World History- Ch.2 Early River Valley Civilizations

Fertile Crescent

an arc of rich farmland in Southwest Asia, between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea.

Mesopotamia

region between the Euphrates River and the Tigiris River, area of early civilization.

city-state

a city and its surrounding lands functioning as an independent political unit.

dynasty

a series of rulers from a single family.

cultural diffusion

the spreading of ideas or products frome one culture to another.

polytheism

a belief in many gods.

empire

a political unit in which a number of peoples or countries are controlled by a singler ruler.

Hammurabi

Ruler of the Babylonian empire who created the first set of written laws, known as Hammurabi's code.

delta

a marshy region formed by deposits of silt at the mouth of a river.

Narmer

King who united Lower and Upper Egypt.

pharaoh

a king of ancient Egypt, considered a god as well as a political and military leader.

theocracy

a government controlled by religious leaders.

pyramid

a massive structure with a rectancular base and four triangular sides, like those that were built in Egypt as burial places for Old Kingdom pharaohs.

mummification

a process of embalming and drying corpses to prevent them from decaying.

hieroglyphics

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

papyrus

tall reed that grows in the Nile delta, used by teh ancient Egyptians to make paperlike material for writing on.

subcontinent

a large landmass that forms a distinct part of a continent.

monsoon

a wind that shifts in direction at certain times of each year.

Harappan civilization

another name for the Indus Valley civilization that arose along the Indus River, possibly as early as 7000 b.c.

loess

a fertile deposit of wondblown soil

oracle bone

one of the animal bones or tortoise shells used by ancient Chinese priests to communicate with the gods.

Mandate of Heaven

in Chinese history, thedivine approval thought to be the basis of royal authority.

dynastic cycle

the historical pattern of the rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties.

feudalism

a political system in which nobles are granted the use of lands that legally belong to their king, in exchange for their loyalty, military service, and protection of the people who live on the land.