Week 1 Flashcards
What term was coined by historian Karl A. Wittfogel in the 1950s to describe civilizations managed by large-scale waterworks?
Hydraulic Civilizations
This term emphasizes the relationship between agricultural systems and government-managed waterworks.
What is the significance of the Fertile Crescent in ancient history?
It was the site of the Agricultural Revolution, transitioning from food-gathering to food-producing societies.
The Fertile Crescent is located in the Middle East and includes regions suitable for early agriculture.
What major agricultural products were developed in the Fertile Crescent around 12,000 to 10,000 years ago?
Wheat and barley
These crops were essential for the rise of agriculture and sedentarization.
What does ‘sedentarization’ refer to in the context of ancient civilizations?
The process of settling down in one place, leading to the establishment of villages and early urbanization.
What role did writing play in early civilizations?
It was important for agriculture, commerce, administration, mathematics, geometry, calendars, and astronomy.
Writing was a tool for the religious and political elite.
What geographical features were crucial for the agricultural development of Mesopotamia?
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
These rivers provided freshwater necessary for irrigation and agricultural production.
What was a ziggurat in ancient Mesopotamia?
A massive structure built as a temple, often associated with religious practices and governance.
What types of irrigation were used by Mesopotamian farmers?
Basin irrigation and perennial irrigation
These methods were essential for managing water resources in agriculture.
What was the significance of the abacus in ancient civilizations?
It assisted with counting and simple calculations, used as early as 2,300 BCE.
The Babylonians used clay tablets for numerical information and counting boards.
What was the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus?
An ancient Egyptian document containing examples of arithmetic and geometric problems, possibly an early textbook.
What central concept was key in Egyptian medicine?
The heart, believed to be the meeting point of various bodily fluids.
What innovations characterized the Zhou Dynasty in ancient China?
Water control projects, agricultural innovations, and growth of commerce.
This period saw significant developments in infrastructure and agriculture.
What are the ‘Hundred Schools of Thought’ in Chinese philosophy?
A variety of philosophical schools including Confucianism and Taoism, discussing human nature and cosmic forces.
What was the significance of the Qin dynasty in ancient China?
Centralization of power, unified systems of weights and measures, and construction of roads.
What major contributions did Indian mathematicians make between 400 BCE and 400 CE?
Decimal notation and the invention of zero.
What is the Hindu-Arabic numeral system?
A numeral system that includes decimal numerals, developed from Indian mathematics and transmitted through Arabic scholars.
What was the purpose of astronomical monuments in Neolithic societies?
They served as calendars aligned with celestial events.
What type of governance and social structure was present in ancient Mesopotamian cities?
Organized religions, centralized governments, social hierarchies, and trade networks.
True or False: The Egyptian–Hittite peace treaty is considered one of the earliest written international agreements.
True
What is a hydraulic civilization?
A society organized around large-scale water management systems controlled by centralized authority.
Who coined the term ‘hydraulic civilization’?
Karl A. Wittfogel in the 1950s.
When did the Neolithic (Agricultural) Revolution begin?
Around 12,000 years ago.
What major change characterized the Neolithic Revolution?
The shift from hunting-gathering to food production and settled agriculture.
What were early agricultural products in the Fertile Crescent?
Wheat and barley.
