Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
90 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
Where did the earliest hominids live?
|
Africa
|
|
|
The first humans, c. 250,000 B.C.E., were known as "Homo Sapiens". When they evolved into Neanderthals, c. 100,000 B.C.E., they came to be known as "Homo Sapiens Sapiens", which is what we are today.
What do the two terms mean? |
Homo Sapiens = "wise humans"
Homo Sapiens Sapiens = "wise wise humans" |
|
|
What is the "Out of Africa Theory"?
|
The theory that man originated in Africa, it is now largely accepted amongst historians.
|
|
|
How did people primarily support themselves in the Old Stone Age? (a.k.a. get food)
|
Hunting and Gathering
(Note: know that the Old Stone Age = The Paleolithic Era) |
|
|
What did cave art and cave paintings found show about Neanderthals?
|
They show that Neanderthals weren't completely primitive, and had some sophistication.
(Note: The Chauvet Cave in Southern France are famous for their cave paintings) |
|
|
How long ago did the use of fire begin?
|
About 500,000 years ago
|
|
|
What was the Neolithic Revolution?
|
A revolution in agriculture where the primary food source switched from hunting and gathering to growing and harvesting/domesticating animals.
|
|
|
What were the two Neolithic farming villages?
|
Jericho and Catal Huyuk
|
|
|
What happened to the women after the Neolithic Revolution?
|
They lost rights and their high standings they had in the hunter-gatherer society.
(Note: In the Old Stone Age, Paleolithic Era, women did the gathering, half the work, and were vital to attaining food, but in farming men did all the work in the fields and, in turn, the reason women weren't as respected.) |
|
|
Compare Mesopotamians' view on the world vs. Egyptians' and why this was.
|
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flooded unpredictably, while the Nile and Egypt's geography was very regular. This explains why the Egyptians had a very happy outlook while Mesopotamians saw the world as a hazardous place and believed their Gods were punishing them.
|
|
|
What are the four Characteristics of Civilization?
|
1. The development of cities, towns, etc. (Urban development)
2. Political, military, and religious organization 3. Social stratification (Social classes) 4. Writing system, monumental architecture, and intellectual activity, like inventions |
|
|
What are the three "Causes of Civilization" theories?
|
1. Challenge and response
2. Material development led to more material development 3. Non-material causes, like religion |
|
|
What was the nick-name given to Mesopotamian civilization?
|
"Land Between the Rivers"
(Note: The two rivers Mesopotamia lies between are the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers) |
|
|
What was a major necessity to Mesopotamian society?
|
The creation of their extensive irrigation system, because Mesopotamia received little rain
|
|
|
Who were the peoples who created the first Mesopotamian society?
|
The Sumerians
|
|
|
Peoples of Early Mesopotamia that were primarily agricultural communities, and also mastered the use of bronze.
|
The Sumerians
|
|
|
The Mesopotamians are coined for being the inventors of what major invention?
|
The Wheel
|
|
|
What were the 3 social classes in Mesopotamia?
|
1. Nobles
2. Commoners 3. Slaves |
|
|
Even though Mesopotamia participated in a lot of trade and commerce, they were very much primarily agricultural.
What percent of the population engaged in farming? |
90%
|
|
|
Who was the first Mesopotamian emperor, who overran the Sumerian city-states?
|
Sargon of Akkad, who created the Sargon Empire (2340-2100 B.C.E.)
|
|
|
Where was Hammurabi the emperor of, and what is he obviously known for?
|
Hammurabi was the second emperor of Mesopotamia, and is infamously known for his strict Law Code, "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth"
(Note: Besides his Law Code, Hammurabi also worked to stimulate economic revival, was the one to enhance the irrigation system, and established a new capital at Babylon) |
|
|
Discuss the Gods in Mesopotamian religion.
|
They effected all aspect of life. Mesopotamians were polytheistic and used divination to predict the future. The Gods were seen, by the Mesopotamians, to be punishing them because their difficult environment influenced their perception of the Gods.
|
|
|
What was the writing system of Mesopotamia?
|
Cuneiform, meaning "wedge-shaped"
|
|
|
Cuneiform (Mesopotamia) evolved from pictures of objects to a phonetic system.
What is a phonetic system? |
When words have sound, a language that can be spoken.
|
|
|
What was "The Epic of Gilgamesh"?
|
An epic poem from Mesopotamia that dealt with the search for immortality. Similar to Noah of the Arc, with a man named Utnapishtim who builds a boat and survives a flood the Gods send to destroy mankind.
|
|
|
Besides the wheel, what is one invention from Mesopotamia we still use today?
|
A number system based on 60.
(Note: Examples of it in modern times - minutes, seconds, 12 month calendar) |
|
|
What was the nick-name given to Ancient Egyptian Civilization?
|
"The Gift of The Nile"
|
|
|
The Nile is the infamous river of Egypt. Its annual floods deposited silt into the soil.
What was the Black and Red Lands? |
The two were terms given to the soil around the Nile. The Black Land was the section of fertile, beautiful land where the silt deposited from the floods reached. The Red Land was the section which was desert, untouched by silt, and unable to hold crops.
|
|
|
What were the 3 different kingdoms of Mesopotamia?
(Remember- kingdoms are not the same thing as Empires) |
The Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms
|
|
|
Who was the one to first unify Upper and Lower Egypt?
|
Menes, in 3100 B.C.E.
|
|
|
Describe the Pharaohs of Egypt during the Old Kingdom.
|
Were seen as divine kings.They did not just rule based on random choice or personal whim, they had reasoning and system.
(Note: Pyramids were constructed during this kingdom for the pharaohs' tombs) |
|
|
What was the role of viziers and nomarches in the Egyptian government?
|
Viziers were like prime ministers, and Nomarches were governors provinces. They both helped assist the Pharaohs.
|
|
|
What was the names of the provinces in Ancient Egypt?
|
Nomes
(Note: Nomarches ran them, Nomes/Nomarches...get it haha) |
|
|
Describe the Pharaohs of Egypt during the Middle Kingdom.
|
They became like "shepards" of their people rather than divine god-kings they were in the Old Kingdom. They were also more seen and previlent in daily life.
|
|
|
What was the writing system of Ancient Egypt?
|
Hieroglyphics, sacred characters used as picture signs.
|
|
|
Who was the female Pharaoh of Egypt during the New Kingdom?
|
Hatshepsut
(Note: Worked to expand Egyptian trade and supported new construction projects like two big oblisks and a temple) |
|
|
Who was Akhenaten?
|
The Egyptian pharaoh who tried completely change the Egyptian religion. He closed down temples of all original gods, especially the god of the time, Amun-Re. He wanted Egyptians to worship the God Aten , god of the sun disk.
He was too radical, and fixated on religion, that he ignored foreign affairs and Syria and Palestine were lost. |
|
|
Who was Akhenaten's son?
|
King Tut, who changed his name so he wouldn't be associated with his radical father
|
|
|
What commodity did Mesopotamia possess in abundance?
|
Clay
|
|
|
What do Historians believe about the Hebrew Bible?
|
They were written long after the events they describe, and they don't match up with archeological evidence.
|
|
|
Who were the Hittites?
|
Indo-European peoples who developed an empire in western Asia, today modern Turkey.
|
|
|
Who were the Phoenicians?
|
A community of sea peoples who completely mastered the art of the sea and developed a alphabet consisting of 22 symbols which also represented sounds. They were also excellent traders, and established colonies including Carthage/North Africa.
|
|
|
Nick-name given to Hebrews
|
"Children of Israel"
|
|
|
What are the three kings of Israel, in order?
|
1. Saul
2. David 3. Solomon |
|
|
What was king Solomon, of Israel, known for?
|
Building the Temple that housed the Ark of the Covenant.
|
|
|
What did king David, of Israel, do?
|
He captured Jerusalem and made it the capitol of Israel.
|
|
|
Describe what the "Babylonian Captivity" was?
|
Where Hebrews were chained and forced to walk across the desert to Babylon. Later, was ended by the Persians.
(Note: Remember that Babylonians were the ones CAPTURING the Hebrews, not the ones BEING CAPTURED) |
|
|
When Jerusalem was divided, it split into two separate kingdoms.
What were the two kingdoms? |
The Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah.
|
|
|
What were the 3 central aspects of the Jewish religion?
|
1. The covenant
2. The law 3. The prophets |
|
|
Were Jews monotheistic or polytheistic?
|
Monotheistic
|
|
|
How did the Assyrian kings rule?
|
They were absolute monarchs, with absolute power.
|
|
|
Describe the Assyrian Empire.
|
Their ruthless military controlled all aspects of life. They were a polyglot society, which means they had multiple languages, multiple ethnicities. They also had an efficient communication system.
|
|
|
What was the role of women in the Assyrian Empire?
|
Assyrians was known to be a "men's society", women were just expected to stay home and have babies.
|
|
|
Where did Assyria's name come from?
|
Assyria means "land of Ashur", Ashur was the societies main God
|
|
|
What is Assyria known for, in the means of art?
|
Their relief sculptures, found in their royal palace(s).
|
|
|
What is Judaism defined as?
|
Ethical monotheism
|
|
|
What was the impact of geography in Egypt, not about the Nile just in general?
|
Natural resources were widely available and allowed Egypt to be self-sufficient.
(Note: Egypt was known as the "Bread Basket of the World") |
|
|
Name the three Persian emperors.
|
1. Cyrus "The Great"
2. Cambyses 3. Darius |
|
|
The Persian Empire became the largest empire of it's time under which emperor?
|
Darius
|
|
|
The Persian religion is known as Zoroastrianism.
Describe it. |
The prophet of Zoroastrianism was Zoroaster (born 660 B.C.E.). The religion was monotheistic, whose God was Ahuramazda, "The Wise Lord". Their sacred book was the Zend Avesta, which describes the cosmic struggle between Ahuramazda and Ahriman, an evil spirt, like the devil. There also is a last judgement, either paradise (heaven) or abyss of torment (h***)
|
|
|
At the peak of it's empire, Persia was divided into twenty or so "satrapies", or provinces. All the provinces were connected by roads.
What was the most famous road? |
The Royal Road, which connected Asia to Susa.
|
|
|
What were the two major cities of the Indus River Valley Civilization?
|
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
|
|
|
What civilization is known for their grid pattern, also known as urban planning, used in cities.
|
Harappa (India)
|
|
|
Describe Harappan state.
|
No centralized government, but the 1,500 cities/towns that were loosely connected by trade and alliances.
|
|
|
What are the three major parts to India's geography?
|
1. The Himalayan and Karakoram Mountain ranges, in the north
2. River valleys, The Indus and the Ganges 3. The Deccan Plateau, in the south |
|
|
What is believed by historians to be the reason for the fall of Harappa?
|
Natural disasters, either climate change or flooding.
|
|
|
What was the Aryans' way of producing food?
|
Not agricultural, they were pastoralists, like domesticating animals like cows and horses.
(Note: They later did adopt agriculture though) |
|
|
Which group of peoples succeeded the Harappans?
|
The Aryans
|
|
|
The iron plow was a major invention for what group of peoples?
|
The Aryans
|
|
|
Aryan tribes were led by chieftains.
What was the name of them? |
Rajas
(Note: Kings were known as maharajas, or "great rajas") |
|
|
What was the set of laws which regulated human behavior, depending on what class they belonged to, in India?
|
The dharma
|
|
|
What were the five different levels of the Indian caste system?
|
(highest to lowest)
1. Brahmins, the priestly class 2. Kshatriya, the warrior class 3. Vaisyas, commoners, often merchants 4. Sudras, servants and laborers 5. The Untouchables |
|
|
Describe how much social mobility was allowed in the Indian caste system.
|
The class decisions were absolute, one was born and died in the same class. There was no social mobility, and this was even enforced with numerous laws and taboos.
|
|
|
What were the three "twice-born" castes, in the Indian caste system?
|
The three top castes: the Brahmins, the Kshatriya, and the Vaisyas.
|
|
|
What is "jati"?
|
A term for Ancient Indian society, refering to the system of large, joint families that lived in specific areas. Each jati is composed of hundreds or thousands of individual families that all carry out specific functions.
|
|
|
What was the Ritual of Sati?
|
An Indian tradition where a women would throw herself onto her husband's funeral fire to show devotion. It wasn't required, but just kind of... expected. If a woman didn't do this she was most likely shunned.
|
|
|
Discuss the role of women in Indian society.
|
Woman, like in most other civilizations, were subservient to men. Child marriage was common, and divorce was generally prohibited. They were seen as a liability to parents because they were required to provide a dowry when the women were married.
But, inside the home they did have much influence, for example, they usually were in charge of money and educated the children. |
|
|
Which civilization were the ones fascinated by women sexuality?
|
India
|
|
|
What was life like for Indian farmers?
|
Life for Indian farmers was tough. They were not only taxed heavily, but many were sharecroppers on other's lands. Famine was very common.
|
|
|
What were some Indian exports?
|
Spices, perfume, jewels, tin, lead, wine, and textiles.
|
|
|
What are the sacred texts of Hinduism?
|
The Vedas. There are four - the Rig Veda, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda, and the Artharva Veda.
|
|
|
What were the Upanishads?
|
A set of commentaries on the Vedas.
|
|
|
What is the Rig Veda?
|
The first and oldest of the four Vedas. The Vedas are the sacred texts of Hinduism.
|
|
|
What was the ultimate goal in Hinduism?
|
The escape the wheel of life, the cycle of existence, and to end the pain of living.
|
|
|
Siddhartha Gautama founded what belief system?
|
Buddhism.
|
|
|
Who founded the Mauryan Empire?
|
Chandragupta Maurya
|
|
|
What was the Arthasastra?
|
A book, believed to be written by Chandragupta Maurya's adviser, Kautilya, which described, in depth, how to rule.
|
|
|
Who were the Primary Trinity in Hinduism?
|
1. Brahma, The Creator
2. Vishnu, The Preserver 3. Shiva, The Destroyer (Note: In Hinduism, the gods were believed to take many different forms/manifestations. The Primary Trinity were the most important, but there were infinite amounts of Gods in Hinduism, so many no one knows how many there truly are) |
|
|
Asceticism, was a practice in Hinduism where one inflicts pain on themselves as a spiritual meditation to get beyond the material reality.
What did this practice later evolve into? |
Yoga, the modern day practice of body training
|
|
|
What does varna mean?
|
An Indian word which translates to "color", a factor which made the classes.
(Note: The Aryans were lighter skinned then the Indian indigenous peoples, so the lighter skin you had, the higher status you were given) |
