskritthe sacred language of the Aryans80
11462913323Rig-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
11462913324Upanishadsa foundational text for the set of beliefs that later became known as Hinduism82
11462913325pictographs/glyphsAncient Chinese graphic symbols that represented an an idea, concept or object83
11462913326Austronesian speakersOceanic peoples from southern China who moved from the Philippines and Taiwan84
11462913327feudalismlocal rulers governing as they wished, who paid taxes to the king and provided soldiers for the kings army85
11462913328Sumer and Sumeriansa group of nomadic pastoralists who migrated into Mesopotamia, settling alongiside people already living there86
11462913329Urukthe largest city-state in Sumer with a population of roughly 50,00087
11462913330city-statesa city and the land it controlled; several hundred square miles88
11462913331king and kingdomSumerian military rulers who ruled over a territory89
11462913332BabyloniansPersian invaders that controlled Mesopotamia and built a new capital city called Babylon, thus being known as Babylonians90
11462913333empirethe controlling of a large empire that included diverse cultural groups91
11462913334Phoenicianspeoples who occupied parts of Lebanon, Isreal and Jordan; most commonly known for their strong ships and vast trade network92
11462913335Old 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
11462913336Middle 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
11462913337New 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
11462913338Hyksosa group of pastoral nomadic people from Syria that invaded Egypt during the Middle Kingdom and were defeated before the New Kingdom96
11462913339Hittitiesa group of people who used iron rools and weapons, who eventually took over areas in Egypt after the fall of Ramses97
11462913340Kushancient kingdom south of Egypt that were mostly dependent on Egypt, controlled Egypt shortly before overthrown by the Assyrians98
11462913341Axumcivilization in present Ethiopia that had an agricultural and trading based economy, had many people converted to Christianity and some to Islam99
11462913342Dravidiansindigenous people of the Indian subcontinent100
11462913343Harappa and Mohenjo-Darotwo centers in the Indus River Valley; had advanced labor systems, a social heriarchy, and sewage systems101
11462913344Chavin 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
11462913345Olmecthe 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
11462913346Easter Islanda place in Oceania where settlers were divided into clans that had a chief and one head chief as a ruler of all clans104
11462913347aboriginalshunter-foragers in Australia that were not fazed by the new agricultural ways of the Austronesian people; kept their nomadic ways105
11462913348Hammurabia 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
11462913349King MenesEgyptian king who unified Upper and Lower Egypt before the formation of the old, middle, and new kingdoms107
11462913350pharaohthe king or queen that led the Egyptian government108
11462913351Akhenatona pharaoh of the New Kingdom who tried to make Egypt a monotheistic region that followed the sun god Aten; ultimately failed109
11462913352Ramses the Greata powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom that expanded the Egyptian empire into Southwest Asia110
11462913353Xia Dynastythe first Chinese dynasty; had no writing system so little is known111
11462913354Shang Dynastythe second Chinese dynasty; Shang rulers conquered neighboring peoples and established a larger empire112
11462913355Mandate 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
11462913356Zhou 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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