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Chapter 2
Early River Valley Civilizations
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Fertile Crescent | The arc of rich farmland in Southwest Asia between the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea |
Mesopotamia | Also known as the "land between the rivers" |
City-State | A city and its surrounding land that operate as an independent political unit |
Dynasty | A series of rulers from a single family |
Cultural diffusion | The process in which a new idea or product spreads from one culture to another |
Polytheism | Belief in more than one god |
Empire | Political unit where a number of people or countries are controlled by a single ruler |
Hammurabi | Babylonian king that created a series of laws that were prominently displayed |
Delta | Marshy region formed by deposits of silt at the mouth of a river |
Narmer | Egyptian pharaoh that united Upper and Lower Egypt |
Pharaohs | Egyptian god-kings |
Theocracy | Type of government in which rule is based on religious authority |
Pyramid | Massive structure used as the resting place of pharaohs after their death |
Mummification | Process of preserving bodies after death |
Hieroglyphics | Egyptian system of writing based on pictures |
Papyrus | Reed that grows in the Nile River that was used to make paper |
Subcontinent | A large landmass that forms a distinct part of a continent |
Monsoon | Seasonal winds that dominate India's climate |
Harappan Civilization | Another name of the Indus River Valley civilization |
Harappan Planning | Laying out city in a grid structure |
Loess | Fertile deposit of windblown silt |
Family | This is one of the most important aspects of ancient Chinese culture |
Mandate of Heaven | Divine approval to rule |
Dynastic Cycle | The pattern of rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties |
Feudalism | Political system in which nobles, are granted the use of lands that belong to the king in return for loyalty and service to the king |