Chapter 1 Reading Guide Flashcards

49340527	Paleolithic (Old Stone) Age	most of the 2 million years during which our species has existed; typified by use of crude stone/stick tools and hunting and gathering for subsistence	0
49340528	Homo sapiens sapiens	the newest human breed, originating c. 120,000 years ago, of which all humans in the world today are descendants	1
49340529	Neolithic (New Stone) Age	period in which adaptation of sedentary agriculture occured; domestication of plants and animals accomplished	2
49340530	Neolithic Revolution	succession of technological innovations and changes in human organization that led to the development of agriculture	3
49340531	Hunting & Gathering	means of obtaining subsistence by human species prior to the adaptation of sedentary agriculture; normally typical of band social organization	4
49340532	Bronze Age	bronze (and later iron) tools were introduced in the Middle East	5
49340533	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	6
49340534	Cuneiform	a form of writing developed by the Sumerians using a wedge-shaped stylus and clay tablets	7
49340535	Nomads	cattle and sheep-herding societies normally found on the fringes of civilized societies; commonly referred to as "barbarian" by civilized societies; wander from one place to another looking for food, shelter, protection, etc.	8
49340536	Mesopotamia	literally "between the rivers"; civilizations that arose in the alluvial plain in the Tigris-Euphrates River Valleys; familiar with bronze and copper, wheel for transportation, pottery, art, and farming; home of the world's first civilization	9
49340537	Sumerians	people who migrated to Mesopotamia; developed a cuneiform alphabet, art, science (astronomy); organized area into city-states	10
49340538	Ziggurat	massive tower usually associated with Mesopotamian temple complexes	11
49340539	Babylonians	extended their empire and helped bring civilization to other parts of the Middle East; famous for Hammurabi's Law Code	12
49340540	Hammurabi	the most important ruler of the Babylonian empire; responsible for codification of law	13
49343494	Pharaoh	a powerful king of Ancient Egypt who had direct knowledge of and contact with Egyptian gods	14
49343495	Pyramids	monumental architecture typical of Old Kingdom Egypt; used as burial sites for pharaohs	15
49343496	Kush	an African state that developed along the upper reaches of the Nile c.1000 BCE; conquered Egypt and ruled it for several centuries	16
49343497	Indus River	river that sources in the Himalayas and flows to its mouth in the Arabian Sea; location of the early civilizations Harappa and Mohenjo Daro	17
49343498	Harappa & Mohenjo Daro	large cities along the Indus River by 2500 BCE; running water, distinctive alphabet, and artistic forms	18
49343499	Huanghe River	"Yellow River"; located in China; civilizations that developed along the river were in considerable isolation; subject of many Chinese legends	19
49343500	Ideographic Symbols	pictographic characters grouped together to create new concepts; typical of Chinese writing; allowed for easier and more complex communication	20
49343501	Phoenicians	seafaring civilization located on the shores of the Mediterranean; established colonies and devised simplified alphabet (22 letters); improved numbering system	21
49343502	Mandate of Heaven	the divine source for political legitimacy of Chinese rulers; established by Zhou to justify overthrow of Shang	22
49343503	Monotheism	the exclusive worship of a single God; introduced by Jews ("Jehovah") into Western civilization	23
49912307	Culture	a system of belief that helped explain the environment and set up rules for various kinds of social behavior	24
49912521	Mesolithic (Middle Stone) Age	improvement in tool and weapon making; domestication of animals (cows, pigs, sheep, goats); advances in sailing and fishing	25
49915281	Civilization	economic surplus; divisions of labor; social hierarchy; inequality	26
49915282	Slash & Burn Agriculture	practice of burning trees in one area, farming intensely for a few years, and moving on when the soil depleted	27
49915283	Tribal Bands	groups of people with strong kinship ties	28
49915284	Lydians	introduced first coined money	29
49915285	Torah	Hebrew Bible; first 5 books of the Christian Old Testament	30