| Term or Name |
Definition |
| Fertile Crescent |
arc of rich farmland in southwest Asia between the Persian gulf and the Mediterranean Sea |
| silt |
thick bed of rich mud deposited on the plain as a result of a river's flooding |
| irrigation |
system of bringing water to fields |
| city-state |
political unit much like an independent country |
| dynasty |
series of rulers from a single family |
| cultural diffusion |
new ideas spreading from one culture to another |
| polytheism |
belief in many gods |
| empire |
peoples, nations, or independent states under control of one ruler |
| Hammurabi |
Babylonian ruler famous for his code of laws |
| cataract |
rapids or waterfall in river |
| papyrus |
plant used to make a paper like material |
| subcontinent |
land mass that is a distinct part of a continent |
| monsoon |
seasonal wind |
| loess |
fertile soil |
| oracle bone |
animal's bone used by ancient Chinese priests to communicate with the gods |
| Mandate of Heaven |
divine approval of the ruler |
| dynastic cycle |
pattern of rise, fall, and replacement of dynasties |
| feudalism |
political system in which nobles or lords are granted the use of land that belong to the king |
MedTemCP5 Word+Pics
