World History Ch. 1-2 Key Terms

the study of people and cultures through their material remains

first written law code

plant used to make paper-like writing material in Ancient Egypt

king of Akkad, founder of the first empire

an object made by human beings

the site of the world’s first civilization, located in southeastern Mesopotamia

a large, stepped structure topped with a temple to a city’s chief god or goddess on top

the belief that spirits and forces live within animals, objects, or dreams

a political unit that includes a city and its surrounding lands and villages

stone monument that includes the same passage carved in three languages, used to decipher the meaning of hieroglyphs

a writing system in which each symbol represents a single basic sound

king of Israel famous for his military exploits; wrote many Psalms

region of the Middle East in which civilizations first arose

king of Babylon, conquered and deported Jews

a binding agreement; specifically, in the Jewish tradition, the agreement God made with Abraham

famous leader of the Jewish people; led them out of Egypt and through the wilderness

a person who moves from place to place in search of food

king of Israel famous for his wisdom

believing in one God

king of Babylon and author of a famous law code

title of the rulers of Ancient Egypt

the study of the origins and development of people and their societies

the region in the Fertile Crescent that lies between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

believing in many gods

system of writing in which pictures represent objects, concepts, or sounds; used in Ancient Egypt and elsewhere

a group of states or rulers controlled by one ruler

an ancient Middle Eastern system of writing that used wedge-shaped marks

the period of time during which the introduction of agriculture led people to transition from nomadic to settled life

an amount that is more than needed, excess