Unit 1
Recognized as the world's very first codified system of writing, it was invented by the ancient Sumerians residing in Mesopotamia.
Cuneiform
The ruler of Macedon who forged an immense dominion through military conquest and was also responsible for aggressively disseminating Greek-influenced, or Hellenistic, culture across his territories.
Alexander the Great
world's largest hot desert, dominating nearly the entire northern portion of the African continent.
Sahara Desert
A sequence of military campaigns, initiated for spiritual reasons, with the goal of seizing control of the sacred territories (the Holy Land) from the Islamic powers who governed them.
Crusades
The individual who issued the 95 Theses, a formal protest challenging the Catholic Church's policy of offering indulgences (forgiveness of sin for money), and asserting that true spiritual guidance is found exclusively in the Bible.
Martin Luther
A compilation of legal statutes from ancient Babylonia that specified penalties for offenses and introduced the foundational legal concept of retaliation or "equal retribution."
Hammurabi's Code
A deeply entrenched, inherited structure of social stratification predominantly found within traditional Indian society, where an individual's status is fixed from birth.
Caste System
An extensive historical system of continental trade routes connecting the civilizations of Asia and Europe, facilitating the exchange not only of merchandise but also of philosophies, spiritual beliefs, and technological knowledge.
Silk Road
a powerful Frankish ruler who unified a vast amount of Western Europe through military conquest and was crowned by the Pope as the first Holy Roman Emperor.
Charlemagne
A transformative period in European history marked by a profound resurgence of intellectual curiosity, artistic expression, and advancement in politics and economics.
Renaissance
The earliest and longest period of human history, defined by nomadic hunter-gatherers who survived by following wild food sources and utilizing simple, chipped stone tools.
Paleolithic Age
derived from the Greek words meaning "rule by the people," is a form of government where supreme power is vested in the people and exercised either directly by them or through a system of elected representatives.
Democracy
The largest contiguous land empire in recorded history, which was founded and dramatically expanded by the emperor Genghis Khan at the beginning of the 13th century.
Mongol Empire
the economic and social system that structured life in rural Europe during the Middle Ages, particularly central to the feudal system.
Manorialism
A powerful religious movement during the 16th century intended to correct perceived faults within the Roman Catholic Church, which ultimately resulted in the formation and rise of Protestantism.
Reformation
Often recognized as the birthplace of organized human society, this particularly fruitful area is situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Mesopotamia
an ancient Greek warrior society and oligarchy where loyalty to the state and military service were the absolute centers of life.
Sparta
A major monotheistic faith whose adherents are known as Muslims, believing in a single supreme deity (Allah) and acknowledging Muhammad as the final prophet.
Islam
The definitive and permanent theological split that formally separated the Christian faith into two distinct branches: the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East.
Great Schism
a fundamental shift in mindset that laid the groundwork for modern science, technology, and the later philosophical movement known as the Enlightenment.
Scientific Revolution
A pivotal period where humans adopted a sedentary lifestyle by becoming farmers and herders who cultivated land and used refined, polished stone tools.
Neolithic Age
The process by which elements like concepts, behaviors, material goods, and technological innovations are transmitted and adopted from their originating society into other distinct cultures.
Cultural Diffusion
a spiritual tradition focused on ending suffering and achieving inner peace (Nirvana) by controlling the mind and letting go of desires and attachments.
Buddhism
The organizational framework centered on reciprocal commitments, where nobility granted parcels of property (fiefs) to vassals in return for their sworn allegiance and military service.
Feudalism
a Christian who belongs to one of the denominations or churches that broke away from the Roman Catholic Church during and after the Reformation.
Protestant