- Periodization – an act or instance of dividing a subject into historical eras for purposes of analysis and study.
- Neolithic Revolution – major change to human life caused by the development of farming (agriculture)
- Civilization – a form of culture characterized by established cities, specialized labor, complex institutions, written records, and advanced technology
- Irrigation – the bringing of water to fields through man-made canals
- City-state – a political unit made up of a city and its surrounding land
- Dynasty – several rulers from one single family
- Cultural diffusion – the spreading of ideas and products from one culture to another
8. Empire
– a political unit where large numbers of people and areas of land are
controlled by one ruler
- Nomad – a person who moves from place to place
- Hunter-gatherer – a nomadic person who lives off the land, hunting nearby animals and gathering nearby foods
- Cuneiform – “wedge-shaped,” a system of writing developed by the Sumerians using a reed stylus to create wedge-shaped impressions on a clay tablet
- Ziggurat – a massive stepped tower on which was built a temple dedicated to the chief god or goddess of a Sumerian city
- Rule of Law – legal, standardized governance
- Anthropologist – one who studies past societies through their stuff
- Archeologist – one who studies the qualities of the earth