| A | B |
|---|
| Fertile Crescent | Arc of rich farmland in southwest Asia between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea |
| Mesopotamia | The land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers |
| city-state | Political unit much like an independent country |
| dynasty | Series of rulers from a single family |
| cultural diffusion | New ideas spreading from one culture to another |
| polytheism | Belief in many gods |
| empire | Peoples nations or independent states under control of one ruler |
| Hammurabi | Babylonian ruler famous for his code of laws |
| delta | Marshy area at the mouth of a river |
| Narmer | King of Upper Egypt who united Upper and Lower Egypt |
| pharaoh | Egyptian ruler thought of as a god |
| theocracy | Government in which the ruler is considered to be a divine figure |
| pyramid | Resting place for Egyptian kings after death |
| mummification | Process by which a body is preserved after death |
| hieroglyphics | Egyptian writing system |
| papyrus | Plant used to make a paper-like material |
| subcontinent | Land mass that is a distinct part of a continent |
| monsoon | Seasonal wind |
| Harappan civilization | Ancient settlements in the Indus River Valley |
| loess | Fertile soil |
| oracle bone | Animal bone used by ancient Chinese priests to communicate with the gods |
| Mandate of Heaven | Divine approval of the ruler |
| dynastic cycle | Pattern of rise fall and replacement of dynasties |
| feudalism | Political system in which nobles or lords are granted the use of lands that belong to the king |
