SAT II World History – Flashcards
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anthropology
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study of humans as a species
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artifacts
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objects shaped by humans
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paleontologists
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scientists who study fossilized remains
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radiocarbon dating (carbon 14 method)
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dating by measuring the amount of radiocarbon remaining in a fossilized skeleton
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thermoluminescent dating
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dating by measuring radioactivity released from electrons in heated flint and clay
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tree-ring dating (dendrochronology)
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dating by the growth rings in trees
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DNA dating
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dating by obtaining samples of DNA from living donors and comparing them to those of other, historical persons or animals
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Paleolithic Age
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Old Stone Age, from when the first hominids appeared (3.2 million years ago) to 8000 BCE.
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Neolithic Age
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Agricultural Age, beginning in 8000 BCE with the development of farming and specialization of labor
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Donald Johanson
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discovered "Lucy" in Ethiopia in 1974
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Australopithecenes
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hominid living at the beginning of the Paleolithic Age, of which "Lucy" is the best-known example
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Homo habilis
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first hominid to be classified in the "Homo" species, appearing about 2.5 million years ago
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Homo erectus
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first upright hominid, appearing about 1.4 million years ago, of which Java Man and Peking Man are examples
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Louis Leakey
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discovered Homo habilis skeletons in Tanzania
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Homo sapiens
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"wise hominid" appearing about 100,000 years ago, either all over the world or only in Africa; these hominids spoke more, used more tools, and discovered the use of fire; an example is Neanderthal man
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Homo sapiens sapiens
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a modern form of Homo sapiens, which developed in Europe and was diffused throughout the world by 90,000 BCE
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Neolithic Revolution (agricultural revolution)
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a movement of early humans settling down to farm around 8000 BCE, which allowed for the development of settlement and culture
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pastoral nomadism
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a form of subsistence agriculture based on herding domesticated animals
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specialization of labor
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the gradual refining of skills and specialties in a society once a steady food supply has been established
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Jericho
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early agricultural and trade center in Palestine
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Catal Huyuk
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most advanced community of the Neolithic Age, with long-distance trade relationships and superior artisans
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civilization
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a culture with advanced citied, skilled workers, complex institutions, a system of writing or alternate form of record keeping, and advanced technology
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Mesopotamia
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the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq
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Sumer
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delta of fertile soil in the southernmost reaches of Mesopotamia
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Fertile Crescent
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large belt of land between Mesopotamia and Egypt
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city-states
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small, self-governed units comprised of a city and the surrounding land
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ziggurat
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characteristic architectural form of the Sumerians
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cuneiform
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Sumerian system of writing
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polytheistic
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having or worshiping multiple gods
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Epic of Gilgamesh
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Sumerian poem, the first epic in world literature
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Sargon the Great
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Semitic general who invaded and united Sumer, forming the Akkadian empire
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Akkadian empire
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empire formed of the united Sumerian city-states by Sargon the Great
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Babylonian empire
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empire following the Akkadian empire in the land of Sumer
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Hammurabi
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Babylonian emperor who formed the first code of laws
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Code of Hammurabi
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Babylonian code of laws
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Menes
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king of Upper Egypt who united the two kingdoms into one nation
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pharaoh
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Egyptian ruler
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theocracy
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government in which the ruler is also worshiped as a god
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Akhenaten
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Egyptian pharaoh, living in the 1300s BCE, who attempted to introduce monotheism to Egypt
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hieroglyphics
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Egyptian system of writing
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papyrus
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thin parchment made from Nile reeds
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Rosetta Stone
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stone inscribed in Greek and two forms of hieroglyphics, used to decipher Egyptian writing in the 1820s
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Jean Francois Champollion
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French linguist who deciphered hieroglyphics using the Rosetta Stone in the 1820s
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Queen Ahhotep
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Egyptian queen who helped drive out the Hyksos at the start of the New Kingdom
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Hatshepsut
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Egyptian usurper and queen, noted for her promotion of trade and her elaborate building projects
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Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
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Indus River Valley cities with a precise layout, abandoned circa 1900 BCE
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Aryans
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nomadic people from present-day Iraq and Afghanistan who invaded the Indus Valley
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Khyber Pass
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pass through the Hindu Kush mountains, through which the Aryans entered the Indian subcontinent
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Vedas
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Aryan hymns and chants that later became part of the Hindu religion
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caste system
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the Hindu system of classifying people based on their jobs and birth
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brahmins
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priests, the highest rank of the Hindu caste system
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pariahs
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the untouchables of the Hindu caste system
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purdah
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public isolation from non-family members as a religious practice
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sati
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ritual suicide of widows
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karma
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good or evil deeds
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Hinduism
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religion teaching the illusion of the tangible world, the reincarnation of the soul based on karma, and the worship of gods such as Brahman, Shiva, and Vishnu
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dharma
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the rules of each class in the Hindu caste system
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Jainism
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religion teaching a belief in the sanctity of life
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Buddhism
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religion teaching enlightenment through freedom from desire
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Four Noble Truths
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1.) All human life is filled with sorrow and suffering. 2.) Suffering is caused by desire. 3.) By rejecting desire, people progressing through a number of reincarnations can recognize nirvana, a state of perfect peace. 4.) Nirvana is attained by following the Eightfold Path.
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Eightfold Path
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Right faith, right intention, right speech, right action, right living, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditation
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Mahayana Buddhism
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elaborately ritual form of Buddhism primarily practiced in Vietnam, Korea, and Japan
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Shang
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a nomadic Asian people who fought on horseback and in chariots
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loess
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yellow silt like that in the Huang He river
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oracle bones
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bones used in ancient China to supposedly divine the will of the gods
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yin
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Chinese concept for female
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yang
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Chinese concept for male
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mandate of heaven
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concept used by Chinese rulers to grant them the authority to rule
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Confucius
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Chinese philosopher who founded Confucianism, preaching respect, education, and harmony
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Laozi
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philosopher who may have founded Daoism
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Daoism (Taoism)
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philosophy based on following "the Way" and living in harmony with nature
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Legalism
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philosophy based on the heavy use of government censorship and control
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Shang Yang
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founder of Legalism
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Olmec civilization
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earliest known American civilization, located in southern Mexico and known for its pyramids and huge stone heads
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Chavin civilization
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American civilization, located on the Peruvian coast and known for jade work and a complex trade system
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foraging
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surviving off the land by hunting and gathering, without the use of agriculture
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empire
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many territories and peoples controlled by one government
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terra cotta
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a hard unglazed brownish-red earthenware
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Hittites
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a semi-nomadic group from central Asia who came to Turkey and started an empire
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Assyrians
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a warlike group who were known for their fierceness and cruelty
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Assyrian Empire
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land from Egypt and Palestine to western Persia (Iran)
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Bantu
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a group of Nigerian farmers and herders who are best-known for their migration to sub-Saharan Africa
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Kush
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kingdom to the south of Egypt near the red sea, knows for trade and iron-working
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Nok
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a West African people known for their terra cotta sculptures
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Abraham
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father of the Hebrews, who migrated from Ur to Canaan
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Moses
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an Egyptian-raised Hebrew who led his people out of Egypt
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Exodus
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the Hebrew flight from Egypt
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Ten Commandments
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Hebrew (and Biblical) moral law
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Saul
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first king of the Hebrews
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David
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Saul's successor, best-known for his victory over Goliath and conquest of Jerusalem
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Solomon
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son of King David, famous for his high taxes and magnificent temple
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diaspora
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scattering
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Kingdom of Israel
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northern ten tribes of the Hebrew kingdom; fell to the Assyrians
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Kingdom of Judah
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southern two tribes of the Hebrew kingdom; fell to the Chaldeans
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Cyrus
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Persian king who allowed the people of Judah to return to their homeland
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monotheism
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worship of one god
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Yahweh
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sacred name of the Jewish God
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the Covenant
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promise between Yahweh and the Jewish people
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Messiah
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"anointed one" prophesied to save the Jewish people from their sins
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Torah
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Hebrew holy book
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Phoenicians
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a group of Canaanites who settled along the Mediterranean (in modern-day Lebanon) and turned to the sea for their livelihood
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Carthage
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prosperous Phoenician colony on the coast of Northern Africa
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Minoans
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Mediterranean people who settled on the island of Crete
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Mycenaeans
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a people who invaded Crete and conquered the Minoans, well known for their trade
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polis
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Greek city-state
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Homer
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the writer of the Iliad and the Odyssey, usually described as blind
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helots
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agricultural laborers in Sparta, usually captives from other states
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Sparta
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a warlike and disciplined city-state, descended from the Dorian culture
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ephors
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five Spartan leaders who ran the government
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20-60
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age range in which Spartan men were required to serve in the military
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tyrants
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rulers by total authority
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Solon
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early Athenian reformer, a tyrant who established laws that prohibited slavery for debt and allowed most citizens to vote
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Draco
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Athenian reformer known for his strict law codes
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Pisistratus
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Athenian reformer and tyrant who divided the estates of nobles among peasants and created new jobs
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Cleisthenes
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Athenian reformer who created an assembly of citizens as well as a Council of 500 and promoted freedom of speech
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direct democracy
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democracy in which all citizens may participate directly in the proposal and debate of new laws
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Persian empire
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long-lasting and wealthy empire centered in present-day Iran
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Cyrus
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strong Persian king who extended his empire through spy systems and led the Persians against the Medes
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King's Eyes and Ears
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King Cyrus's spy network
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satraps
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provincial Persian governors
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Zoroastrianism
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Persian religion defining life as a struggle between good and evil
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Avesta
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Zoroastrian holy book
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Darius I
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the greatest of the Persian rulers, who extended the empire into Macedonia and North Africa as well as introducing coinage and a calendar
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Royal Road
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Persian-built road stretching 1600 miles from Ephesus to Susa and run by efficient couriers
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Zarathustra
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founder of Zoroastrianism
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Xerxes
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successor of Darius I who continued and lost the Persian War
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Delian League
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group of Greek poleis led by Athens
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Peloponnesian League
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group of Greek poleis led by Sparta
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Pericles
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aristocrat who led Athens into an age of culture
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Peloponnesian War
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war between Athens and the Sparta/Corinth alliance, ending in a Spartan victory
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Socrates
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Athenian philosopher known for his method of systematic questioning
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Plato
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student of Socrates known for "The Republic" and a theory of "aristocracy of intellectuals"
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Aristotle
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student of Plato known for his rules of logic and comprehensive study of many subjects
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hubris
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excessive pride or overconfidence
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Acropolis
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hill atop which the Parthenon is situated
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Philip of Macedon
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northern European monarch who gained mastery over Greece after the Battle of Chaeronea
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Alexander the Great
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conqueror and ruler of a large empire in the 330s BCE
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Hellenistic culture
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culture made up of a combination of Greek and Persian, appearing after the unity of many cities during the reign of Alexander the Great
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mystery religions
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Eastern religions in Greek culture, known for their promise of eternal life
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Cynicism
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Greek philosophy based on a return to simplicity and rejection of materialism
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Stoicism
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Greek philosophy based on human brotherhood and virtuous living
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Epicureanism
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Greek philosophy based on the pursuit of genuine pleasure
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Zeno
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freed slave to whom the creation of Stoicism is attributed
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Euclid
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Egyptian Greek who wrote "Elements of Geometry
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Ptolemy
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astronomer and scientist who argued the geocentric theory
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patricians
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upper class of Rome
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plebeians
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lower class of Rome, allowed to vote but at first banned from holding public offices
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consuls
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two executive authorities of Rome, elected by the patricians
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Roman Senate
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300 patricians with the power to approve all major decisions
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Tribal Assembly
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assembly of plebeians which elected the tribunes
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tribunes
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plebeian representatives
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Twelve Tables
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early Roman law, which established the basic republican concepts and served as a foundation for later additions
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legions
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Roman military units of 5,000 to 6,000 foot soldiers
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Latins
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conquered peoples living along the Tiber River, granted the right to full Roman citizenship
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First Punic War
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war between Rome and Carthage which began with a dispute over control of Sicily, continued through the organization of Rome's first navy, and ended with Carthage's defeat
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Second Punic War
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war between Rome and Carthage in which the Carthaginians marched through the Alps into Italy, only to be defeated, after heavy fighting, by the Romans
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Hannibal
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Carthaginian general during the Second Punic War
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Scipio
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Roman general during the Second Punic War
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Third Punic War
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war between Rome and Carthage in which the vengeful Romans razed a weakened Carthage and enslaved its inhabitants
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latifundia
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large estates captured by Rome
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Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus
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two brother tribunes who devoted their careers to the relief of the Roman poor and were killed, along with most of their supporters, by the wealthy
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the Gracchi
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another name for the two Gracchus brothers
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Marius
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consul of Rome in the late 100s BCE, who substituted Rome's drafted army with a professional one and defeated Germanic invaders
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Sulla
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Roman general who executed many of Marius's followers and acted as a military dictator
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Julius Caesar
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Roman leader who was a member of the first triumvirate, became a popular and generous consul, brought Gaul under Roman rule, and became dictator for life until his assassination
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first triumvirate
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a trio of joint rulers of Rome, made up of the aristocrat Crassius, the general Pompey, and soon-to-be dictator Julius Caesar
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second triumvirate
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a trio of joint rulers of Rome, made up of Octavian, Marc Antony, and Lepidus
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Octavian
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Caesar's nephew and a member of the second triumvirate, who forced Lepidus into retirement and became dictator of Rome
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Marc Antony
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a general and member of the second triumvirate who briefly controlled the east before submitting to Octavius
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Augustus
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Octavius's official name after he became dictator of Rome
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Hadrian
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Roman emperor who erected defensive walls in northern Britain and central Europe and encouraged frontier people to join the army
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Marcus Aurelius
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Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor whose death ended the Pax Romana
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Praetorian Guard
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a small, elite Roman bodyguard which was stationed in Rome to protect the emperor
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Zealots
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Jewish citizens of Judea who wished to become a country independent of Rome
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Jesus
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religious teacher and healer who started Christianity
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apostles
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the twelve disciples of Jesus
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Gospels
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Biblical books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
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Paul of Tarsus
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the greatest Christian missionary of the first century CE
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Gentiles
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non-Jews
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Masada
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final stronghold of the Jews before the Second Diaspora
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Second Diaspora
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the second forced dispersal of the Jewish people, this time from the Roman Empire and their homeland of Judea
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diocese
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group of local Catholic churches
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Peter
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an apostle who became the first bishop of Rome
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Nero
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Roman emperor who persecuted early Christians and was known for his insane cruelty
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Coptic Christianity
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an Ethiopian and Egyptian branch of Christianity which stressed belief in the divine nature of Christ
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Nestorian Christianity
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a Mediterranean and Asian branch of Christianity which stressed the humanity of Jesus
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Arianism
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a branch of Christianity which taught that Jesus had been a creation of God rather than a divinity who had coexisted with Him from eternity
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Nicene Creed
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standardization of Christian beliefs, established by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD
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St. Augustine
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early Christian saint whose works helped define the teachings of the Christian Church
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Huns
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a nomadic group from central Asia
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Attila
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leader of the Huns who drove his people against the tribes surrounding the Roman empire
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Saxons
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Germanic tribe which invaded northern Germany during the days of the Roman empire
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Angles
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Germanic tribe which invaded England during the days of the Roman empire
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Franks
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Germanic tribe which invaded France during the days of the Roman empire
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Visigoths
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Germanic tribe which invaded Spain during the days of the Roman empire
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Ostrogoths
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Germanic tribe which invaded Italy during the days of the Roman empire
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Vandals
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Germanic tribe which invaded North Africa during the days of the Roman empire
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barracks emperors
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series of 28 generals who led Rome during a hundred-year period of unrest
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Diocletian
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Roman emperor who persecuted the Christians and divided the struggling empire into East and West
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Constantine
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Roman emperor who moved the capital to Constantinople and made Christianity a legal religion
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Battle of Adrianople
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important battle in the last days of the Roman empire, in which the Visigoths destroyed the Roman army and killed its leader
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Battle of Chalons
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battle between the Huns and a combined force of Romans and Visigoths, in which the Huns were driven back but the Roman army was weakened beyond revival
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Empress Lu
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Han ruler who seized and retained control over the throne by naming her infant sons as emperors
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Han Wudi
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longest-ruling of the Han rulers, who appointed provincial administrators to promote government efficiency
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Silk Roads
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roads linking China to the Mediterranean world
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shi
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scholar class of Han China
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Wang Mang
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Chinese warrior who briefly overthrew the Han dynasty before being himself overthrown by a peasant revolution
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Manichaeism
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ancient religion blending beliefs of other major religions and honoring Jesus as the prophet of the Mediterranean, Buddha as the prophet of India, and Zarathustra as the prophet of Persia
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Chandragupta Maurya
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Indian conqueror after Alexander the Great, who formed the first centralized government in India
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Ashoka
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greatest of the Mauryan rulers, who converted to Buddhism and promoted a peaceful empire
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stupas
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shrines of stone built in India to house relics of the Buddha
