Page |1 Final Exam Review: World Cultures Vocabulary Word acupuncture anthropologist aqueduct aristocrat artifact artisan barter bazaar bureaucracy caravan cataract city-state civilization clan colony conquistador consul currency deity delta democracy dharma dictator direct democracy doctrine drama dynasty economy Definition Chinese practice of easing pain by sticking thin needles into patients' skin. scientist who studies the physical characteristics and cultures of humans and their ancestors. human made channel built to carry water noble whose wealth came from land. weapon, tool, or other item made by humans skilled crafts person to exchange goods without using money marketplace a group of appointed officials who are responsible for different areas of government. groups of traveling merchants and animals steep rapids formed by cliffs and boulders in a river. independent state made up of a city and the surrounding land and villages complex society with cities, organized government, art, religion, class divisions, and a writing system group of families related by blood or marriage settlement in a new territory that keeps close ties with its homeland. Spanish conqueror or soldier in the Americas. one of the two top government officials in ancient Rome. system of money god or goddess area of fertile soil at the mouth of a river government in which all citizens share in the running of the government In Hinduism, the divine law that requires people to perform the duties of their caste. In ancient Rome, a person who ruled with complete power temporarily during emergencies. system of government in which people gather at mass meetings to decide on government matters. official church teachings story told by actors who pretend to be characters in a story line of rulers from a same family organized way in which people produce, sell, and buy goods and services. Page |2 embalming epic exile export fable filial piety forum griot guru Hellenistic Era helot hierarchy historian ideograph import inflation karma legacy mandate matrilineal minerat monsoon mosaic myth nomad oasis oligarchy oracle patrician Pax Romana process developed by the ancient Egyptians of preserving a person's body after death. long poem that tells about legendary or heroic deeds. period of forced absence from one's country or home. to sell goods or products to another country short tale that teaches a lesson children's respect for their parents and older relatives, an important part of Confucian beliefs. an open space in Rome that served as a market place or public square. storyteller religious teacher and spiritual guide in Hinduism period when the Greek language and Greek ideas spread to the non-Greek people of southwest Asia. person who was conquered and enslaved by the ancient Spartans. organization with different levels of authority person who studies and writes about the human past. a character that joins two or more pictographs to represent an idea to buy from another county period of rapidly increasing prices; usually goods are more expensive than they are worth in Hinduism,the good or bad energy a person builds up based upon whether he or she has lived a good life. what a person leaves behind when he or she dies. formal order refers to a group that traces descent through mothers rather than fathers. tower of a mosque from which the crier calls believes to pray five times a day in South Asia, a strong wind that blows one direction in winter and the opposite in summer. picture made from tiny bits of colored glass, tile or stone a traditional story describing gods, heroes, or explaining natural events. a person who regularly moves from place to place green area in a desert fed by underground water government in which a small group of people holds power sacred shrine where a priest or priestess spoke for a god or goddess wealthy landowner and member of the ruling class in ancient Rome long era of peace and safety in the Roman Empire Page |3 peninsula plebeian praetor Quran raja reform representative democracy republic satire social class stupa subcontinent sultan theocracy tribute triumvirate veto body of land with water on three sides member of the common people in ancient Rome. important government official in ancient Rome. holy book of Islam prince who led an Aryan tribe in India change that tries to bring about improvement a system of government in which citizens choose a smaller group to make laws and government decisions on their behalf form of government in which the leader is not a queen or king but a person elected by citizens work that pokes fun at human weaknesses group of people who share a similar position in society Buddhist shrine that is shaped like a dome or mound large landmass that is part of a continent but distinct from it military and political leader with absolute authority over a Muslim country government headed by religious leaders payment made by one group or nation to another to show obedience or to obtain peace or protection in ancient Rome, a three person ruling group to reject Page |4