| A | B |
|---|
| cuneiform | writing first developed by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia |
| hieroglyphics | ancient Egyptian writing system |
| Mandate of Heaven | the Mandate of Heaven was first used to support the rule of the kings of the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BCE), and legitimize their overthrow of the earlier Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BCE) |
| oracle bones | pieces of ox scapula or turtle plastron, which were used for pyromancy – a form of divination – in ancient China, mainly during the late Shang dynasty. |
| matrilineal | based on kinship with the mother or the female line |
| monotheism | belief in one god |
| polytheism | belief in many gods |
| patriarchal | based on kinship with the father |
| pharoah | the political and religious leader of the Egyptian people |
| ziggurat | a form of temple common to the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians of ancient Mesopotamia. |
| Quetzalcoatl | a chief Toltec and Aztec god identified with the wind and air and represented by a feathered serpen |
| theocracy | system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or a god |
| civilization | society or place reaches an advanced stage of social development and organization. |
| monsoon | a seasonal prevailing wind in the region of South and South East Asia |
| cultural diffusion | spread of cultural beliefs and social activities from one group to another |
| Paleolithic | the early phase of the Stone Age, lasting about 2.5 million years, when primitive stone implements were used. |
| Neolithic | denoting the later part of the Stone Age, when ground or polished stone weapons and implements prevailed. |
| slash and burn | vegetation is cut down and burned off before new seeds are sown |
| hunter gatherers | all food is obtained by foraging |
| animism | attribution of a living soul to plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena. |
| Jericho | oldest inhabited city in the world |
| Catal Huyuk | settlement in Southern Turkey which existed from approximately 7500 BC to 5700 BC |
| specialization of labor | workers occupy special roles |
| Agricultural revolution | move away from hunting and gathering |
| untouchables | lowest caste group |
| Vedas | the earliest body of Indian scripture |
| Torah | first five books of the Hebrew scriptures |
| Yahweh | Hebrew name of God |
| Varna | clusters of caste groups; four social castes: brahmans (priests), warriors, merchants, peasants; beneath them were the untouchables. |
| jati | sub caste |
| bronze and silk | first made and traded by Shang |
| Meso America and the Americas | did not use large animals for work |
| diaspora | dispersion of the Jews beyond Israel. |
| Nile | floods seasonally and rather predictably |
| Indus | floods seasonally but can be unpredictable |
| Epic of Gilgamesh | first recorded epic poem |
| Code of Hammurabi | first known written law |
