Mesopotamia
What 2 rivers is Mesopotamia between?
Land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
What was the key feature of early Egypt’s geography?
The Nile River — it provided rich soil and acted as a life-giving force
What is a subcontinent?
A landmass that is a distinct part of a continent
What are the two main rivers of China?
The Huang He (Yellow River) and the Yangtze River
Which two river valleys developed along unpredictable rivers?
Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley
What are city states?
Independent political units that act like small countries
Who united Upper and Lower Egypt's geography?
Narmer, the king of Upper Egypt
What are monsoons, and why were they important?
Seasonal winds that brought dry air or heavy rain — they shaped farming and life
What did the Shang Dynasty contribute to Chinese history?
First dynasty with written records and archaeological evidence
What was a common feature all river valley civilizations shared?
They developed near rivers for fertile soil and farming
Describe the Fertile Crescent. Include which 2 bodies of water it is between.
An arc of rich farmland in Southwest Asia between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea
What is a pharaoh, and how did Egyptians view their ruler?
A ruler seen as both a king and a god
What was unique about the cities in the Harappan Civilization?
Carefully planned cities with straight streets, drainage, and sewage systems
What are oracle bones, and how were they used?
Animal bones used by priests to ask ancestors or gods for advice
Which civilization had the ziggurat and which had the pyramid. What was the difference between the 2 structures?
Ziggurat - mesopotamia, held religious ceremonies / priests would preach above.
Pyramid - Egypt, tomb for the Pharoahs
Who was Hammurabi, and what was he known for?
Babylonian ruler famous for his harsh code of laws — “eye for an eye”
What kind of government sees rulers as divine figures?
Theocracy
What is a citadel?
A central, elevated, fortified area that contained important buildings
What is the Mandate of Heaven?
The belief that rulers had divine approval from the gods — but could lose it if they ruled badly
Which written language (for what civilization) used symbols that stood for ideas or whole words, and what civilizations (2) used symbols for sounds or syllables in their writing? What was the written language called?
Chinese writing used characters that represented meanings or ideas, not just sounds — unlike Cuneiform or Hieroglyphics, which were more phonetic.
What is cultural diffusion, and give one example.
The spreading of new ideas from one culture to another (ex: trading goods and sharing inventions)
What were hieroglyphics and what material did Egyptians write on?
Egyptian writing system that used symbols; written on papyrus
Why did the Indus Valley Civilization end?
Earthquakes changed the river’s course and overworked the land, causing crops to fail
What is feudalism in early China?
A system where nobles were granted land by the king and owed him loyalty
What is one major difference between the Egyptians’ view of their rulers and the Mesopotamians’ view?
Egyptians saw their pharaohs as gods; Mesopotamians saw kings as servants of the gods