VA SOL WHI.3- Early Civilizations

city-state

A city with political and economic control over the surrounding countryside

Plow

A new invention used to turn the fields.

Civilization

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

Nubia

An Egyptian civilization located on the upper (southern) Nile River

Phoenicia

An ancient seafaring civilization located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea; modern day Israel

Hieroglyphics

Ancient Egyptian writing that uses symbols in lines

Alphabet

Ancient Phoenician writing that uses letters to make words

Hebrews

Early group of people who lived in lands between Mesopotamia and Egypt. They developed the religion Judaism.

Torah

First five books of the Hebrew Bible

Social Hierarchy

In this type of society system, wealthy people have more power than poor people. Think of the triangle!

Moses

Led the Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt; received the 10 commandments

"Mesopotamia"

Means "land between two rivers"

Greeks

Mediterranean civilization that was influenced by the Phoenicians

"Cradles of Civilization"

Nickname for river valleys because they kept humans safe and helped them grow

Agricultural Surplus

One of two components, together with job specialization that enables the formation of cities; agricultural production in excess of that which the producer needs for his or her own sustenance and that of his or her family and which is then sold for consumption by others.

Pictograms

Symbols used to represent words, like emojis

polytheism

The belief in more than one god

monotheism

The belief in only one god

Pharaoh

The hereditary leader of Egypt who was also considered a god

Fertile Crescent

The large Middle East region where many prosperous civilizations used the rich soil for agriculture

Hammurabi's Code

The list of harsh laws and punishments used in Babylon in Mesopotamia

irrigation

The process of supplying water to areas of land to make them suitable for growing crops.

Judaism

The religion followed by the Hebrews

Huang He

The river that flows through Ancient China

Nile River

The river that flows through Ancient Egypt

Indus River

The river that flows through Ancient India

Reason civilizations started in River Valleys

The rivers flooded, providing fertile soil for farming

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

The rivers that flow through Ancient Mesopotamia

theocracy

The type of government that is led by religious leaders

Sumer

The world's first civilization, founded in Mesopotamia, which existed for over 3,000 years.

Cuneiform

Wedge-shaped writing used in Mesopotamia

Diaspora

When the Jews were forced to leave their homeland in Israel

hereditary dynasty

When the son of a king takes over upon his death

kingdom

a "state" that is ruled by a king or queen

Ziggurat

a large Sumerian temple used for religions worship

slavery

a system where people are forced to work with no pay, typically used as punishment or to pay back debts

Mediterranean Sea

body of water where the Phoenicians lived

Reason why writing developed

keep records

Ziggurat

massive pyramidal stepped tower made of mud bricks. It is associated with religious complexes in ancient Mesopotamian cities.

Scribes

people trained to write using the earliest forms of writing before literacy was widespread

Ten Commandments

ten laws and teachings said to have been given to Moses by God

Abraham

the father of Judaism who received a covenant from God

Delta

triangular area of marshland formed by deposits of silt at the mouth of some rivers