World History, Technological and Environmental Transformations, Civilizations and Places

Ancient River Civilizations

The first great civilization in world history; include Mesopotamia, Egypt (Nile River Civilization,) Indus River Valley Civilization, and the Yellow (Huang He) River Valley Civilization.

Mesoamerica

A region in North America that extended from modern central Mexico to modern Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua; central America; one of six locations where independent civilizations appeared independently and one of five where independent forms of writing developed.

UR

One of only three Mesopotamian city-states to unite all of Mesopotamia as one empire from 2100-2020 BCE; located in the region of Sumer.

Babylon

One of only three Mesopotamian city-states to unite most of Mesopotamia as one empire from 1760 to 1740 BCE (during Hammurabi's reign).

Longshan Culture

Precursors to the Yellow River (Huang He) Civilization whose foundations influenced the principles established during the Yellow River Civilization.

Akkad

One of only three Mesopotamian city-states to unite most of Mesopotamia as one empire from 2320 to 2220 BCE; also refers to a region just north of Sumer; people living in the city-state were referred to as Akkadians (as were, at times, the people who lived in the region of Akkad).

Mesopotamia

The location of ancient River Valley Civilizations between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is now known as Iraq; "Mesopotamia" literally means "between the rivers," (the northern region of Mesopotamia was called Assyria and the southern region was called Babylonia).

Anatolian Peninsula

A peninsula located between the Black and Mediterranean Seas.

Culture

A particular form or stage of civilization; precursor to civilization. *Beliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people.

Iranian Plateau

A plateau located in western and central Asia; located in modern-day Iran.

Sumer

(approximately 3500-2004 BCE) an ancient region located in the southernmost region of Mesopotamia and is known as the "birthplace of civilization," cities within Sumer included Uruk, Ur, Lagash, and Umma; the people who lived in Sumer were known by their city-states but are also referred to as Sumerians and are known for being the first humans to cultivate crops, construct large buildings and invent a writing system.

Yellow (Huang He) River Valley Civilization

(began c. 4000 BCE) civilization of ancient China that began with either Xia or Shang Dynasties and established the Dynastic system in China.

Nok

(c. 1000-300 BCE) early African culture located in present-day northern Nigeria; noted as the earliest producers of life-sized terra cotta in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Zhou Dynasty

(c. 1046-226 BCE) longest-lasting Chinese dynasty; followed Shang Dynasty and preceded Qin Dynasty; it is divided into two periods - the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BCE) and the Eastern Chou Dynasty (770-256 BCE).

Kush

(c. 1070 BCE- 350 AD) Ancient Nubian kingdom located along the Nile River.

Olmecs

(c. 1200-400 BCE) the first major civilization to emerge in Mesoamerica (located around the Gulf of Mexico) during the Mesoamerican Formative Period; many of their traditions are found in those civilizations that followed.

Vedic Period

(c. 1500-500 BCE) the period in Indian history during which the Vedas were written; emerged at the demise of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Mycenaean Civilization

(c. 1600-1100 BCE) the first advanced civilization in mainland Greece; the end of the Mycenaean Civilization marked the beginning of the "Dark Ages" for Greece.

Shang Dynasty

(c. 1750-1027 BCE) earliest Chinese dynasty documented by archaeological evidence; a major kingdom located in the middle and lower regions of the Yellow River.

Mohenjo-Daro

(c. 2500-1800 BCE) one of the largest cities in the Indus Valley Civilization; location of "The Great Bath," the city was sophisticated in its civil engineering and urban planning with an elaborate sewer system.

Harappa

(c. 2500-1800 BCE) one of the largest cities in the Indus Valley Civilization; the city was sophisticated in its civil engineering and urban planning with an elaborate sewer system.

Harappan Civilization

(c. 2600-1900 BCE) a Bronze Age civilization located along the Indus River and named for its largest city of Harappa; main cities were Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.

Phoenician Civilization

(c. 3200-322 BCE) independent city-states located in present-day Syria, Lebanon and Israel (the Levant); also known as Canaan; successful maritime trading civilization; members of the civilization were also known as Canaanites and were known for sailing, trade, the making of purple dye and especially the development of the first alphabet in history.

Indus River Valley Civilization

(c. 3300-1300 BCE) ancient civilization located along the Indus River in what is now known as Pakistan and India; also known as the Harappan Civilization.

Norte Chico

(c. 3500-1800 BCE) The oldest known civilization in the Americas (contemporary time period as the Nile River Civilization and Sumer); located in present-day north-central coastal Peru in the valleys of the Foraleza, Pativilca and Supe Rivers.

Minoan Civilization

(c. 3650-1400 BCE) an Aegean Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and other Aegean islands; belongs to a period of Greek history preceding both the Mycenaean civilization and Ancient Greece; considered to be the first recorded civilization of Europe.

Chavin Civilization

(c. 900-250) first major culture located in the Peruvian Andes region; forerunner for later Peruvian civilizations.

Assyria

A Mesopotamian empire that grew out of the city-state of Assur upon conquering neighboring city-states in northern Mesopotamia around 1350 BCE; the empire collapsed in 612 BCE under attacks from Babylonians.

Babylonia

A Mesopotamian empire that grew out of the city-state of Babylon under the reign of Hammurabi (1792-1750 BCE) but diminished back to a city-state following his death; Babylonia returned to empire status under the invading Kassites who ended the age of city-states in Mesopotamia and created the unified empire of Babylonia; the Babylonian empire fell in the 600s BCE to the invading Assyrians - the Babylonia empire returned to significance upon conquering Assyrians in 612 BCE.

Nubia

A region along the Nile River located in modern northern Sudan and southern Egypt; a corridor between Egypt and central and southern Africa; people living in this region were known as Nubians and included the Kingdom of Kush (known for superior horse riding skills).

City-states

A ancient organization of a civilization based on the city and the surrounding area it controls.

Empire

A group of countries or states under the rule of one ruler or government; sometimes referred to as a territorial state.

Valley of the Kings

A valley in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BCE, tombs were constructed for the Pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom; located along the west bank of the Nile River opposite the city of Thebes.

Civilization

An advanced state of human society in which a high level of culture, science, industry and government has been reached (includes a surplus production of food, growth of cities, specialization of labor and social stratification).

Fertile Crescent

An area with fertile soil in the Middle East where the earliest known civilizations are believed to have developed.

Aryans

Ancient Indo-European people who migrated into and joined the Indus River Valley Civilization from the Caucasus (c. 1500 BCE); also known as the Vedic Peoples.

Ziggurat

Ancient Sumerian temple or large building; pyramid shaped towers built of clay bricks.

Uruk

City located in Southern Sumer; possibly established as early as 4500 BCE, it is considered to be the first city in the world as well as the origin of writing, the first example of architectural work in stone and the building of great stone structures, the origin of the ziggurat, and the first city to develop the cylinder seal which the ancient Mesopotamians used to designate personal property or as a signature on documents; between 4100 and 2900 BCE, as cities emerged throughout Mesopotamia, Uruk was considered the most influential.

Transhumant Herders

Community known for nomadic travels based on the search for food for the herds between fixed seasonal sites; different from Pastoral Nomads in that Transhumant Herders built small, temporary settlements along the fringes of cities and followed a pattern of movement between cities.

Zhongguo

Eventually came to be translated as "The Middle Kingdom;" refers to the territory united in ancient China during the Zhou Dynasty (not to be confused with the Egyptian Middle Kingdom period).

Old Kingdom

First of the three traditional divisions of ancient Egyptian history; (2649-2152 BCE) a period of ancient Egyptian history that began with the unification of the upper and lower Nile River Valley civilizations and ended with the overthrow of the pharaoh as a result of popular discontent resulting from droughts and fighting; known as the "glory age" of ancient Egypt or as the "Age of the Pyramids;" time period when pharaohs were considered divine and the majority of the Egyptian pyramids were built; development of writing; time of the Egyptian god Ra.

Hebrews/Israelites

Hebrews were the Semitic people living in the Middle East who claimed descent from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and formed the world's first monotheistic religion (Judaism); became known as the Israelites upon the founding of the ancient kingdom of Israel.

Xia Dynasty

Historically taught (based on the Bamboo Annals) as the first Dynasty in ancient China (the Yellow River Valley Civilization) within China; the lack of archaeological evidence for its existence, though, has led to communities outside of China to view it as a mythical dynasty designed to set up the notion of a Mandate of Heaven; its existence is still being debated.

Persians

Microsociety that emerged on the Iranian Plateau around 1000 BCE; eventually grew into an empire.

Hyksos

People living east of ancient Egypt who invaded and conquered Egypt around 1675 BCE (thereby ending the Middle Kingdom period); introduced Egyptians to horses and chariots.

Paleolithic Period

Period of prehistory that preceded the Agricultural Revolution and Neolithic Period.

Middle Kingdom

Second of the three traditional divisions of ancient Egyptian history; (2040-1640 BCE) a period of ancient Egyptian history that began with the arrival of Nubian pharaohs and their new gods including Amun (this god eventually merged with the previously powerful Ra creating Amon Ra) and ended with the Hyksos invasion; a time period when pharaohs focused on public works projects such as improvements of public transportation and canal construction (not to be confused with the Middle Kingdom location in modern-day China).

Microsocieties

Small-scaled, fragmented, and dispersed communities that had limited interaction with others following the Agricultural Revolution.

Crete

The fifth-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea; home to the Minoan civilization.

Assyrians

The people of the ancient Assyrian Empire located in Mesopotamia which flourished 2400-612 (BCE) approximately; known as fierce warriors they brought the entire Middle East region (expanding west into Egypt and East into the Caucasus Mountains) into their empire during the Neo-Assyrian Empire expansion period (911-627 BCE).

Hittites

The people of the ancient Hittite Empire located in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) which flourished 1600-1178 BCE (approximately); considered to be the first people to work with iron thus bringing in the Iron Age.

Levant

The region on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea from Greece to Egypt, especially Syria, Lebanon and Israel; literally means "the rising".

Archaeologists

Those who practice the scientific study of historic or prehistoric peoples and their cultures by analysis of their artifacts, inscriptions, and monuments.