| Paleolithic Era | Old Stone Age |
| Neolithic Era | New Stone Age |
| foraging societies | Nomadic, small communities and population, no political system, economic distribution is more equal |
| nomadic hunters/gatherers | Move place to place according to environment; adapts to environment |
| Neolithic Revolution | Farming uses; start of agriculture |
| nomadic pastoralism | Slash-and-burn; once land is depleted, moved on to let soil recover |
| migratory farmers | Farmers that migrate instead of settling after using up the land. |
| partrilineal/patrilocal | Live with husband’s family. Traced through father’s lineage |
| ethnocentrism | to look at the world primarily from the perspective of one's own culture |
| sedentary agriculture | Domestication of plants and animals |
| shifting cultivation | process by which people take an area of land to use for agriculture, only to abandon it a short time later |
| slash-and-burn agriculture | Trees cut down, plots made for agriculture |
| matrilineal | System in which one belongs to mother’s lineage |
| cultural diffusion | spread of ideas and material culture, especially if these occur independently of population movement |
| independent invention | Creative innovations of new solutions to old and new problems |
| specialization of labor | specialisation of co-operative labour in specific, circumscribed tasks and roles, intended to increase efficiency of output. |
| gender division of labor | Labor divided between man and woman, hunting and gathering etc. |
| Egyptian Book of the Dead | common name for the ancient Egyptian funerary texts. Constituted a collection of spells, charms, passwords, numbers and magical formulas for use by the deceased in the afterlife, describing many of the basic tenets of Egyptian mythology. They were intended to guide the dead through the various trials that they would encounter before reaching the underworld. Knowledge of the appropriate spells was considered essential to achieving happiness after death. |
| Hellenism | shift from a culture dominated by ethnic Greeks to a culture dominated by Greek-speakers of various ethnicities, and from the political dominance of the city-state to that of larger monarchies. In this period the traditional Greek culture was changed by strong Eastern influences, especially Persian, in aspects of religion and government. Cultural centers shifted away from mainland Greece, to Pergamon, Rhodes, Antioch and Alexandria. |
| Western scientific thought | Systematic apporach of observation, hypothesis formation, hypothesis testing and hypothesis evaluation that forms the basis for modern science. |
| Punic Wars | series of three wars fought between Rome and the Phoenician city of Carthage. Reason: clash of interests between the expanding Carthaginian and Roman spheres of influence. |
| Chinese tributary system | form of conducting diplomatic and political relations with China before the fall of the Qin Dynasty. |
| Nara and Heian Japan | ast division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The Heian period is considered the peak of the Japanese imperial court and noted for its art, especially poetry and literature. Nara: agricultural in nature, centered around villages. Most of the villagers followed the Shinto religion, based around the worship of natural and ancestral spirits. |
| the Fujiwara clan | dominated the Japanese politics of Heian period. |
| the Aryan invasion of India | Aryans invaded and destroyed Indus River civilization, settled, moved to Ganges River. |
| Indian caste system | system was a basically simple division of society into four castes (Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra) arranged in a hierarchy, with the "Untouchable" (Dalit) outcasts below this structure. But socially the caste system was more complicated, with many more castes and sub-castes and other divisions. |
| Ashoka | of the Mauryan empire from 273 BC to 232 BC. A convert to Buddhism. |
| Anasazi | Ancestral Puebloans were a prehistoric Native American civilization centered around the present-day Four Corners area of the Southwest United States. |
| cultural diffusion versus independent innovation | spread through cultures vs. independent inventing |
| parliamentary bodies | Senate and ……[peasant voting body] |
| Eurasia’s great age of migrations | Increase in migrations from Eurasia. |
| Zoroastrianism | one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions. Worship of Wisdom |
| the Talmud | of a series of disputations that took place in Europe during the Middle Ages, a group of rabbis were called upon to defend the Talmud. The attacks against Judaism was based on a long held idea that rabbis had "distorted" the Bible through their interpretations, keeping Jews from "adopting" Christianity. |
| YHWH | "Yahweh", God's name. |
| Vedism (Rig-Veda) | of hymns counted among the four Hindu religious scriptures known as the Vedas, and contains the oldest texts preserved in any Indo-Iranian language. |
| Hinduism (Upanishads, Mahabharata, Bhagavad-Gita) | encompasses many religious traditions that widely vary by culture, as well as many diverse beliefs and sects. The estimates of Hinduism's origin vary from 3102 BCE to 1300 BCE, and it is generally regarded as the world's oldest major religion. |
| Laws of Manu | work of Hindu law and ancient Indian society, written c.200 in India. It is one of the eighteen Smritis of the Dharma Sastra (or "laws of righteous conduct"); |
| Four Noble Truths | fundamental insight or enlightenment of Sakyamuni Buddha (the historical Buddha), which led to the formulation of the Buddhist philosophy. |
| Eightfold Path | way to the cessation of suffering, the fourth part of the Four Noble Truths. |
| Confucianism | an East Asian ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of Confucius. |
| nirvana | not a place nor a state, it is an absolute truth to be realized, and a person can do so without dying. |
| Theravada (Hinayana) and Mahayana Buddhism | T - Buddha is Teacher; M - Buddha is God. |
| Daoism | set of philosophical teachings and religious practices rooted in a specific metaphysical understanding of the Chinese character Tao. For taoists, Tao could be described as the continuity principle behind the whole process of the constantly changing Universe. |
| Tao-te Chng and the I Ching | The Book of the Way and its Virtue (see chapter below on translating the title) is an ancient Chinese scripture. The work is traditionally said to have been written around 600 BCE by the famous sage called Laozi. oldest of the Chinese classic texts. It describes an ancient system of cosmology and philosophy which is at the heart of Chinese cultural beliefs. |
| Analects | record of speeches by Confucius and his disciples, as well as the discussions they held. |
| 134. Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism (Great Schism of 1054) | reflecting its claim to be the preserver of the original Christian traditions as well as those established by the church during the first 1000 years of its existence; maintain a belief that their episcopate can be traced directly back to the Apostles |
| the Kaaba | building located inside the mosque known as Masjid al Haram in Mecca (Makkah). The mosque has been built around the Kaaba. The Kaaba is the holiest place in Islam. |
| Mecca | The city is revered as the holiest site of Islam, and a pilgrimage to it is required of all Muslims who can afford to go |
| Medina (the Hegira) | Medina is the second holiest city of Islam, after Mecca. Its importance as a religious site derives from the presence there of the Shrine of the Prophet Mohammad by Masjid al-Nabawi or the Mosque of the Prophet |
| Sufism | school of esoteric philosophy in Islam, which is based on the pursuit of spiritual truth as a definite goal to attain. In modern language it might also be referred to as Islamic spirituality or Islamic mysticism. |
| Caliphate | Political and religious successors to Muhammad |
| Code of chivalry | Social codes of knighthood that originated in France in the Middle Ages; associated with ideals of knightly virtues, honour and of courtly love; came to known as 'gentlemanly conduct.' |
| Daimyo | warlord rulers of 300 small kingdoms following Onin War and disruption of Ashikaga Shogunate |
| Five Pillars of Islam | obligatory religious duties of all Muslims: confession of faith, prayer (5 times a day facing Mecca), fasting during Ramadan, zakat (tax for charity), and the hajj (pilgrimage) |
| Franks | a group of Germanic tribes in the early Christian era; spread from the Rhine into the Roman Empire |
| Hanseatic League | organization of cities in N. Germany/Scandinavia for the purpose of establishing a commercial alliance |
| Interregnum | The interval of time between the end of a sovereign's reign and the accession of a successor |
| Mongol | Central asian nomadic people; spread all over asia and Europe spreading their empire while pillaging |
| Primogeniture | an exclusive right of inheritance belonging to the eldest son |
| quipu | system of knotted strings utilized by the Incas in place of a writing system…could contain numerical and other types of information for censuses and financial records |
| Scholasticism | dominant medieval philosophical approach… based on the use of logic to resolve theological problems |
| Shogunate (bakufu) | military government in 12th century Japan… established by the Minamoto after the Gempei Wars… retained emperor but real power resided in military government and samurai |
| Tatars | Mongols; captured Russian cities and largely destroyed Kievan state |
| Sharia | Islamic Law |
| ulama | religious leaders - traditional leanings in Islamic Empire |
| ideographic | A type of character representation in which characters do not represent pronunciation alone, but are also related to the component meanings of words |
| Cyrillic alphabet | an alphabet derived from the Greek alphabet and used for writing Slavic languages |
| Hagia Sofia | It is a 6th century masterpiece of Byzantine architecture in Istanbul; built as a Christian church by Justinian, converted to a mosque in 1453, and made into a museum in the middle of the 20th century |
| woodblock printing | It is a 6th century masterpiece of Byzantine architecture in Istanbul; built as a Christian church by Justinian, converted to a mosque in 1453, and made into a museum in the middle of the 20th century |
| 118. Arabesque | Ornament or surface decoration with intricate curves and flowing lines based on plant forms |
| 119. astrolabe | an instrument that was used to determine the altitude of objects (like the sun) in the sky. It was first used around 200 BC by astronomers in Greece. The astrolabe was replaced by the sextant |
| 120. Arabic numerals | A written number system created during the Gupta golden age in India, then adopted by the Islamic Empire before spreading further. Most familiar numeral style (1,2,3, etc.,) used on clock and watch dials |
| 127. Romanesque | A style of European architecture prevalent from the ninth to the twelfth centuries, with round arches and barrel vaults influenced by Roman architecture and characterized by heavy stone construction |
| 134. Orthodox | The word orthodoxy, from the Greek ortho ('right', 'correct') and doxa ('thought', 'teaching'), is typically used to refer to the correct theological or doctrinal observance of religion, as determined by some overseeing body. Each is headed by a bishop; most are related to a specific country, as in Serbian, Russian and Greek Orthodox |
| 135. Conservative | Person who generally likes to uphold current conditions and oppose changes; religious movement whose position lies between the Orthodox and Reform |
| 136. Hadith | Traditions of the prophet Mohammad that played a critical role in Islamic law and rituals; recorded by women |
| 137. Legalism | In Christian theology, legalism is belief, stated or supposedly implied, that law, not faith, is the pre-eminent principle of redemption |
| 138. Shinto | Religion of early Japanese culture; devotes worshipped numerous gods and spirits associated with the natural world; offers of food and prayer made to gods and nature spirits |
| 142. Patriarch | a man who rules a family, clan or tribe |
| 145. Swahili | A Bantu language of the coast and islands of eastern Africa from Somalia to Mozambique |
| 153. hajj | Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca |
| 158. calligraphy | writing art form |
| 159. monochrome | Either black or white |
| 161. interregnum | The interval of time between the end of a sovereign's reign and the accession of a successor |
| 166. warlordism | A military commander exercising civil power in a region, whether in nominal allegiance to the national government or in defiance of it |
| 169. caliph | Political, religious and militaristic leader of Islam |
| 186. feudalism | Relationship between lord and serfs where protection is exchanged for crops/labor |
| 187. manorialism | Organization of rural economy and society by three classes of manors: a lord’s own land, serf holdings, and free peasant land |
| 205. Renaissance | Cultural and political movement in Western Europe; began in Italy 1400 CE, rested on urban vitality and expanding commerce; combined art and literature with more secular views |
| 209. humanism | focus on humankind as center of intellectual and artistic endeavor; method of study that emphasized the superiority of classical forms over medieval styles, in particular to the study of ancient languages |
| 210. scholasticism | dominant medieval philosophy approach; base in the schools and universities; use of logic to resolve theological problems |
| 215. Reformation | religious movement which made its appearance in Western Europe in the sixteenth century, and which, while ostensibly aiming at an internal renewal of the Church, really led to a great revolt against it, and an abandonment of the principal Christian beliefs |
| 216. Counter-reformation | The Catholic Reformation or the Counter-Reformation was a strong reaffirmation of the doctrine and structure of the Catholic Church, climaxing at the Council of Trent, partly in reaction to the growth of Protestantism |
| 219. Humanists | The focus on humankind as the center o intellectual and artistic endeavor |
| 228. Interdict | A prohibition by the pope that can deprive individual persons, groups, communities and even nations of all priestly ministry. Thus, they no longer had access to the sacraments of the church |
| 231. Northern Renaissance | Flemish, dutch art focus |
| 232. High Renaissance | later period of the Renaissance, Italy big, Hellenistic influence |
| 236. Villein | one of a class of feudal serfs, that held legal status of freedom in dealings with ppl except their lord |
| 239. sultan | Islamic title, used for rulers of the muslim country |
| 250. city-states | a sovereign state consisting of an independent city and its surrounding territory |
| 251. national identity | distinguishing features of a group, to individual’s sense to belong in it |
| 253. steppes | a vast semiarid grass-covered plain, found in southeast Europe and Mongolia |
| 270. tribute | The sacrificing to the gods or the offering and payments to the leaders and/or owners of the land |
| 281. Despotism | a system of government where a single authority rules with absolute power |
| 284. bushido | Japanese warrior code of conduct, similar to the chivalry system in Europe |
| 285. celadon | Korean and Japanese pottery with a light green glaze |
| 290. seppuku | ritual suicide/disembowelment in Japan (hara-kiri); demonstrating courage and restoring family honor |
| 299. Ramadan | Islamic month of fasting from dawn to sunset |
| 300. shariah | Islamic law |
| 301. umma | community of the faithful within Islam; creating political unity |
| 302. zakat | bligatory tax for Muslims used for charity |
| 304. excommunication | banishment from certain religion & Church |
| 303. benefice | A landed estate granted in feudal tenure. |
| 305. investiture | The act or formal ceremony of conferring the authority and symbols of a high office (there was investiture controversy – who got to do it) |
| 306. medieval | relating to the Middle Ages |
| 309. age grade | a social category based on age, within a series of such categories, through which individuals pass over the course of their lives. This is in contrast to an age set, to which individuals remain permanently attached as the set itself becomes progressively more senior. |
| 310. Austronesian | a large language family widely dispersed throughout the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with a few members spoken on continental Asia. |
| 311. caravel | a small, highly maneuverable, three-masted ship used by the Portuguese and Spanish for long voyages of exploration beginning in the 15th century |
| 318. metropolitan | a big city with a large population |
| 322. stateless society | an ethnic group not represented by its own unique, coterminous state |
| 323. steppe diplomacy | institution that the Mongols employed to all empires under its control. Paying tribute was one aspect of it |
| 324. syncretism | attempt to merge disparate traditions or practices and combine them with another tradition. (religion also) |
| 326. ayllus | the basic political unit of pre-Inca and Inca life; core of extended families but nno non-related members were included |
| 327. Chimor | political grouping of the chimu culture that ruled the northern coast of Peru, from 850-1470 |
| 328. chinampas | known as floating gardens, small, rectangle-shapes area of fertile arable land used for agriculture in the Xochimilco region of the Basin of Mexico |
| 333. Quechua | the language of the Inca empire, now spoken in the Andes highlands from southern Colombia to Chile |
| conquistador | Spanish soldiers, explorers, adventurers who spread across Americas |
| Capitalism | economic system where government stays out of companies choices, market - supply/demand determine product, goal is to make profit to reinvest in company |
| Entrepreneur | person who starts up company to compete in capitalist system, must secure capital from financing - bank/currency system useful |
| Baroque | exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, and music. The style started around 1600 in Rome, Italy and spread to most of Europe |
| Italian Renaissance | rebirth of Classical (Greece/Rome) art/architecture - humanistic focus - patrons - families like Medici and the Catholic Church - blended natural world w/ religion - transition away from religion |
| Rococo | The Rococo style of art emerged in France in the early 18th century as a continuation of the Baroque style, but in contrast to the heavier themes and darker colors of the Baroque, the Rococo was characterized by an opulence, grace, playfulness, and lightness. Rococo motifs focused on the carefree aristocratic life and on lighthearted romance rather than heroic battles or religious figures; they |
| Deism | belief that God stays out of our daily lives - he's a big clockmaker who started the universe, gave us everything we need, and then just watches |
| boyars | member of the highest rank of the feudal Russian and Romanian aristocracy, second only to the ruling princes, from the 10th through the 17th century |
| Cossacks | several peoples living in the southern steppe regions of Eastern Europe and Asiatic Russia, famous for their self-reliance and military skill, particularly horsemanship |
| devshirme | system of collection of young boys from conquered Christian lands by the Ottoman sultans as a form or regular taxation in order to build a loyal slave army and class of administrators: the Janissaries, or other servants such as tellak |
| encomienda | system of Spanish rule in Americas where Spanish landowners have right to forced labor for all indigenous people living on land grant |
| Enlightenment | attempt to apply logic from Scientific Revolution to human nature/government/economics |
| Janissaries | Christian slave army that fought for Ottoman Empire - later developed monopoly on military and resisted technogical innovation |
| mercantilism | economic system where colonies market and resources for the sole use of mother country |
| peninsulares | highest of Spanish colonial caste system - peninsular was a citizen born in the metropolitan part of the Spanish Empire. Also, they held high official power or positions. |
| purdah | practice of requiring women to cover their bodies so as to cover their skin and conceal their form, separates genders, some places more cultural than religious |
| sovereignty | right to exercise supreme political (e.g. legislative, judicial, and/or executive) authority over a geographic region, group of people, or oneself |
| viceroyalty | royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch - usually refers to method of colonial rule |
| caravel | small, highly maneuverable, three-masted ship used by the Portuguese and Spanish for long voyages of exploration beginning in the 15th century, due to size could explore up river |
| triangular trade | trade of African slaves to Caribbean, sugar to industrialized North U.S. and England, manufactured goods to Africa |
| commercial revolution | of European economic expansion, colonialism, and mercantilism which lasted from approximately 1520 until 1650. Voyages of discovery in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries allowed European powers to build vast networks of international trade, which in turn generating a great deal of wealth for them |
| indulgence | selling of passes out of pergatory into heaven to pay for Renaissance architecture/art in Rome, big complaint of Martin Luther |
| laissez-faire economics | belief that government should not control business - hands off - let market decide success/failure of a product |
| predestination | belief that a long time ago, at the dawn of creation, all spirits/souls were predetermined on who was going to heaven, so…going to heaven not based on works/actions, but on God's choosing |