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| 5653639189 | Maya | Civilization on the Yucatan Peninsula (modern Guatemala), built city-states between 250-900 CE. Known for their pyramid-structures, astronomy, and two calendars. | 0 | |
| 5653639190 | "Popul vuh" | Mayan creation story in which people are made from corn and water. | 1 | |
| 5653639191 | bloodletting | a Mayan ritual in which priests, nobles, and kings would willingly pierce body parts as a sacrifice to the gods in exchange for rain for their crops. | 2 | |
| 5653639192 | Decline of the Maya | Archaeological evidence and environmental data show that prolonged drought, made worse by deforestation (cutting down trees for wood to fuel fires and slash-and-burn farming techniques), forced Mayan populations to abandon their cities. | 3 | |
| 5653676248 | maize | Native American name for corn. The Maya, Aztecs, and Inca all harvested corn. | 4 | |
| 5653692241 | Mayan calendars | Mayans created 2 sophisticated calendars. People thought the world would would end since the 2nd ritual calendar "ended" on December 21, 2012. However ritual calendar repeats: every 52 years, Mayans believed a huge change would occur...NOT that the world would end. | 5 | |
| 5653639193 | Aztec | Established in the Sierra Madre Mountains in southern Mexico, this group of tribes built their capital called Tenochtitlan on Lake Texcoco in 1325 CE. Empire expanded because of the chinampas they built and the tribute from people they conquered. | 6 | |
| 5653801273 | chinampas | In order to farm in the swamps, the Aztecs created floating gardens made of mud atop reed mats in the swamps. Grew maize, avocados, beans, chili peppers, squash, & potatoes. | 7 | |
| 5653782890 | tribute | payment from conquered people. The payment helped the Aztecs build their empire. | 8 | |
| 5653784737 | Tenochtitlan | Capital city of Aztecs on Lake Texcoco | 9 | |
| 5653639194 | Inca | Civilization in modern Peru in the Andes mountains with a central government located in Cuzco. Between 1440-1500, established an empire with a strong centralized government with impressive road networks accomplished through the mit'a system. | 10 | |
| 5653764446 | mit'a | The mandatory public service in Incan society: the government required everyone to work for the government for free during certain periods. | 11 | |
| 5653769051 | Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui | in 1438, this warrior and leader declared himself Sapa Inca, or emperor and created the first Incan dynasty. | 12 | |
| 5653772501 | Sapa Inca | means "emperor" to the Inca. He held absolute power, was a religious leader, and claimed to be the son of the sun itself. | 13 | |
| 5653772502 | quipus | (also known as knot-record) a method used by the Incas and other ancient Andean cultures to keep records and communicate information. The Incas DID NOT have a writing system. | 14 | |
| 5653639202 | Qin Dynasty | First Dynasty after the Warring States Period. Ruled by Shi Huangdi with a legalist government. Lasted from 221 BCE - 206 BCE (very short) | 15 | |
| 5653639203 | Qin Shihuangdi | Originally named Zheng, this person unified China after the Zhou and Warring States Period under his strict legalist government. This name means "First Emperor," because he was the first of the Qin Dynasty | 16 | |
| 5653639204 | Legalism | A philosophy based on the teachings of Hanfeizi, which held the belief that people are naturally evil and need harsh punishment. The Qin Dynasty ruled using this philosophy. | 17 | |
| 5653639205 | Han Fei Tzu | Came up with the philosophy of Legalism | 18 | |
| 5653639206 | Han Dynasty | Founded by peasant leader-turned-emperor Gao Zu, this dynasty followed the Qin and imposed a Confucian (rather than Legalist) government. Lasted from 202 BCE -220 CE. | 19 | |
| 5654179556 | standardize | to change (things) so that they are similar and consistent. Large empires are tend to be successful if they standardize coins, weights, and measures like the Qin Dynasty did. | 20 | |
| 5653639207 | Silk Road | A trade route built by Wudi that linked China and the west for centuries. It linked Rome, India, Persia, and the Middle East. It eventually spanned 4000 miles. | 21 | |
| 5653639208 | Civil Service System | System in which a person would begin with a clerical job and slowly move up in local government with knowledge of Confucianism. Must take a civil service exam. | 22 | |
| 5653938425 | centralized | Ruler holds most of the power | 23 | |
| 5653938426 | decentralized | Ruler leaves decision-making power in the hands of local rulers. | 24 | |
| 5653639209 | Mauryan Empire | The first major Indian Empire founded by Chandragupta Maurya (321 B.C. to 185 B.C.). Known for lots of long-distance trade and the most famous emperor, Ashoka. | 25 | |
| 5653639210 | Ashoka Maurya | Chandragupta's grandson, took throne in 301 BCE and brought Mauryan Empire to great heights. He wrote his laws on stone pillars, encouraged agriculture by building irrigation canals, built long roads to help trade, & changed the religion of India to Buddhism. The empire fell apart after he died. | 26 | |
| 5653639211 | Gupta Empire | This empire (320-550 CE) was founded by Chandra Gupta (not related to Chandragupta Maurya) and was smaller and more decentralized than the Mauryan. This Empire developed the concept of zero & Arabic numerals. It promoted Hinduism instead of of Buddhism. | 27 | |
| 5653639212 | bureaucracy | large group of people who are involved in running a government but who are not elected. | 28 | |
| 5653639213 | Achaemenid Empire | This was the First Persian Empire (550 - 330 BC) in the Middle East/SW Asia. Falls due to the Persian wars when Alexander the Great invades. | 29 | |
| 5653639214 | Cyrus the Great | A great conqueror who captured Babylon and establishes the massive Achaemenid Empire by 550 B.C.E. He was known for his mercy. | 30 | |
| 5653639215 | Darius the Great | Grandson of Cyrus the Great who expanded and standardized the Achaemenid Empire. He built a capital city at Persepolis and divided the empire into 23 regions governed by satraps (governors). A network of spies would ensure the satraps were doing good work. He also created the royal road & postal system. | 31 | |
| 5653892473 | satrapies | The 23 states into which Darius divided the Persian Empire. Similar to a "State" in the US: each state had its own governor called a "satrap" that collected taxes and gave them back to Darius at his capital city of Persepolis. | 32 | |
| 5653899531 | Persepolis | Persian capital city of the Achaemenid Empire | 33 | |
| 5653639250 | Zoroastrianism | A Persian religion that was one of the first monotheistic (single god) religions. It was based on the teachings of Zoroaster and influenced Judaism, Christianity, & Islam. | 34 | |
| 5653639216 | Xerxes | Successor to Darius the Great, ruled 486-464 BCE. His decision to repress other religions & cultures caused rebellions in Mesopotamian, Egypt, & Greece, which lead to the collapse of the Persian Empire | 35 | |
| 5653639199 | Persian Wars | wars against the Persian empire that united the Greek city-states against their mutual enemy (500-479BCE). Greece won by holding off the Persians, which led to the golden age of Athens | 36 | |
| 5653914630 | Persian Royal Road | Route with 111 stops which allowed for trade and communication within the Persian empire | 37 | |
| 5653639197 | Alexander the Great | Ruler of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon and one of the greatest conquerors of all time. He conquered Achaemenid empire and attempted to conquer India. | 38 | |
| 5654227094 | polytheistic | belief in many gods | 39 | |
| 5654230948 | monotheistic | belief in 1 god | 40 | |
| 5653639217 | Islam | Major world religion started around 630 CE that was started by the prophet Muhammad. _______ believes God is Allah and centers around the Five Pillars and the Quran. | 41 | |
| 5653639218 | Five Pillars of Islam | The most important of the 5 pillars are: -Allah is the only god and Muhammad is his prophet -Must pray to Allah every day -Must go to Mecca at least once in your lifetime .... | 42 | |
| 5653639219 | Qur'an/Koran | the foundational text of Islam that contains all of Muhammad's revelations and understandings of Allah -Foundational text of Islam | 43 | |
| 5653639220 | Muhammad | -Founding prophet of Islam who journeyed to Mecca around 630 CE and successfully established Islam and spread it throughout the Middle East. | 44 | |
| 5653639222 | Allah | Means "God" in Arabic. This god is the same God from Judaism & Christianity (Abrahamic faiths). | 45 | |
| 5653639227 | Christianity | A religion that grew out of Judaism and was based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. The Bible is a sacred scripture. Most forms of Christianity hold that Jesus is the son of God. | 46 | |
| 5653639228 | the Trinity | The three parts of God in Christianity: God the Father or Creator, God the Son (Jesus) or Redeemer, and God the Holy Spirit or Sanctifier | 47 | |
| 5653639229 | the Holy Bible | The sacred text of Christianity | 48 | |
| 5653639230 | Judaism | A religion developed among the ancient Hebrews and characterized by belief in one transcendent God who has revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew prophets and by a religious life in accordance with Scriptures and rabbinic traditions. | 49 | |
| 5653639231 | the Diaspora | When Jews left Israel and moved from place to place to avoid persecution (discriminiation and abuse). Assyrian, Babylonian, and Roman Empire conquest sparked this Jewish movement. | 50 | |
| 5653639232 | the Tenakh | The ancient collection of writings that are sacred to the Jews (written from 1000 to 100 BCE). The word Tenakh comes from the three first letters of the three books included in this text. | 51 | |
| 5653639233 | Religions of the Book | name for the group of related religions that believe that Abraham and his descendants hold an important role in their religions' development. These religions are Judaism, Christianity, Islam. | 52 | |
| 5653639234 | Yin & Yang | Symbols which demonstrate the harmony between two opposing forces in the universe: male and female, respectively. Part of Taoist belief system. | 53 | |
| 5653639235 | Taoism/Daoism | Started by the Chinese philosopher Lao Tze,the Supreme master, in the 6th century BCE. Focuses on the belief that following "the way" or "tao" will result in immortality. | 54 | |
| 5653639236 | Lao Tzu | Founder of Taoism who left his job and rode west on an ox and was asked by the guardian of a mountain pass to write down his teachings | 55 | |
| 5653639237 | Confucianism | A non-theistic religion/philosophy that emphasizes filial piety, or honoring your parents and ancestors; emphasis on education, and being fair and wise. | 56 | |
| 5653639238 | Kung Fu Tzu | Also known as Confucius, he was a Chinese philosopher who founded Confucianism. He believed that a society could become perfect, if the people who lived in it exhibited "beautiful conduct." | 57 | |
| 5653639239 | Filial Piety | The belief that children should honor and serve their parents and other ancestors, central to Confucianism | 58 | |
| 5653639240 | The Middle Way | Outlined by the Eightfold path, this is the way by which Buddhists believe you can achieve Nirvana. This describes how a person should neither be too greedy and desirous, nor too harsh and strict. | 59 | |
| 5653639241 | The Four Noble Truths | The Buddhist belief that there is suffering in the world, and the cause is greed. There can be an end to suffering, if one follows The Middle Way. | 60 | |
| 5653639242 | Nirvana | The final stage of enlightenment in Buddhism. | 61 | |
| 5653639243 | Buddhism | A major religion that emerged in the 500s BC. ______________ urged people to seek enlightenment through meditation and its founder was Siddhartha Gautama. | 62 | |
| 5653639244 | Siddhartha Gautama | Founder of Buddhism (also known as Buddha) who was a former prince who gave up everything and found enlightenment through meditation. | 63 | |
| 5653639245 | Hinduism | This monistic religion evolved from the Vedas that the Aryans brought when they migrated to India. It has no known founder and is characterized by a belief in reincarnation and one god in many forms (polytheistic and monistic). | 64 | |
| 5653639246 | dharma | In Hindu belief, a person's religious and moral duties. You need to follow this correctly, and if you do, you will be reborn into a higher caste or social class. | 65 | |
| 5653639247 | karma | If you follow Hinduism properly, you will have this and you will be reborn into a higher caste. If you don't follow the rules of Hinduism, you will have bad ___________ and you will be reborn into a lower class or maybe even as a bug or animal. | 66 | |
| 5653639248 | monistic | belief that everything comes from one being/substance. Hinduism is polytheistic, but believes that all their gods are reincarnations of the same god, which means they are also monistic. | 67 | |
| 5653639249 | yoga | In Hinduism, training to achieve inner peace and union with the individual self and inner spirit. In practice, this can be a series of postures or movements to help build mental discipline. | 68 | |
| 5653639251 | oracle bones | Used in the Shang dynasty to help make decisions or tell the future, these animal bones were burned so that diviners could read the cracks made in them. | 69 | |
| 5653639252 | Mandate of Heaven | Ancient Chinese belief and philosophical idea that heaven granted emperors the right to rule based on their ability to govern well and fairly | 70 | |
| 5653639253 | Xia Dynasty | The first Chinese dynasty, began in 2200 BCE, until recently believed to be mythical, left behind no written records | 71 | |
| 5653639254 | Shang Dynasty | The second Chinese dynasty, which left behind written records. During this time, China entered the bronze age and monopolized metallurgy in order to retain power. Records show that these leaders allowed many decisions to be made on a local level. | 72 | |
| 5653639255 | Zhou Dynasty | The third dynasty, which through improved organization replaced the Shang. This dynasty was founded on the belief that heavenly powers gave someone the right to rule over a society, but that this person must rule fairly in order to maintain that power. This dynasty declined into a period of decentralization and wars near its end in 256 BCE. | 73 | |
| 5653639256 | Veneration of Ancestors | Offer of gifts and sacrifices to deceased (dead) ancestors with the belief that the ancestors would help guide the living | 74 | |
| 5653639257 | Huang He (Yellow) River | River that supported the first Ancient Chinese civilizations. Named from yellow colored, fertile loess soil. | 75 | |
| 5653639258 | The Caste System (Varna System) | The class system of Aryan society that did not allow people to change social classes. | 76 | |
| 5653639259 | Brahmins | the priests, or highest social class in India | 77 | |
| 5653639260 | Kshatriyas | the warrior class of the Aryan society in in India | 78 | |
| 5653639261 | Vaishyas | the merchant class of the Aryan society in India | 79 | |
| 5653639262 | Sudras | The serfs or laborer class in India | 80 | |
| 5653639263 | Indus River | river that supported the first civilizations in India. Known for flooding annually and for changing course and carving a new river. | 81 | |
| 5653639264 | Harappans | Citizens of the largest city in pre-Aryan India; Harappan society declined mysteriously, probably due to a natural disaster. | 82 | |
| 5653639265 | Vedas | the most ancient Hindu scriptures; a set of songs, prayers, and stories which form the basis for Vedic religion, which was introduced by the Aryans to India. | 83 | |
| 5653639266 | Aryans | invaders from Central Asia who replaced Harappan society and interacted with the Dravidians (local people). | 84 | |
| 5653639267 | Nile River | river that supported the first civilization in Egypt. Flooded annually in the spring. | 85 | |
| 5653639268 | Menes | The pharaoh who united Upper and Lower Egypt in 3100 BCE | 86 | |
| 5653639269 | Old Kingdom | The period during which Egypt was ruled by a bureaucracy under the pharaoh and during which the pyramids were built at Giza | 87 | |
| 5653639270 | Middle Kingdom | (1938 BCE - 1630 BCE) A period characterized by rebellion and invasion by Hyksos, formed after the collapse of the Old Kingdom | 88 | |
| 5653639271 | New Kingdom | (1539 BCE - 1075 BCE) A period in which the Egyptian empire stretched to it's largest size, even into Syria, during which Egypt had its first female pharaoh and established interactions with the Middle East | 89 | |
| 5653639272 | Mesopotamia | An ancient civilization in the Middle East between the Tigris & Euphrates rivers | 90 | |
| 5653639273 | Tigris & Euphrates rivers | These rivers supported the first civilization in the Middle East. Both did NOT flood. | 91 | |
| 5653639274 | Epic of Gilgamesh | an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia about a legendary Sumerian king and is often considered the first great work of literature | 92 | |
| 5653639275 | Sumerian Cuneiform | considered the first written language in the world; the wedge-shaped characters were impressed on clay tablets and used in the ancient writing systems of Mesopotamia | 93 | |
| 5653639276 | King Sargon | The first king to establish an empire in Mesopotamia (or anywhere in the world). He conquered Sumerian city-states, destroyed defensive walls, and placed Sumerians under the control of his administrators | 94 | |
| 5653639277 | King Hammurabi | The most famous Babylonian king (1792-1750) who made Babylon the chief Mesopotamian kingdom and codified the laws of Mesopotamia. | 95 | |
| 5653639278 | Hammurabi's Code | the Babylonian law code of ancient Mesopotamia, dating back to about 1754 BC. Based on the idea of "an eye for an eye" justice. | 96 | |
| 5653639279 | ziggurat | massive structures (often temples) built in the ancient Mesopotamian valley, having the form of a terraced step pyramid | 97 | |
| 5653639280 | patriarchy | a system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is traced through the male line | 98 | |
| 5653639281 | pastoralism | practice of herding animals (i.e. sheep or cows) as the main economic activity of a society | 99 | |
| 5653639282 | specialization of labor | instead of having everyone hunt and gather, people began to specialize in certain jobs and tasks (for example, some people were farmers, artists, warriors, etc.) | 100 | |
| 5653639283 | nomadic | to be _____ is to have no fixed home and move according to the seasons in search of food, water, and grazing land. This was common in the Paleolithic Era. | 101 | |
| 5653639284 | sedentary | to settle in one place. Humans started being _____ when societies discovered the benefits of agriculture in the Neolithic Era. | 102 | |
| 5653639285 | Paleolithic Era | also known as the Old Stone Age, it is a prehistoric period of human history that began about 2.5 to 2 million years ago and is most known for the development of the most primitive (simple) stone tools. During this time, humans spent most of their time hunting and gathering in groups of 30-50 people. | 103 | |
| 5653639286 | Neolithic Era | also known as the New Stone Age, it is period of human culture that began around 10,000 years ago in the Middle East and later in other parts of the world. It is characterized by the beginning of farming, the domestication of animals, the development of crafts such as pottery and weaving, and the making of polished stone tools. | 104 | |
| 5653639287 | hominid | a primate of a family ( Hominidae ) that includes humans (Homo sapiens) and their fossil ancestors. | 105 | |
| 5653639288 | evolution | the adaptation of a species overtime to its environment | 106 | |
| 5654297320 | anarchy | No government. | 107 | |
| 5653639289 | monarchy | A kingdom or a place governed by one person, the monarch (king or queen) | 108 | |
| 5653639290 | oligarchy | A government in which a group of people holds power | 109 | |
| 5653639291 | aristocracy / plutocracy | A government ruled by an elite (rich) social class | 110 | |
| 5653639292 | theocracy | A state governed by religious law or religious leaders | 111 | |
| 5653639293 | democracy | A state where power is vested in the people who vote directly on issues. | 112 | |
| 5653639294 | society | How people live & their place in the community (social class, gender equality, rich vs. poor) | 113 | |
| 5653639295 | politics | Activities that involve governning a society (government, leaders, rulers, empire, kingdom, power) | 114 | |
| 5653639296 | interactions | Communication, trade, war among and between societies | 115 | |
| 5653639297 | culture | Shared attitudes, customs, and beliefs that distinguishes one group of people from another (arts, language, inventions & other achievements) | 116 | |
| 5653639298 | economy | the wealth and resources of a country or region (money, wealth, riches, goods, businesses) | 117 | |
| 5653639301 | Empire | A large area of land ruled by one Emperor, often characterized by conquering and rule by dictatorship. | 118 |
