1.0_InfluencesInWorldHistoryPriorToTheRenaissance_UnitVocab_Chapter2
Text: Patterns of Interaction
Chapter 2 – Early River Valley Civilizations, 3500 B.C. – 450 B.C.
1. Fertile Crescent
An area of rich farmland in Southwest Asia, between the
Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea.
- Modern day Iraq; Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
2. Silt
The fine soil carried in the water of rivers.
3. Irrigation
The bringing of water to crop fields by means of canals and
ditches.
A city and its surrounding lands functioning as an
independent political unit.
A series of rulers from a single family.
4. City-state
5. Dynasty
6. Cultural diffusion
7. Polytheism
8. Empire
9. Hammurabi
10. Cataract
11. Delta
12. Menes
13. Pharaoh
14. Theocracy
15. Pyramid
16. Mummification
17. Hieroglyphics
18. Papyrus
The spreading of ideas or products from one culture to
another.
A belief in many gods.
A political unit in which a number of people or countries are
controlled by a single ruler.
1792 -1750 B.C. – Babylonian ruler who codified (arranged)
the empire’s laws into one uniform “Code”.
A waterfall or stretch of rapids in a river.
A marshy region formed by deposits of silt at the mouth of a
river.
3100 B. C. – Egyptian king who united Upper & Lower Nile
regions into one kingdom with capital at Memphis.
A king of ancient Egypt considered a god as well as a
political and military leader.
A government controlled by religious rulers.
A massive structure with a rectangular base and four
triangular sides, like those that were built in Egypt as burial
place for Old Kingdom pharaohs.
A process of embalming and drying corpses to prevent them
from decaying.
An ancient Egyptian writing system in which pictures were
used to represent ideas and sounds.
A tall reed that grows in the Nile delta, used by the ancient
Egyptians to make a paper-like material for writing on.
19. Subcontinent
A large landmass that forms a distinct part of a continent.
20. Monsoon
A wind that shifts in direction at certain times of each year.
21. Loess
A fertile deposit of windblown soil.
22. Oracle bone
One of the animal bones or tortoise shells used by ancient
Chinese priests to communicate with the gods.
In Chinese history, the divine approval thought to be the
basis of royal authority.
The historical pattern of the rise, decline, and replacement of
dynasties.
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.
23. Mandate of Heaven
24. Dynastic cycle
25. Feudalism
Chap2_Vocab_EarlyRiverCivilizations_3500-450B.C.
Section 1: City-States in Mesopotamia
Main Idea: The earliest civilization in Asia arose in Mesopotamia and organized into city-states.
Why It Matters Now: The development of this civilization reflects a pattern that has occurred repeatedly
throughout history.
Section 2: Pyramids on the Nile
Main Idea: Along the Nile River, civilization emerged in Egypt and became united into a kingdom
ruled by pharaohs.
Why It Matters Now: Many of the monuments built by the Egyptians stand as a testament to their
ancient civilizations.
Section 3: Planned Cities on the Indus
Main Idea: The first Indian civilization built well-planned cities on the banks of the Indus River.
Why It Matters Now: The culture of India today has its roots in the civilization of the early Indus cities.
Section 4: Dynasties in China
Main Idea: The early rulers introduced ideas about government and society that shaped Chinese
civilization.
Why It Matters Now: The culture that took root during ancient times still affects Chinese ways of life
today.