| A | B |
|---|
| Homo Sapiens | The humanoid species that emerged as most successful at the end of the Paleolithic period. |
| Hunting and Gathering | The original human economy; groups hunt for meat and forage for grains, nuts and berries. |
| Bronze Age | From about 4000 BCE when bronze tools were first introduced in the Middle East, to about 1500 BCE when iron began to replace it. |
| Catal Huyuk | Early urban culture based on sedentary agriculture; located in modern day Turkey. |
| Slash and Burn Agriculture | Forest floors cleared by fire then planted |
| Civilization | Societies distinguished by reliance on sedentary agriculture, ability to produce food surpluses, and the existence of nonfarming elites (merchants & manufacturing groups) |
| Nomads | Cattle and sheep herding societies normally found on the fringes of civilized societies. |
| Mesopotamia | Literally "between the rivers"; the civilizations that arose in the alluvial plain of the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys |
| City-state | A form of political organization typical of Mesopotamian civilizations; consisted of agricultural hinter lands ruled by an urban-based king |
| Babylonian Empire | Unified all of Mesopotamia c. 1800 BCE; collapsed due to foreign invasion c. 1600 BCE |
| Shang | First Chinese dynasty for which archaeological evidence exists. |
| Mohenjo Daro | Along with Harrappa, major urban complex of the Harrapan civilization; laid out on planned grid pattern. |
| Harrappa | Along with Mohenjo Daro; major urban complex of the Harrappan civilization; laid out on a grid pattern |
| Oralces | Shamans or priests in Chinese society who foretold the future through interpretations of animal bones cracked by heat; inscriptions on bones led to Chinese writing |
| Ideographs | Pictograph characters grouped together to create new concepts; typical of Chinese writing |
