World History Test #2

Front 1

city-state

Back 1

a sovereign state consisting of an autonomous city with it's dependencies

Front 2

ziggurat

Back 2

a temple of Sumerian origin in the form of a pyramidal tower consisting of a number of stories and having about the outside a broad ascent winding around the structure, presenting the appearance of a series of terraces

Front 3

dynasty

Back 3

a sequence of rulers from the same family, stock, or group

Front 4

cultural diffusion

Back 4

the transmission of elements or features of one culture to another

Front 5

"land of no return"

Back 5

A place that the Sumerians believed that the souls of the dead went-- a dismal, gloomy place between earth's crust and the ancient sea

Front 6

Epic poem

Back 6

a long narrative poem that is usually about heroic deeds and events that are significant to the culture of the poet. Many ancient writers used epic poetry to tell tales of intense adventures and heroic feats.

Front 7

debt slave (debt bondage)

Back 7

debt slaves were Sumerians who were sold into slavery as children to pay the debts of their poor parents. Debt slaves were eventually able to buy their freedom

Front 8

Cuneiform

Back 8

a system of writing created by early Sumerian scribes. Cuneiform means "wedge shaped."

Front 9

Code of Hammurabi

Back 9

a set of laws created, dealing with everything that affected the community, including family relations, business conduct, and crime

Front 10

Lex Talionis

Back 10

the principle or law of retaliation that a punishment inflicted should correspond in degree and kind to the offense of the wrongdoer, as an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth; retributive justice

Front 11

shadoof

Back 11

a pole with a bucket and counterweight used especially in Egypt for raising water

Front 12

Cataract

Back 12

a descent of water over a steep surface; waterfall especially one of considerable size

Front 13

Pharaoh

Back 13

The name in which Egyptian kings were called

Front 14

Theocracy

Back 14

a government in which rule is based on religious authority

Front 15

Mummification

Back 15

the embalming and drying of a corpse to prevent from decaying

Front 16

Rosetta Stone

Back 16

700 characters of hieroglyphics, demotic, and greek language

Front 17

Hieroglyphics

Back 17

The writing system in which ancient Egyptians used. Hieroglyphics started out as pictographs.

Front 18

Papyrus

Back 18

a material prepared in ancient Egypt from the pithy stem of water plant, used in sheets throughout the ancient Mediterranean world for writing or painting, and also for making ropes, sandals, and boats

Front 19

Geometry

Back 19

a mathematical study of lines, plots, and shapes

Front 20

Subcontinent

Back 20

A large landmass that forms a distinct part of a continent

Front 21

Monsoon

Back 21

The seasonal wind of the Indian ocean and southern Asia, blowing from the southwest in summer and northeast in winter

Front 22

Levee's

Back 22

An embankment designed to prevent flooding of a river

Front 23

Loess

Back 23

a fertile deposit of wind blown soil

Front 24

Filial Piety

Back 24

A Chinese virtue of respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors

Front 25

Oracle Bones

Back 25

One of the animal bones or tortoise shells used by ancient Chinese priests to communicate with the gods

Front 26

Mandate of Heaven

Back 26

In chinese history, the divine approval thought to be the basis of rural authority

Front 27

Sumerians

Back 27

the first people to settle in ancient Mesopotamia

Front 28

gilgamesh

Back 28

Gilgamesh is a poem (Epic of Gilgamesh) written by ancient Mesopotamians

Front 29

Sargon of Akkad

Back 29

The ruler of Akkad (a city-state of north Sumer). He invaded/conquered Sumerian city states, and he was the first ruler to unite Mesopotamia

Front 30

Hammurabi

Back 30

The sixth king of the Amorites, and created the Code of Hammurabi

Front 31

Narmer

Back 31

Farmer aka Menes was an ancient Egyptian ruler, who achieved political union

Front 32

Jean Francois Champollion

Back 32

A french scholar that deciphered Rosetta Stone

Front 33

Hyksos

Back 33

invaders from present day israel- across the isthmus of Suez. Hyksos means ruler of foreign lands.

Front 34

Zhou Dynasty

Back 34

followed the Shang dynasty by conquering the final Shang king. Main concept was: right to rule came from Heaven-just, proper ruler possesses divine approval; longest Chinese dynasty

Front 35

Shang Dynasty

Back 35

Shang kings consisted of military, religious, and political leaders; very religious dynasty

Front 36

Fertile Crescent

Back 36

the region in the Middle East which curves, like a quarter-moon shape, from the Persian Gulf, through modern-day southern Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and northern Egypt.

Front 37

Mesopotamia

Back 37

Mesopotamia was where many ancient civilizations evolved. It is located where most of present -day Iraq and Kuwait.

Front 38

Tigris River

Back 38

The Tigris is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq and empties itself into the Persian Gulf

Front 39

Euphrates River

Back 39

The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia.