Unit 3 Vocabulary Activity

Textile

A fabric made by weaving, used in making clothing

Cuneiform

A form of writing developed by the Sumerians using a wedge-shaped stylus and clay tablets.

Indus River

A river that flows from Tibet, through the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush into the Arabian Sea.

Civilization

A society with cities, a central government, job specialization, and social classes

Pastoralism

A type of agricultural activity based on nomadic animal husbandry or the raising of livestock to provide food, clothing, and shelter.

yellow river

Also known as the Huang-He. The second longest river in China. The majority of ancient Chinese civilizations originated in its valley.

Hieroglyphics

An ancient Egyptian writing system in which pictures were used to represent ideas and sounds

Tribute

Money paid by one country to another in return for protection

Bronze

Some people call the later part of the Neolithic Age the ______ Age because of the advancements in metallurgy and tools.

Sumer/Mesopotamia

Sumer was the southernmost region of ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq and Kuwait) which is generally considered the cradle of civilization. The name comes from Akkadian, the language of the north of Mesopotamia, and means "land of the civilized kings".

Cultural Diffusion

The expansion and adoption of a cultural element, from its place of origin to a wider area.

Intensification

The process of getting more in return for less; for example, growing more food on a smaller plot of land.

Nile River

The world's longest river, which flows northward through East Africa into the Mediterranean Sea

Steppes

Treeless plains, especially the high, flat expanses of northern Eurasia, which usually have little rain and are covered with coarse grass. They are good lands for nomads and their herds. Good for breeding horses: essential to the Mongol military.

Elite/Noble

a group of people considered to be the best in a particular society or category because of their power, talent, wealth, or other characteristics

Bronze Age

a period of human culture between the Stone Age and the Iron Age, characterized by the use of weapons and implements made of bronze

Scribe

a person who writes things down

Dynasty

a powerful family or group of rulers that maintains its position or power for some time

Social Hierarchy

an order of social classes with producers at the bottom and leaders or kings at the top

Centralized Authority

an organization structure in which decision-making authority is maintained at the top level of management

Polytheistic

belief in more than one god

Kingdom

large taxonomic group, consisting of closely related phyla

Metallurgy

the branch of science and technology concerned with the properties of metals and their production and purification.

Specialization

the concentration of the productive efforts of individuals and firms on a limited number of activities

Nomadic

wandering, moving about from place to place