| A | B |
|---|
| ziggurat | a tiered, pyramid-shaped structure that formed part of a Sumerian temple |
| Mandate of Heavan | In Chinese history, the divine approval thought to be the basis of royal authority |
| monotheism | the belief in one god |
| cuneiform | a system of writing with wedge-shaped symbols, invented by the Sumerians around 3000 B.C. |
| city-state | a city and its surronding lands |
| patriarchal | relating to a social system in which the father is head of the family |
| polytheism | the belief in many gods |
| Fertile Crescent | an arc of rich farmland in SW Asia between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea |
| dynastic cycle | the historical pattern of the rise, decline and replacement of dynasties |
| mummification | the process of embalming and drying corpses to prevent them from decaying |
| Examination System | Based on Confucian philosophy, government workers get their jobs based on merit (test scores) rather than family or political connections |
| Mesopotamia | it means "land between the rivers" |
| Hinduism | a collection of religious beliefs that includes each person has a soul and a belief in reincarnation |
| theocracy | a government controlled by religious figures |
| pharaoh | a king of ancient Egypt considered a god as well as a political and military leader |
| filial piety | respect shown by children for their parents and elders |
| hieroglyphics | An ancient Egyptian writing system in which pictures were used to represent ideas and sounds |
| Judaism | the monotheistic religion of the Hebrews |
| Neolithic Revolution | the major change in human life caused by the beginnings of farming; the shift from food gathering to food producing |
| nomads | a group that has no permanent home, wandering from place to place in search of food and water |
| Buddhism | founded by Siddhartha Guatama, its beliefs include Nirvana, reincarnation, the eight fold path and working toward enlightenment |
| Confuciansim | philosophy which stresses the importance of five basic relationships: ruler/subject, father/son, husband/wife, older/younger brothers and friend/friend |
| Zoroastrianism | Originating in Persia, this is one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions which teaches that earth is a battleground of struggle between good and evil |
| Reincarnation | In Hinduism and Buddhism, the process by which a soul is reborn continuously until it achieves perfect understanding |
| Civilization | a form of culture characterized by cities, specialized workers, complex institutions, record keeping and advanced technology |
