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
