FLVS world history module 2 review

Who controlled the surplus of food in Egypt?

The pharaoh and his leaders controlled the extra food. The pharaoh was at the center of the Egyptian economy. Because he held the central authority to make economic decisions, this type of control was called a command economy.

How did writing develop in ancient river civilizations?

Many historians believe that writing was developed by the Sumerian civilization of Mesopotamia to record information about food, workers, and other things by making wedge-shaped marks in clay with a stylus. In Mesopotamia, writing helped officials run public affairs. This early form of writing is called cuneiform. In the Nile Valley, the ancient Egyptians also developed their own writing. It is called hieroglyphics. In Egypt, writing had a religious purpose. Hieroglyphics told about great events and leaders. As in Mesopotamia, scribes of the Indus Valley wrote on clay. They pressed a stylus or a stone seal into the clay to form symbols. Clay tablets and seals show about 400 different symbols. Scholars believe that seals were used to manage trade or used in religion.

How do we know about the Ancient Israelites?

Much of what we know about the ancient Israelites comes from their writings. They spoke and wrote in the Hebrew language. As a result, the Israelite people are sometimes called Hebrews. Their most important writings were assembled in a sacred book called the Hebrew Bible. Today that book is often called the Old Testament, or simply, the Bible.

What is the difference between polytheism and monotheism?

Polytheism is the belief in multiple gods and goddesses. Famous examples from ancient history include the Sumerian religion, the Egyptian set of gods, and Hinduism. Monotheism is the belief in a single God. One famous example from ancient history is Judaism.

cunieform

writing made with wedge=shaped characters

Who were the Aryans?

Between 2000 BC and 1500 BC, nomads from Central Asia traveled to northwestern India with their cattle and horses, speaking an Indo-European language. When they intermarried with the local people, they began to call themselves Aryans. They were led by chiefs called rajahs. Most of what we know about the Aryans comes from the Vedas, a collection of hymns, spells, and religious teachings. The Vedas describe the Aryans as warriors who used chariots and iron weapons. They considered cows sacred. Over time, they gave up life as nomads and became farmers instead.

What caused the decline of the original Indus Valley cultures?

By 1900 BC, the Indus Valley culture had changed. Pottery was now crude instead of well-made. People did not use writing any longer. The city Mohenjo-Daro was completely abandoned. The populations of other Indus cities also fell. No one knows for certain what caused this. The people may have fled because of invaders. The remains of mud found in the streets suggest that a great flood may have destroyed them or a terrible earthquake may have happened.

Why was society divided into classes?

For ancient river civilizations, society was divided based on jobs. At the very top was the leader, such as the pharaoh in ancient Egypt. The class right below the leader was the elite. They were usually either related to the leader or exceptionally talented. Below the elite, there were the soldiers, scribes, priests, and merchants, who each served a different essential role in normal functions of society. Artisans, laborers, farm workers, and servants were in the bottom class.

Why were the Phoenicians important?

For many years, traders bartered goods and services. The Phoenicians bartered goods such as timber, wheat, and oil. This worked for a time. However, bartering can be difficult, so over time, the government developed a currency. Currency is a money-based system of exchange. They turned valuable metals, such as silver, into coins. The use of currency made international trade easier. The Phoenicians also borrowed the idea of an alphabet from the cultures they met while trading internationally. They took the alphabet idea and simplified the letters. The Phoenician alphabet became the basis for the alphabet we use today.

How did trade and commerce affect civilization?

When different civilizations traveled from home to sell and buy with their neighbors, they spent extended periods of time in these new places. Gradually, these civilizations exchanged pieces of culture, including food habits, languages, religions, fashion, and ideas. Civilizations began to adopt new cultural traits and to share their own traits with others. New ways of communicating made the world less isolated, but it also led to increased conflict.

Where was Mesopotamia?

In Greek, the word Mesopotamia means "the land between rivers." Most of Mesopotamia was located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The earliest known civilizations emerged from this region, which was also known as the Fertile Crescent.

Who built the pyramids?

You might think that Egyptian slaves built the pyramids, but it was not slaves who did the work. There were very few slaves in ancient Egypt. The pyramids were built by free labor. When farmers were not harvesting or planting crops, they would work for the pharaoh. In exchange, they would get food and shelter.

polytheism

a belief in many gods

caste system

a division of society

hieroglyphic

a form of writing that uses images for words

bureaucracy

a group of government officials

colony

a new settlement started by an established one

city-state

a self-governing city that also controls surrounding villages

famine

a time when there is almost no food

ziggurat

an ancient Mesopotamian temple tower made up of a stepped pyramid with outside staircases and a temple at the top

stylus

an instrument used by ancient peoples in writing on clay tablets

traditional economy

economy where decisions as to what is to be produced, how, how much, and by whom are made at the local and family level

command economy

economy where everything, including what is to be produced, how, how much, and by whom, is controlled by the government

barter

exchanging one kind of good for another

subcontinent

large area of land smaller than a continent

currency

money

nomadic

moving across a territory during certain seasons in search of food, water, or lands for livestock

dowry

property a newly-married woman contributes when joining her husband's household

monotheism

the belief in a single god

elite

the wealthy and powerful people in a society