Social Studies Midterm Vocabulary/study Questions

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Acropolis

Back 1

a fortified hill

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Artisan

Back 2

a person skilled in an applied art; a craftsperson

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Babylon

Back 3

capital of the Chaldean empire.

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Band

Back 4

a company of persons or, sometimes, animals or things, joined, acting, or functioning together

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City-state

Back 5

a sovereign state consisting of an autonomous city with its dependencies.

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Civil War

Back 6

a war between political factions or regions within the same country.

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Civilization

Back 7

an advanced state of human society, in which a high level of culture, science, industry, and government has been reached.

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Constitution

Back 8

the system of fundamental principles according to which a nation, state, corporation, or the like, is governed.

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Culture

Back 9

the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group

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Cuneiform

Back 10

composed of slim triangular or wedge-shaped elements, as the characters used in writing by the ancient Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and others.

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Democratic

Back 11

everyone is to be treated equal and fair

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Dark Age

Back 12

The entire Middle Ages, especially when viewed as a troubled period marked by the loss of classical learning.

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Embalming

Back 13

To treat (a corpse) with preservatives in order to prevent decay.

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Hammurabi

Back 14

18th century b.c. or earlier, king of Babylonia.

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Hellenes

Back 15

A Greek.

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Hereditary

Back 16

Of or pertaining to inheritance

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Hieroglyphs

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A picture or symbol used in hieroglyphic writing

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Homer

Back 18

A greek poet

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Homo Sapiens

Back 19

humans

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Hyksos

Back 20

a nomadic people who conquered and ruled ancient Egypt between the 13th and 18th dynasties, c1700–1580 b.c. : believed to have been a Semitic people that originally migrated into Egypt from Asia.

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Labyrinth

Back 21

an intricate combination of paths or passages in which it is difficult to find one's way or to reach the exit.

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Megaron

Back 22

a square room with a fireplace where meetings are held

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Migrate

Back 23

to go from one country, region, or place to another.

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Middle Kingdom

Back 24

Also called Middle Empire. the period in the history of ancient Egypt, c2000–1785 b.c., comprising the 11th to 14th dynasties

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New Kingdom

Back 25

the period in the history of ancient Egypt, 1580–1085 b.c., comprising the 18th to 20th dynasties, characterized by the predominance of Thebes.

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Nike

Back 26

The Greek Goddess of Victory

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Old Kingdom

Back 27

the period in the history of ancient Egypt, 2780–2280 b.c., comprising the 3rd to 6th dynasties, characterized by the predominance of Memphis.

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Oligarchy

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a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few.

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Paleolithic

Back 29

The cultural period of the Stone Age that began about 2.5 to 2 million years ago, marked by the earliest use of tools made of chipped stone. The Paleolithic Period ended at different times in different parts of the world, generally around 10,000 years ago in Europe and the Middle East. Also called Old Stone Age. ◇ The Lower Paleolithic is by far the longest division of this period, lasting until about 200,000 years ago and characterized by hammerstones and simple core tools such as hand axes and cleavers. The earliest tools belong to the Oldowan tool culture and may have been made by australopithecines as well as by Homo habilis. Later Lower Paleolithic cultures include the Abbevilian, Clactonian, Acheulian, and Levalloisian, associated with early Homo erectus. ◇ The Middle Paleolithic is generally dated to about 40,000 years ago and is associated with archaic Homo sapiens, primarily the Neanderthals and their Mousterian tool culture. The tools produced during this period represent improvements on those of the Lower Paleolithic, especially in flaking techniques, but remain little changed throughout the duration of the period. ◇ The Upper Paleolithic dates to about 10,000 years ago in Europe and the Middle East and is associated with modern Homo sapiens. Various distinctive local tool cultures such as the Aurignacian, Solutrean, and Magdalenian flourished during this relatively brief period, producing a great variety of skillfully flaked tools as well as tools made of bone, antler, wood, and other materials.

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Papyrus

Back 30

a form of paper

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Pharoah

Back 31

a ruler of egypt

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Polis

Back 32

a city state

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Prehistory

Back 33

human history in the period before recorded events, known mainly through archaeological discoveries, study, research, etc.; history of prehistoric humans.

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Pyramid

Back 34

A solid figure with a polygonal base and triangular faces that meet at a common point.

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Sargon I

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Sargon I was a king of the old-Assyrian Kingdom and reigned from ca. 1920 BC-1881
BC.

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Shrine

Back 36

a building or other shelter, often of a stately or sumptuous character, enclosing the remains or relics of a saint or other holy person and forming an object of religious veneration and pilgrimage.

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Solon

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He created the first constitution

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Surplus

Back 38

something that remains above what is used or needed.

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Thebes

Back 39

an ancient city in Upper Egypt, on the Nile, whose ruins are located in the modern towns of Karnak and Luxor: a former capital of Egypt.

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Tenants

Back 40

One that pays rent to use or occupy land, a building, or other property owned by another.

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Tutankhamen

Back 41

King of Egypt during the XVIII Dynasty. His tomb was found almost intact by Howard Carter in 1922.

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Ziggurat

Back 42

A temple tower of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians, having the form of a terraced pyramid of successively receding stories.