Early Humans & Agricultural Revolution
Discovered frozen in the Alps in 1991, this 5,300-year-old man still had his tools, clothing, and food, making him one of the most well-preserved prehistoric humans ever found.
Ötzi the Iceman
This Sumerian writing system, created around 3200 BCE, is considered one of the earliest in the world.
Cuneiform
This ancient Indian civilization is known for its advanced urban planning, sewage systems, and standardized weights and measures.
The Indus Valley (Harappan) Civilization
China's first major river civilization developed along this river, also called 'China's Sorrow' because of its devastating floods.
The Yellow River (Huang He)
This Greek city-state is famous for its direct democracy, philosophy, navy, and the Parthenon, built atop its famous hilltop citadel.
Athens
What are the characteristics that make us human? (Name two)
Language, tool use, complex social structures, art
Egyptian pharaohs were mummified because of this religious belief about the afterlife.
The body must be preserved so the soul (ka) can return and achieve eternal life.
This ancient Indian epic poem tells the story of a great war between two noble families and contains the Bhagavad Gita, a key Hindu philosophical text, as well as the story of Princess Savitri.
The Mahabharata
This Chinese philosopher taught that social harmony comes from respecting relationships between ruler and subject, parent and child, and husband and wife.
Confucius
Sparta was known for this practice: sending boys to military school at age 7 to be trained as warriors.
The agoge (Spartan military training)
Cave paintings found at sites like Lascaux in France and Altamira in Spain are evidence of this uniquely human ability.
Creating art and symbols to communicate meaning
Ancient Mesopotamia was located between these two rivers.
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
This collection of ancient Hindu sacred texts, composed in Sanskrit, forms the foundation of Hindu religious belief.
The Vedas
The Qin emperor Shi Huangdi ordered the construction of this massive structure to protect China from northern nomadic invaders.
The Great Wall of China
This Athenian philosopher was executed for 'corrupting the youth' and impiety, but his ideas live on through his student, Plato.
Socrates
Early humans originally migrated out of Africa and eventually reached every continent. Scientists trace this journey using which types of evidence from which two fields of study?
Archaeology (fossils and artifacts) and genetics (DNA evidence)
This female pharaoh is known for wearing a false beard and expanding trade routes to the land of Punt.
Hatshepsut
This Mauryan Empire ruler converted to Buddhism after witnessing the devastation of war and promoted peace and tolerance throughout his empire.
Ashoka the Great
This concept from the Zhou Dynasty stated that kings ruled with the gods' blessing and could be overthrown if they ruled unjustly.
Mandate of Heaven
Greek city-states united to defeat a common enemy in which war?
Persian Wars
What is the period from roughly 10,000–4,000 BCE when humans began domesticating plants and animals, fundamentally changing human society called?
Agricultural Revolution (Neolithic Revolution)
The Sumerian city-state of Uruk, home to a legendary hero, is considered one of the world's first true cities. Its famous epic poem features a great flood strikingly similar to the Biblical story of Noah. What is the name of the story?
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Both Hinduism and Buddhism share this concept: the belief that one's actions in this life determine their fate in future reincarnations.
Karma
This ancient trade network connected China to the Mediterranean world, allowing the exchange of silk, spices, and ideas across thousands of miles.
The Silk Road
Athenian democracy allowed free male citizens to vote and participate directly in government (direct democracy). Name two major ways Taiwan's democracy, established in 1996, differs from this.
1) All citizens regardless of gender can vote. 2) Taiwan uses representative democracy where citizens elect leaders to vote on their behalf, rather than every citizen voting directly on every law.