World History (UT High School) Study Guide Latest Updates

World History (UT High School) Study Guide Latest Updates agriculture - the science or occupation of farming anthropology - the study of human beings and their ancestors, through time and space, and in relation to physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture archaeology - a science that deals with past human life and activities by studying the bones, tools, etc. of ancient people culture - the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group. place or time hunter-gatherer - a member of a culture in which people hunt animals and look for plants to eat instead of growing crops and raising animals neolithic revolution - the wide-scale transition of many human cultures from a lifestyle of hunting and gathering to one of agriculture and settlement nomad - a member of a group of people who move from place to place instead of living in one place all the time pre-history - the period of time before history was written down specialization - adaptation to a particular and specific function Stone Age - the first known period of human culture characterized by the use of stone tools tools - a handheld device that aids in accomplishing a task dynasty - a family of rulers who rule over a country for a long period of time; also: the particular period of time when a dynasty is in power centralized government - a government in which the power and responsibility rests with a small group at the highest level of government cuneiform - written system used in parts of the ancient Middle East Hieroglyphics - a system of writing developed in Ancient Egypt that consisted of a system of writing mainly in pictorial characters metallurgy - a science that deals with the nature and uses of metal mummification - to preserve a body by treating it with oils and wrapping it in strips of cloth pharoh - a semi-divine ruler of ancient egypt polytheistic - the belief that there is more than one god sanskrit - a language that was spoken in ancient India and is still used in the practice of Hinduism satrap - the governor of a province in ancient Persia theocracy - a form of government in which a country is ruled by religious leaders ziggurats - an ancient Mesopotamian temple tower consisting of a loft pyramid structure built in successive stages with outside staircases and a shrine at the top cultural diffusion - the spread of cultural beliefs and social activities from one group to another cynicism - a school of thought that arose in Ancient Greece consisting of an inclination to believe that people are motivated purely by self interest direct democracy - a form of democracy in which the people decide on policy initiatives directly democratic republic - a form of government that is both a republic and a democracy, in which, the power resides with the citizens and policy is made by elected officials epicureanism - a school of thought that arose in Ancient Greece that stated that life was about the pursuit of pleasure and happiness Hellenism - the spread of the national character and culture of Greece, especially ancient Greece, included the blended cultures of the Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian civilizations Iliad - a poem, traditionally attributed to homer, set during the trojan War Macedonian Phalanx - a body of heavily armed infantry formed in close deep ranks and files [first used by the ancient Greeks, then innovated by the Macedonian King Philip II] Monarch - a person (such as a king or queen) who rules a kingdom or empire Odyssey - a poem, attributed to Homer, that is, in part a sequel to the Illiad Oligarchy - a form of government where the decisions are controlled by a small group of people