World History Flashcards Preview

Social Studies > World History > Flashcards

Flashcards in World History Deck (46)
Loading flashcards...
0
Q

Civilization

A

-city leaders had to start organizing workers to solve problems, such as building and cleaning irrigation canals. As a result, society and culture grew more complex. These changes led to an advanced form of culture called civilization.

1
Q

Mesopotamia

A
  • the region where two rivers flow
  • The name means “land between rivers”
  • the land is mostly flat with small, scrubby plants
  • the rivers provide travel
2
Q

Polytheism

A
  • when Sumerians believed in many gods and goddesses, a belief called polytheism
  • according to their religion there are 4 main gods- the gods of sky, wind, hills, and fresh water
  • each city-state worshiped its own main god
  • there were many lesser gods and goddesses
3
Q

Floodplain

A
  • it was when rivers reached the plains, water overflowed onto the floodplain, the flat land bordering the banks
  • as water spread over the floodplain, the soil it carried settled on land
4
Q

City-State

A

-it was a community that included a city and its surrounding lands

5
Q

Cuneiform

A
  • over time, Sumerians stopped using pictures and began to use wedge-shaped symbols
  • it was a wedged shaped writing
6
Q

Silt

A
  • as the water spread over the floodplain, the soil it carried settled on land, this fine soil deposited by rivers is called silt
  • the silt was fertile
  • it was good for growing crops
  • was a important part of farming
7
Q

Ziggurat

A
  • was the largest and most important structure in an Sumerian city
  • was first built about 2200 B.C.
  • it stood at the center of a huge temple complex
  • the complex functioned as sort of a city hall
  • it functioned as sort of a city hall because the priests ran the irrigation system and other important aspects of city life
  • people came to the temple complex to pay the priests for their services with grain and other items
  • as a result , the priests managed the storage of surplus grain and controlled much of the city-state’s wealth
8
Q

Scribes

A
  • they were professional record keepers
  • they specialized in writing
  • were respected highly
  • very few people were scribes
9
Q

Arid

A

-less than 10 inches of rain fell each year in southern Mesopotamia, and summers were hot, this type of climate would be arid

10
Q

Drought

A
  • a long period when too little rain falls
  • drought can be considered a danger
  • the rivers water level drops
  • when they accrued it was hard for farmers to have good crops
11
Q

Fertile Crescent

A
  • lands that stretched in a curve from the Persian Gulf through Mesopotamia to the Mediterranean Sea
  • has rich soil and water that make it a good area for farmingj
12
Q

Irrigation

A

-is the watering of dry land using systems of ditches, pipes, and streams

13
Q

Surplus

A
  • Mesopotamia grew a surplus of crops
  • means to have more than they needed for themselves
  • they traded surplus all the time
14
Q

Code of Law

A
  • Hammurabi used the code of law in the way he ruled

- it is a set of written laws for people to obey

15
Q

Providences

A
  • a province was an area of land like a state

- it had a local government

16
Q

Empire

A

-it brings together many different lands and peoples under the control of one ruler

17
Q

Emperor

A

-the person who rules an empire

18
Q

What are the 5 characteristics of a civilation

A
  • advanced cities
  • specialized workers
  • complex institutions
  • record keeping
  • improved technology
19
Q

Where is Mesopotamia located? What are its important geographic features?

A

Mesopotamia was located Southwest Asia between Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The land is between two rivers which provided water and an easier way to travel

20
Q

Why was an irrigation system important to the Sumerians?

A

The floods and arid climate of the region often meant that farmers had too much or too little rain. With the irrigation systems it watered crops so farmers could eat and sell the crops

21
Q

Where were most Sumerian city-states located, and why?

A

Most of the Sumerian city-states were located at the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers because the land was really fertile

22
Q

What is the effect of a class system on a society?

A

The effect of a class system on society determines who has the power and who has the less desirable jobs

23
Q

Identify and describe the scientific/technological developments the
Sumerians made.

A

The Sumerians invented the plow which helped them tremendously in farming and they invented the wheel which was first used to make pottery that stored surplus food

24
Q

What is Hammurabi’s Code of Law?

A

The Hammurabi code of law is sometimes called “an eye for an eye” code that included 282 laws. They included business, property, and how you treat others. The law was fair because it applied to everyone not just some individuals.

25
Q

Identify reasons why the Assyrians and the Chaldeans were able to build empires.

A

The Assyrians and Chaldeans were able to build empires because their rulers built a powerful army and set out to control the neighboring lands.

26
Q

What common problems did the Empires (Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians,
Chaldeans, Persians) of Southwest Asia face?

A

The most common problem the empires of Southwest Asia faced were the attacks from outside people

27
Q

Position on the Earth’s Surface

A

Location

28
Q

defining a precise point on the earth using longitude and latitude

A

Absolute Location

29
Q

describing a place in relationship to other places.

A

Relative Location

30
Q

All places on the earth have distinctive features that distinguish them from other places.

A

Place

31
Q

climate- landforms

A

Physical Features

32
Q

population- settlement-economic activities

A

Human Characteristics

33
Q

Understanding the impact of humans on the environment involves learning about the physical and social factors that produce environmental change.

A

Relationship(Interaction)

34
Q

People interact with each other both locally and globally by travel, communication, and the exchange of goods and services.

A

Movement

35
Q

A region is an area that displays unity in terms of selected characteristics that distinguish it from other areas. Regions are defined by: government, language, economy, or landforms.

A

Regions

36
Q

Latitude

A
  • you read and right latitude first
  • also known as Parallels
  • Line of latitude measure distances north and south
  • Tropic of Cancer is located at 23 1/2 degrees north of the equator
  • Tropic of Capricorn is located 23 1/2 degrees south of the equator
37
Q

Longitude

A

-also known as Meridians
-mark the globe into 360 degree
-Prime Meridian or 0 degrees longitude is located in Greenwich, England
-Lines of longitude will meet at the (true or geographic) north and South Pole
-There is a magnetic north (you can locate this using a compass)
example below

38
Q

How did geography influence the development of civilization in Mesopotamia (Southwest Asia)?

A

The geography influenced the development of civilization by having fertile soil because of the rain, rivers, silt, and melting snow from the northern part of Mesopotamia mountains. This caused them to have a irrigation system to have good crops and surplus and having a good location

39
Q
  • How did the formation of empires encourage trade
A

Each empire is in a different region. They maybe had different things each of them needed or wanted. Maybe a empire was on a large minerals deposit or ones near a large forest with fertile soil. They traded with one another with their surplus

40
Q

How would you characterize the leadership of Hammurabi? Why did he develop a code of law?

A

The leadership of Hammurabi was not a fun time for the Mesopotamians because he ruled by fear. He developed a code of law so that Mesopotamians would not break laws of they would get a harsh punishment. The Mesopotamians were also easier to control because they lived in fear of Hammurabi’s code.

41
Q
  • How do you think conquered peoples felt about the treatment they received from the Assyrians?
A

The people felt about the Assryians treatment was very harsh because if a governor was ruling the land he had to pay a tribute to the Assyrians Emporor but if he failed to pay the army would destroy cities in their land and the people were driven out of their homelands

42
Q

How did religion play a role in the downfall of the Chaldeans

A

One ruler upset some Chaldeans by trying to replace their main God, Marduk. The followers of Marduk may have helped Cryus of Persia conquer Babylon because they were angry the ruler tried to change their God

43
Q

What was the vision that inspired Cyrus? What problems did he avoid by adopting his approach to conquered peoples

A

Cyrus had a vision of conquering the lands around Persia and uniting these lands as one big empire. To avoid problems with conquered people, he set up a policy of toleration that allowed people to keep their customs and beliefs. TOLERANCE

44
Q

How did the policies of Cyrus and Darius contrast with those of the Assyrians?

A

They let people in the land They concurred keep their religions and customs unlike the Assryins who forced the lands they concurred to convert to their religion and culture

45
Q

What are the 5 themes of geography

A
  • Location
  • place
  • relationship
  • movement
  • regions