AP World History Ch. 2 Flashcards

3222322376	civilization	Societies distinguished by reliance on sedentary agriculture, ability to produce food surpluses, and existence of nonfarming elites, as well as merchant and manufacturing groups.	0
3222327963	Mesopotamia	Literally "between the rivers"; the civilizations that arose in the alluvial plain of the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys.	1
3222330194	Sumerians	People who migrated into Mesopotamia c. 4000 BCE; created first civilization within region; organized area into city-states.	2
3222335892	cuneiform	A form of writing developed by the sumerians using a wedge-shaped stylus and clay tablets.	3
3222337440	ziggurats	Massive towers usually associated with Mesopotamian temple complexes.	4
3222339985	city-state	A form of political organization typical of Mesopotamian civilizations; consisted of agricultural hinterlands ruled by an urban-based king.	5
3222436308	Babylonians	Unified all of Mesopotamia c.1800 BCE; empire collapsed due to foreign invasion c.1600 BCE.	6
3222439620	Hammurabi	(r. 1792-1750 BCE) The most important ruler of the Babylonian empire; responsible for codification of law.	7
3222442544	pharaoh	Title of kings of ancient Egypt.	8
3222445411	pyramids	Monumental architecture typical of Old Kingdom Egypt; used as burial sites for pharaohs.	9
3222446950	Kush	An African state that developed along the upper reaches of the Nile c.1000 BCE; conquered Egypt and ruled it for several centuries.	10
3222449555	Indus River	River sources in Himalayas to mouth in Arabian Sea; location of Harappan civilization.	11
3222451769	Harappa	Along with Mohenjodaro, major urban complex of the Harappan civilization; laid out on planned grid pattern.	12
3222455477	Aryans	Indo-European nomadic pastoralists who replaced Harappan civilization; militarized society.	13
3222460040	Vedas	Aryan hymns originally transmitted orally but written down in sacred books from the 6th century BCE	14
3222463059	Mahabharata	Indian epic of war, princely honor, love, and social duty; written down in the last centuries BCE; previously handed down in oral form.	15
3222467667	Upanishads	Later books of the Vedas; contained sophisticated and sublime philosophical ideas; utilized by Brahmans to restore religious authority.	16
3222469990	Yellow River	Also known as the Huanghe; site of development of sedentary agriculture in China.	17
3222472561	ideographs	Pictographic characters grouped together to create new concepts; typical of Chinese writing.	18
3222474980	Shang	First Chinese dynasty for which archaeological evidence exists; capital located in Ordos bulge of the Huanghe; flourished 1600 to 1046 BCE.	19
3222481407	Olmecs	People of a cultural tradition that arose at San Lorenzo and La Venta in Mexico c.1200 BCE; featured irrigated agriculture, urbanism, elaborate religion, beginnings of calendrical and writing system.	20
3222489392	Chavin de Huantar	Chavin culture appeared in highlands of Andes between 1800 and 1200 BCE; typified by ceremonial centers with large stone buildings; greatest ceremonial center was Chavin de Huantar; characterized by artistic motifs.	21
3222497027	Phoenicians	Seafaring civilization located on the shores of the eastern Mediterranean; established colonies throughout the Mediterranean.	22
3222499155	monotheism	The exclusive worship of a single god; introduced by the Jews into Western civilization.	23