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

AP World History Unit 1 Flashcards

From Hunting and Gathering to Civilizations, 2.5 million-1000 B.C.E.: Origins

Terms : Hide Images
10766051126Hunting and GatheringMeans of obtaining subsistence by humans before the mastery of sedentary agriculture; normally typical of tribal social organization0
10766051127NeolithicThe New Stone Age between 8000 and 5000 B.C.E.; period in which adaptation of sedentary agriculture occurred; domestication of plants and animals accomplished1
10766051128NomadsCattle- and sheep-herding societies normally found on the fringes of civilized societies; commonly referred to as "barbarian" by civilized societies2
10766051129CultureCombination of ideas, objects, and patterns of behavior that result from human social interaction3
10766051130Neolithic/Agricultural/Agrarian revolutionOccurred between 8000 and 5000 B.C.E.; transition from hunting and gathering to sedentary agriculture4
10766051131PastoralismA nomadic agricultural lifestyle based on herding domesticated animals; tended to produce independent people capable of challenging sedentary agricultural societies5
10766051132MesopotamiaLiterally "between the rivers"; the civilization that arose in the alluvial plain of the Tigris-Euphrates river valleys6
10766051133SumeriansPeople who migrated into Mesopotamia circa 4000 B.C.E.; created the first civilization within the region; organized area into city-states7
10766051134CuneiformA form of writing developed by the Sumerians using a wedge-shaped stylus and clay tablets8
10766051135City-stateA form of political organization typical of Mesopotamian civilization; consisted of agricultural hinterlands ruled by an urban-based king9
10766051136ZigguratsMassive towers usually associated with Mesopotamian temple connections10
10766051137Babylonian EmpireUnified all of Mesopotamia circa 1800 B.C.E.; collapsed due to foreign invasion circa 1600 B.C.E.11
10766051138HammurabiThe most important Babylonian ruler; responsible for codification of the law12
10766051139PharaohThe term used to denote the kings of ancient Egypt; considered a god as well as a political and military leader. The term, "great house" refers to the palace of the pharaohs13
10766051140PyramidsMonumental architecture typical of Old Kingdom Egypt; used as burial sites for pharaohs14
10766051141HieroglyphsForm of writing developed in ancient Egypt; more pictorial than Mesopotamian cuneiform15
10766051142MonotheismThe exclusive worship of one god; introduced by Jews into Middle Eastern civilization16
10766051143PhoeniciansSeafaring civilization located on the shores of the eastern Mediterranean; established colonies throughout the Mediterranean; extensive trade, communication networks, early alphabetical script17
10766051144Harappa and Mohenjo DaroMajor urban complexes of Harappan civilization; laid out on planned grid pattern18
10766051145AryansIndo-European nomadic, warlike, pastorialists who replaced Harappan civilization19
10766051146Huanghe (Yellow) River BasinSite of the development of sedentary agriculture in China20
10766051147Shang1st Chinese dynasty21
10766051148PaleolithicThe period that ended about 3,000 years after the end of the last Ice Age, it lasted until about 10,000 years ago. (Old Stone Age) The period of the Stone Age associated with the evolution of humans. It predates the Neolithic period.22
10766051149Path of migration for humans during Paleolithic eraFrom Africa to Eurasia, Australia, and the Americas23
10766051150egalitarianBelieving in the equality of all peoples24
10766051151Mediterranean SeaSea connecting Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and N. Africa25
10766051152PolytheismBelief in more than one god26
10766051153Nile RiverPrincipal water source of water flowing through North Africa (site of sophisticated cultural development); flooded regularly and enriched the soil in the process27
10766051154stone agethe earliest known period of human culture, marked by the creation and use of stone tools and other nonmetallic substances28
10766051155foragersFood collectors who gather, fish, or hunt29
10766051156Babylonan ancient city of Mesopotamia known for its wealth, luxury, and vice.30
10766051157HammurabiBabylonian king who codified the laws of Sumer and Mesopotamia (died 1750 BCE)31
10766051158cuneiformA form of writing developed by the Sumerians (Mesopotamia) using a wedge shaped stylus and clay tablets.32
10766051159bronzeA metal that is a mixture of copper and tin33
10766051160Homo sapienshuman species derived from apes with more brain capacity for intelligence34
10766051161venus figurinespaleolithic female figurines that emphasize physical attributes associated with fecundity35
10766051162cave paintingspaleolithic cave paintings that emphasize hunting--Lascaux France is most famous36
10766051163pastoralismthe process of domestication, raising, and herding of animals37
10766051164specialization of laborpeople in civilizations could be assigned different jobs and statuses in society due to having a surplus of food38
10766051165patriarchythe idea that males have a right to rule and reign over states and families39
10766051166civilizationlarge scale communities that had certain characteristics in common such as: recordkeeping, complex institutions (government, economy, organized religion), cities, specialization of labor, long-distance trade, technology40
10766051167Euphrates and Tigristwo principle Mesopotamian rivers41
10766051168Sumerearliest Mesopotamian city state42
10766051169Babylonsecond oldest Mesopotamian city state, succeeds Sumer, most important king was Hammurabi43
10766051170Hammurabi's Codefirst law code in the world, of Babylonia, dealt with legal contracts and responsibility for wrong doing44
10766051171bronze metallurgyalloy of copper, tin, and zinc, this metal began to be produced from about 2800 BCE improved military equipment, agricultural knives, and plows45
10766051172iron metallurgya changeable metal, less hard than bronze, but more flexible, developed around 1500 BCE by the Hittites46
10766051173wheelround object used to move heavy weights and to create vehicles first in Sumer47
10766051174cuneiforma very early form of writing, from Sumer in Mesopotamia, done by pressing a cone-shaped stylus into soft clay48
10766051175Epic of Gilgameshepic Mesopotamian poem that highlights the stresses of civilization49
10766051176Egypta founding civilization along the Nile in Northeastern Africa50
10766051177HieroglyphicsEgyptian writing (pictographs & symbols representing sounds+ideas)51
10766051178Harrappa & Mohenjo DaroTwo early, very large, and complex Indus Valley city states. Little is known about these but their size and complexities imply central planning.52
10766051179Indus RiverRiver in Northern India on which the first Indian civilizations were built; flooded twice a year in a predictable manner53
10766051180VedasA belief system based on the caste system brought into India by peoples probably from the Caucasus between about 5000 and 4000 BCE54
10766051181VarnaCaste system of India: Brahmin, Khsatriya, Vaishya, Shudra--people could not move out of the caste they were born into55
10766051182Chinaearliest civilization in Asia56
10766051183Huang He and Yangzi Hetwo rivers in China that supported early civilization57
10766051184Shang DynastyThe dominant people in the earliest Chinese dynasty for which we have written records (ca. 1750-1027 B.C.E.). Ancestor worship, divination by means of oracle bones, and the use of bronze vessels for ritual purposes were major elements of this culture.58
10766051185HinduismTerm for a wide variety of beliefs and ritual practices that have developed in the Indian subcontinent since antiquity. It has roots in ancient Vedic, Buddhist, and south Indian religious concepts and practices.59
10766051186ZoroastrianismFounded by Zoroaster; taught that humans had the freedom to choose between right and wrong, and that goodness would triumph in the end. Marked by dualism between God = Good and the Evil. Influenced Christianity. Was one of the first monotheistic religions.60
10766051187JudaismMonotheistic (belief in one god), founded by Abraham, code of law found in the Torah (first 5 books of the Bible), led to the development of two other Abrahamic religions: Christianity and Islam.61
10766051188ConfucianismThe system of ethics, education, and statesmanship taught by Confucius and his disciples, stressing love for humanity, ancestor worship, reverence for parents, and harmony in thought and conduct.62
10766051189Mandate of HeavenA political theory of ancient China in which the emperor is given the power to rule by a divine sources. This tie could be severed by ineffectual rule63
10766051190Oracle bonesbones on which the ruling class in China wrote questions and had them divined by the priestly class64
10766051191Mesoamericacultural area in the Americas extending from central America to present-day Peru65
10766051192Olmecthe first major civilization in Mexico66
10766051193MayaMesoamerican civilization in and near the Yucatan Peninsula--had the first and only pre-Columbian writing system in the Americans67
10766051194ChavinMesoamerican civilization in present-day Peru that had highly developed art and architectural practices68
10766051195CarthageCity located in present-day Tunisia, founded by Phoenicians ca. 800 B.C.E. It became a major commercial center and naval power in the western Mediterranean until defeated by Rome in the third century B.C.E. (p. 107)69
10766051196irrigation systemsreplacement or supplementation of rainfall with water from another source in order to grow crops70
10766051197Indus River Valley Civilizationan ancient civilization thriving along the Indus River in what is now Pakistan and western India. This civilization is also sometimes referred to as the Harappan or Harappa-Mohenjodaro Civilization of the Indus Valley, in reference to the excavated cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro71
10766051198Persian Warsa series of conflicts between the Greek world and the Persian Empire that started about 500 BC and lasted until 448 BC.72
10766061715Composite Bowa traditional bow made from horn, wood, and sinew laminated together73
10766066133Iron weaponswere the strongest and most advanced weapon material of the ancient times, introduced by pastoral people.74
10766069315HittitesThe group of people who toppled the Babylonian empire and were responsible for two technological innovations--the war chariots and refinement of iron metallurgy.75
10766076613Code of Ur-Nammuis the oldest known law code surviving today. It is from Mesopotamia and is written on tablets, in the Sumerian language c. 2100-2050 BC.76
10766090950Bantu MigrationMoved from west cental Africa to the sub- Sahrah. spread the use of iron, which improved farming techniques and agricultural efficiency, the greater food supply sparked economic development and population growth.77
10766110289Homo sapiens sapiens"wise, wise humans," a species that appeared in Africa between 150,000 and 200,000 years ago; they were the first anatomically modern humans78
10766112083city-stateA form of political organization typical of Mesopotamian civilizations; consisted of agricultural hinterlands ruled by an urban-based king.79
10766122237EmpireA group of states or territories controlled by one ruler80
10766125837PapyrusA long-lasting, paper-like material made from reeds (egyptian paper)81
10766132760Sargon of AkkadA conqueror from Akkad, north of Sumer, who took over all of Mesopotamia and created the world's first empire.82
10766137310Jericho and Catal HuyukTwo of the oldest Neolithic communities.83
10766143667Polynesian MigrationsMovement of peoples in the Pacific which populated many islands; spread knowledge of agriculture84
10766149026"Out of Africa" thesisTheory, which most scientists believe, that H. sapiens sapiens emerged in Africa and migrated outward. Implies that Africa is source of features of human behavior such as complex social networks, economic strategies, personal adornment, and use of symbols and rituals in daily life.85
10766154058Sanskirtwritten language developed by the Aryans86
10766156581MonsoonA seasonal wind.87
10766162040Papa New GuineaCountry know for cultural diversity because of traditional tribal villages. It is also home to rain forests, coral reefs, and volcanoes.88
10766166548Specialization of LaborThe division of labor that aids the development of skills in a particular type of work89
10766172817Mohenjo-DaroLargest city of the Indus Valley civilization. It was centrally located in the extensive floodplain of the Indus River. Little is known about the political institutions of Indus Valley communities, but the large-scale implies central planning.90

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!