empire
a large territory in which several groups of people are ruled by a single leader or government
Sargon
2340 B.C. leader of the Akkadians who overran the Sumerian city-state and set up the first empire
Nineveh
Capital of Assyria
Nebuchadrezzar
the Neo-Babylonians most famous king who was a ruthless military leader
Persian
at its height in the 400s B.C.E., the largest empire the world had ever known, ruling over land in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia
capital
a city that is the center of a government
tribute
wealth sent from one country or ruler to another as a sign that the other is superior
siege
a military blockade and attack on a city to force it to surrender
astronomy
the study of stars and planets
Hammurabi
Babylonian king who codified the laws of Sumer and Mesopotamia
civilization
a society marked by developed arts, sciences, government, and social structure
technology
the use of tools and other inventions for practical purposes
merchant
person who makes money by selling goods
artisan
craftsperson
scribe
person who writes
ziggurat
ancient Mesopotamian temple tower with outside staircases and a shrine at the top
culture
characteristic of civilization that includes the beliefs and behaviors of a society or group of people
cuneiform
writing that uses wedge-shaped characters; first system of writing
pictograph
a symbol that stands for an object
Mesopotamia
land between the rivers
city-state
an early city that was like a small, independent country with its own laws and government
complex
arranged in a difficult way
dispute
a strong disagreement
Euphrates
one of the two largest rivers in Southwest Asia that flow from mountains in Turkey to the Persian Gulf
irrigation
means of supplying land with water
layer
substance that lies between or above other things
levee
small wall of earth built to prevent a river from flooding its banks
maintain
to keep something in good condition through continual repair
material
a resource that can be used to make something else
silt
fine particles of rock/minerals; fertile soil
Sumer
an area in southern Mesopotamia, where cities first appeared
Tigris
one of the two largest rivers in Southwest Asia that flow from the mountains in Turkey to the Persian Gulf
Stone
age in which the first stone tools were made.
Paleolithic
age when people got food by hunting wild animals, gathering nuts, berries, and more
Neolithic
age when people settled down in one place for the first time
domesticate
to train a wild animal to be useful for humans
agriculture
business of farming; growing crops or raising animals
trade
business of buying and selling or exchanging items
ore
mineral mined for its valuable uses
anthropologist
a scientist who studies human development and culture
capability
ability or skill
migrate
to move from one geographic region to another
biped
a two-footed animal
land bridge
a piece of land connecting two continents
Lucy
one of the earliest hominids every discovered; Australopithecus afarensis
Handy Man
also known as "The Toolmaker;" Homo Habilis
Upright Man
moved from place to place; used fire to keep warm; Homo Erectus
Neanderthal Man
made better tools; lived as a community; Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis
Doubly Wise Man
migrated across land bridges; created cave art; Homo Sapiens Sapiens
archaeologist
scientist who studies the past by examining objects/artifacts that people left behind.
historian
a person who studies and writes about the human past
geographer
a person who studies and creates maps of Earth's natural and human-made features
artifact
object made or used by people in the past
prehistoric
before written history
ritual
relating to a ceremony, such as a religious ceremony
Fertile Crescent
arc-shaped region of Southwest Asia, with rich soil