Jordan Paterson
AP World History
SUMMER ASSIGNMENT
Neolithic Revolution

The Neolithic Revolution was a fundamental change in the way people lived. It was the shift
from hunting and gathering that led to permanent settlements and the establishment of social
classes, and eventually the rise of civilization.
Culture

The behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular age, social, or ethnic group, arts and
other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. It's important
because it shows that everyone in the world is different, and culture is a big part of that.
Natural Selection

The process by which better adapted individuals survive and reproduce, passing on their traits.
It is important because the better adapted individuals pass on their traits, so their offspring is
also better adapted and they can pass on their traits and so on.
Great Ice Age

The Great Ice Age was a recent chapter in Earth’s history. It was a period of recurring
widespread glaciers. Mountain glaciers formed on all continents, which in some places were
several thousand feet thick. It’s important because it is believed that the ancestors of modern
man evolved and co-existed with the animals during this period.
City – State

A sovereign state made up of an autonomous city with its dependencies. Is it important because
there is no conflict or war to fight over surrounding area saying it’s my land no I claimed it first.
Ziggurat

A Sumerian temple in the form of a pyramidal tower. It is believed that the top of the tower
contains a shrine, and it is a place for priests to escape from rising flood waters. Also, since it is
only accessible by 3 staircases, the shrine is easy for guards to protect, so non-priests can’t spy
on the religious rituals.
Ma ’at

The ancient Egyptian concept of truth, balance, order, law, morality and justice. Ma ’at was also
personified as the goddess of physical and moral law. Ma ‘at is important because she is the
mother of the 8 chief gods of Hermopolis, and according to priests there, they created Earth and
all that is in it.
Scribe

A professional copyist, especially one that copied manuscripts before the invention of printers.
They are important because before printers existed, they were the only people who could copy
important documents. Without Scribes we wouldn’t have any of the ancient manuscripts and
documents that we have today.
Loess

Aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt. It is important because it
blankets enormous areas with extremely fertile soil.
Divination

Attempting to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge by supernatural means or
that of an occult. It is important because they were thought to be able to see the future and
were thought to be higher than other beings.
Kush

A subset of strains of Cannabis indica, the origins of which are from landrace plants. The name
came from the Hindu Kush mountain range, and strains of cannabis were brought to the US in
the 70’s. It is important because it relieves stress and anxiety, and medical Kush can also help
ease the symptoms of cancer treatment. It has many medical purposes.
Fresco

The art technique of painting on a moist plaster surface with ground up colors. It is an important
part of culture, and the fresco technique has been employed since antiquity and is closely
associated with Italian Renaissance Painting
Mandate of Heaven

A political theory on ancient China in which those with power were given the right to rule by a
divine source. It is important because it gives a possible ruler automatic acceptance by Heaven,
an important cultural aspect in the Chinese culture
Tophet

A place likened to hell, located in the valley of Hinnom, near Jerusalem. It is important because,
contrary to the law, it was a place where children were offered as sacrifices. It was later used as
a dumping ground for refuse.
Olmec

A Meso-American civilization along the southern coast of Mexico, characterized by agriculture, a
dating system, extensive trade routes and very fine jade work. They are important because they
left a mark on our culture in ways we are still discovering today. They developed a complex
culture which is still echoed today, probably in ways we don't yet even realize.
Ashur

The supreme natural God of the ancient Assyrians, chiefly a war god, whose symbol was an
archer within a winged disc. He is important because he was considered the highest god in the
Assyrian pantheon and the protector of the Assyrian state.
The Great Rift Valley

A 6,000- mile fissure in the earth’s crust stretching from Lebanon to Mozambique. It is
important because it was formed by violent subterranean forces that tore apart the earth’s
crust.
Indus-River Valley

Settlements that cover almost 1.25 million kilometers of land which is today part of Afghanistan,
Pakistan and north-western India. It is important because it was one of the world’s earliest
urban civilizations.
Meroe

An ancient city on the east bank of the Nile in Egypt. The city was the capital of the Kingdom of
Kush for several centuries, and is marked by more than 200 pyramids.
Mycenae

An archaeological site in Greece, located about 90 kilometers south-west of Athens. In the
second millennium BC, Mycenae was a major center of Greek civilization, a military stronghold.
Carthage

Carthage is a suburb of Tunis, Tunisia, and was the center of the Carthaginian Empire in
antiquity. The city has existed for nearly 3000 years, developing from a colony of the 1st
millennium BC into the capital of an ancient empire.
Chavin

Chavin de Huantar is an archaeological site constructed beginning at least by 1200 BCE that
contains ruins and artifacts. The site is located 250 kilometers north of Lima, Peru at an
elevation of 3180 meters.
Mohenjo-Daro

An archaeological site in the province of Sindh, Pakistan that was one of the world’s earliest and
largest urban settlements. It was built around 2600 BC, abandoned in the 19th century BC and
not rediscovered until 1922.
Harappa

An archaeological site in Punjab, Pakistan. The site takes its name from a nearby village. It has a
train station left from the British times, today it is just a small population crossroads town.
Thebes

Around 1500 BC, the legendary hero Kadmos wash an unknown number of Phoenicians came
and founded Thebes, in Egypt. It is important because it later because it later became a major
trading port, and the capital.
Babylon

An Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia founded in 1867. All that remains of the famed
city is a mound of broken mud-brick buildings, found in present-day Al Hillah, Iraq.
Anatolia

A geographic and historical term referring to the westernmost protrusion of Asia, compromising
the majority of the Republic of Turkey. It has been inhabited by many peoples throughout
history, each of which left behind unique artifacts that are still being uncovered by
archaeologists.
Persia

The Persian Gulf War was a war waged by an unauthorized coalition force from 34 nations, led
by the United States, against Iraq. Persia is now modern day Iran.
1. Civilization is a sometimes controversial term. It is social order promoting cultural creation. For
the most part, the term has been used to refer to the material and instrumental side of human
cultures that are complex in terms of technology, science, and division of labor. Civilizations
fitting this description are generally hierarchical and urbanized. How advanced of a civilization
you are is usually measured by progress in agriculture, long distance trade, occupational
specialization, and urbanization. Aside from these key aspects of civilization, many secondary
aspects are also present such as development of reading and writing skills, transportation and a
highly developed currency system. Strong cultural and religious growth plays an important role
for a strong society. The disappearance of these conditions- sometimes even just one of themcan sometimes be the downfall of a civilization. Civilization is not something inborn or
imperishable; it must be acquired anew by every generation.
2. The question of who is civilized is a highly controversial topic. For the most part, we, as civilized
people define the term as showing evidence of moral and intellectual advancement; humane,
ethical, and reasonable. Although there are many different definitions of who is civilized, and what
guidelines you must meet to be considered, that is the basic outline. Our early ancestors were not
civilized. They did not pertain to our set of standards our society has, such as having a highly
developed society and culture, refinement in taste and manners, and they were not cultured or
polished. While they did what they had to do for the means of survival, most citizens in our
society strive to better themselves. Be it with academics, culture, or something like athletics, the
overall goal of our population is to be the best we can be. The civilized person is one who is able
to reason well, knowing the difference between right and wrong. The civilized culture works to
fight ignorance among their citizens.
3. Diffusion is the result of change based on intercultural interactions, such as travel and trade
with foreign people. When you go to another country, and see their way of living and bring back
some of their ideas on how to live, or when you trade a foreign country for a new product you
don’t have in your country; that is diffusing a culture and bringing about change. Independent
invention is change based on things that people have come up with, such as new methods of
hunting and agriculture. This one doesn’t really come from anywhere else but your country.
New inventions help make life easier, changing the way people live. Both of these things
together bring about the most change to your country, but I believe that change is most based
on independent invention. If nobody ever came up with new ideas or inventions, even if we
traveled or traded with other people, they wouldn’t have any new ideas for us to put into place
in our society. If another country didn’t ever have new ideas, we wouldn’t have anything to
diffuse into our society either.