Ancient River Valley Civilizations Review TRASH-KET-BALL ~ FALL 2012

What do archeologists call the preserved remains or traces of animals, plants & other organisms from the past? Fossil.

What do we call a civilization whose rulers all come from the same family? Dynasty.

What do archeologists call ancient human- made objects? Artifacts.

Define Culture. A group of people’s WAY OF LIFE.

The Old Stone Age is also known as the.. Paleolithic Age.

The New Stone Age is also known as the.. Neolithic Age.

What is a nomad? A person who travels from place to place in search of food.

What is the name of the art called during the Stone Age? Cro- Magnon Art

Why is slash & burn farming so effective? The ashes fertilize the soil.

What was the impact of the Neolithic Revolution? Nomadic life was no longer necessary. People could SETTLE in one place!!!! Instead of searching for food, people were producing food!!!

What are the 5 defining characteristics of a civilization? 1.Advanced Cities 2.Specialized Workers 3.Complex Institutions 4.Record Keeping 5.Advanced Technology

What does the word “Mesopotamia” mean? “The land b/w the rivers”

The people of Mesopotamia settled between which two rivers? The Tigris & Euphrates

What is a scribe? A Sumerian record keeper.

What type of writing did the Mesopotamians use? Cunieform.

What structure was at the center of every Mesopotamian city- state? A Ziggurat.

What does the term “barter” mean? Trade.

In Mesopotamia, this was known as a city that functioned as an independent political unit. City-State.

Define CULTURAL DIFFUSION!!!! The spreading of ideas and goods from culture to culture.

Define polytheism. The belief in many gods!!

Define monotheism. The belief in one god!!

Name two of the three environmental challenges Mesopotamians faced. 1.Unpredictable flooding. 2.No natural barriers for protection. 3.No natural resources.

What was the main idea behind Hammurabi’s Code? Retaliation. “Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth”

How is the Nile River different from any other river in the world? It flows from South to North.

When does the Nile River flood? Every July.

Did Egypt have any natural barriers? If so, what were they? YES!!!! Deserts on the east & west, mountains in the south & the Mediterranean Sea in the north.

Define pharaoh. God-king!!!

What is the relationship b/w the political authority & religious authority in Ancient Egypt? IT WAS THE SAME PERSON!!! THE PHARAOH!!!!

What type of writing came from the Ancient Egyptians? Hieroglyphics

What did the Ancient Egyptians use for paper? Papyrus

Define Subcontinent. A large landmass that is part of a continent but is considered either geographically independent.

What are the two most important rivers in Ancient India? The Indus River & The Ganges River

What environmental challenge did the farmers of the Indus Valley face that the Sumerians & Egyptians did not? MONSOONS.

Who is responsible for uniting upper and lower Egypt? AND what artifact proves this theory? King Namar And his crown!

How were the planned cities of the Indus Valley different from other early cities? They were built on a grid with advanced plumbing.

What were the three reasons for the disappearance of the early Indus Valley civilizations? Earthquakes Floods Tired Soil

This person was the first emperor of the first Indian dynasty. This emperor gave up his throne, converted to Jainism, and eventually starved to death while fasting. Chandragupta Maurya

What did the Jainist teach? Nonviolence and respect for all life.

After a long, bloody war in which 100,000 soldiers and even more civilians were killed, this emperor became a Buddhist. Ashoka

Asoka is responsible for spreading ____________ around the world. Buddhism

This is the name of India’s second great empire, which began in A.D Gupta Empire

This emperor came to power peacefully (through marriage) in about A.D. 320 and was called the Great King of Kings. Chandra Gupta.

This is the type of society in which the eldest male is the head of the extended family. Patriarchal

This is the type of society in which the eldest female is the head of the extended family. Matriarchal

Hindu’s ultimate goal is called __________? Buddhist ultimate goal is called__________? Moksha and Nirvana

What was the only area the Persians were unsuccessful at capturing? Greece

What were the two major river systems in China that flowed to the west to the Pacific Ocean? The Huang He & The Yangtze

This is the yellowish fertile soil deposited along the riverbanks. Loess

Two Rivers: –Huang He –Yangtze Plateau of Tibet Gobi Desert Mongolian Plateau Himalaya Mountains

What are some of the environmental challenges that the ancient Chinese faced? 1. Flooding of Huang He 2. Geographic isolation 3. Lack of natural barriers 4. Only 10% of China’s land is suitable for farming.

What was the first Chinese dynasty to leave written records? The Shang

Explain why the Chinese writing system is so unique. It was universal.

This is the divine approval that a Chinese ruler must possess to maintain rule. The Mandate of Heaven

This is the pattern of rise, decline, and replacement of ruling families in China. The Dynastic Cycle

This is the ethical system adopted by Shi Huangdi. Legalism

Who is responsible for the construction of the Royal Road? King Darius

This is what the philosophy of Laozi came to be called. Daoism

From which city-state was Hammurabi from? Babylon.

What is the name of the triangular piece of land located at the mouth of the Nile River? Delta

Define Theocracy. A government based on Religious authority!

What is the main purpose of a pyramid? To serve as a tomb.

Hieroglyphics, Cuneiform & Chinese are all based on what? Pictograph’s.

Explain how the Dynastic Cycle and the Mandate of Heaven impact each other. The process in which a dynasty comes to power, reigns, and loses power is called the Dynastic Cycle which is all controlled by god (Mandate of Heaven).

What season brought the WET winds to India? Summer Monsoons.

What season brought the DRY winds to India? Winter Monsoons.

Persian religion was ____________, which viewed life as a struggle between _______& _______. Zoroastrianism GOOD and EVIL

True or False: Confucianism is a religion. False. It is an ethical system.

Confucius said that __________________ could change a commoner into a gentleman. Education.

Which Emperor is responsible for having the Great Wall of China built? Shi Huangdi.