AP World History – Final Exam Review SessionPeriod 1Technological and Environmental Transformations

1. Characteristics of the Homo erectus world Tool making Language Bipedalism (moving on two legs) Hunting and gathering

2. Another label for “Paleolithic” Old Stone Age

3. Practices of the Paleolithic era that lasted in to the Neolithic era Domestication of animals

To train animals to live in a human environment

4. Advantages agricultural people had over hunter-gatherer groups Immunities built up to new diseases due

to denser population Regular armed forces capable of

sustained offensive and defensive campaigns

Greater ability to store food in preparation for times of scarcity

Tools and weapons made of metal

5. Domestication of animals – where? Sheep – southwest Asia Cows – Eurasia Camels – Arabia Horses - Eurasia

6. Importance of pastorialism for human development Domesticated mammals began to

provide more consistent sources of hides, bone, and protein

7. What makes the Neolithic Revolution unique? Attentuated (gradual) unfolding over

thousands of years in diverse locals The term revolution suggests an abrupt

shift in the course of human events that was sparked in a specific location or region.

8. Where did the Neolithic Revolution likely take place first? The Middle East

9. Characteristics of early agricultural systems Domestication of perennial (growing

once a year) plants in each region Mesoamerica - maize

10. Dates and locations of the first appearances of agriculture Fertile Crescent – 8500 BCE China – by 7500 BCE Mesoamerica – by 3500 BCE Eastern U.S. – by 2500 BCE Andes South America – by 500 BCE

11. Slash and burn agriculture Used by subsistence farmers to provide

temporary fertility to the soil by burning plants

Least intensive and sophisticated agricultural practice

Requires little manipulation of the natural world

Typical of populations transitioning from nomadic to agricultural practices

Ancient Mayans

12. Changing role of women with the Neolithic Revolution Greater confinement to the home to

care for more numerous children Result of increased population

13. What effect did food surpluses have on early agricultural societies?

Trade practices emerged with the capacity to feed artisans who then had time to practice craft specialization. In other words, SPECIALIZATION OF

LABOR

14. How did the health of humans change with the Neolithic Revolution?

Greater exposure to pathogens (infectious germs) due to proximity to farm animals and human waste caused new sicknesses. Chicken pox, swine flu, bird flu – all due to

sharing of germs with animals Takes awhile for plumbing to be invented Nomadic people moved away from their

waste

15. “Out of Africa” theory of human origins Origin of anatomically modern humans

in Africa based on genetic research

16. Region of the world that was the most recent to see human settlement

South America

17. Common traits of early civilizations Writing Formal state structures (complex, formal

governments) Urban life Monument building Reliable surpluses of food Highly specialized occupations (more complex jobs

including government, trade, religion) Clear social class distinctions Long-distance trade Advanced technology

18. Location of the earliest civilizations River valleys

19. Which region of the world saw the development of the earliest civilizations?

The Middle East

20. Which group of people founded Mesopotamian civilization? Sumerians

21. Mesopotamian city-states and empires Sumerians Akkadians Babylonians Assyrians

22. Hammurabi’s Code Built on regional laws Based on lex talionis (law of retribution)

– punishments tied closely to offenses Punishments were not equal if they

crossed class lines Judges could still make their own

decisions

23. Characteristics of ancient Egyptian pyramids Served as tombs for pharaohs Were built by slave and corvee

(mandatory and unpaid) labor Are reflective of advanced geometric

knowledge Contained numerous hieroglyphic

symbols

24. Egypt’s three kingdoms – how did they change over time? Egypt became more expansionistic and

had more contact with other civilizations Reached imperial status in the New

Kingdom after conquest of Nubia and coastal Mediterranean

Pyramids = Old Kingdom

25. Which river valley civilization was the most isolated? Huang He River (China)

26. Who developed the first phonetic alphabet? Phoenicians Easier for ordinary people to learn than

earlier written languages

27. Purpose of writing for early civilizations Writing permitted record keeping for

trade and government Religion Taxes

Incas were an exception – no writing system

28. Characteristics of ancient writing Oldest known written language is

Sumerian cuneiform. All ancient civilizations had a form of

writing except the Inca civilization in South America

Evolution of writing = pictures – symbols – phonetic letters

Their use was largely restricted to priests

29. Early religious practices Focused on animals and nature Mesopotamians = studied the stars Chinese shamans = Oracle bones

30. Early characteristics of Jewish monotheism Traces its origins to Abraham Cultural traits of Mesopotamia Viewed God as all knowing and all

powerful History, belief system, and legal code

recorded in the Torah

31. Characteristics of river valley civilizations Typically in warm, dry climates Flood of rivers provided fertile soil Creation of calendars to predict flooding

seasons Irrigation system of control the floods Large building projects required

organized government

32. Characteristics of Harappan society Indus river valley Disappeared mysteriously Multistory structures

33. Characteristics of Mesoamerica early civilizations Not located in river valleys First complex society was the Olmec civilization Economies were based on market exchange

and agriculture. They practiced similar religions

Similar deities Belief in cosmic cycle of creation and destruction Human sacrifice Large ceremonial centers

34. What caused the decline of each river valley civilization? Mesoamerica – large population growth

and overfarming Indus Valley – catastrophic event,

climate change China (Zhou) – pressure from nomads to

the north, could not control nobles – led to period of the “warring states”

Babylonians (Mesopotamia) – invasions from nomads

35. Impact of the rise of metalwork in the ancient world Made farming easier Revolutionized war fighting Led to the further specialization of labor Metallic coins facilitated trade

36. Timeframe of the ancient and classical civilizations Sumerian Shang Roman Han

37. Characteristics of the later Zhou dynasty that are lasting features of Chinese civilization

Origin and early spread of a Daoist worldview

Dynastic rule and the conception of the Mandate of Heaven

Intensive river valley irrigation and agriculture

Significant Buddhist penetration and influence among the broad masses of the people

38. The Bhagavad Gita Hindu text

39. The Law of Manu Basic text for Hindu gurus Reflects Indian patriarchal society