Early Humans & Mesopotamia
This term describes early humans who moved from place to place in search of food rather than living in permanent settlements.
What are hunter-gatherers? (Or Nomads)
This major river flows north through northeastern Africa and provided vital annual flooding for ancient Egyptian farming.
What is the Nile River?
This structure was built along China's northern border to protect the empire from nomadic invaders.
What is the Great Wall of China?
This Greek city-state was famous for its fierce military culture and required boys to start soldier training at age seven.
What is Sparta?
This Roman general named himself dictator for life, ending the Republic before he was assassinated by senators on the Ides of March.
Who was Julius Caesar?
This Mesopotamian system of writing used wedge-shaped marks pressed into wet clay tablets.
What is cuneiform?
This Egyptian system of writing used pictures and symbols to represent sounds, words, and ideas.
What are hieroglyphics?
This massive network of trade routes connected China to the Mediterranean world, allowing the exchange of goods and ideas.
What is the Silk Road?
This Greek word refers to an independent city-state, which was the central political unit of ancient Greece.
What is a polis?
These long, stone channels were engineered by Romans to carry fresh water from distant hills directly into cities.
What are aqueducts?
These massive, tiered mud-brick temples were built in the center of Mesopotamian city-states to honor local gods.
What are ziggurats?
This ancient kingdom located south of Egypt along the Nile was known for its wealthy gold mines and iron working.
What is Kush? (Or Nubia)
Founded by Siddhartha Gautama, this spiritual path teaches that suffering can be overcome by following the Eightfold Path
What is Buddhism?
This high, fortified hilltop in the center of an ancient Greek city, such as Athens, held important temples like the Parthenon.
What is the Acropolis?
This 200-year period of relative peace and stability across the Roman Empire began under the rule of Augustus.
What is the Pax Romana?
The radical shift from hunting and foraging to farming and domesticating animals is known by this scientific name.
What is the Neolithic Revolution?
This female pharaoh is famous for expanding Egyptian wealth through trade rather than military conquest, building a magnificent temple at Deir el-Bahari.
Who was Hatshepsut?
This Chinese political concept stated that a king or emperor ruled with the approval of the gods, but could lose it if he became corrupt.
What is the Mandate of Heaven?
This Athenian leader expanded direct democracy, allowed poorer citizens to serve in government, and led Athens during its "Golden Age."
Who was Pericles?
In the Roman Republic, this powerful, law-making body was made up of wealthy, aristocratic citizens.
What is the Senate?
This Babylonian ruler created a famous set of 282 laws, carved onto a stone pillar, to unite his empire under the rule of law.
Who was Hammurabi?
In Egyptian society, this person sat at the top of the social pyramid, serving as both the political ruler and a living god.
Who is the Pharaoh?
This Mauryan emperor converted to Buddhism after a bloody war in Kalinga, later carving edicts about peace and justice on pillars across India.
Who was Ashoka the Great?
This Macedonian king conquered Greece, Egypt, and the Persian Empire, spreading Greek culture across three continents.
Who was Alexander the Great?
This Emperor moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium and became the first Roman ruler to convert to Christianity.
Who was Constantine?