6th+grade+glossary

GLOSSARY


 * acropolis** - fortified hill in a Greek polis, usually with a temple on it


 * agora** - marketplace in a Greek polis


 * agriculture** - growin and raising the food supply


 * Alexander the Great** - great general who conquered the Nile to the Indus. He tried without success to unite the Macedonians, Greeks, and Persians


 * Anglo - Saxons** - Germanic group settled in what is now England


 * archaeology** - study of remains of past human cultures


 * Assyrians** - warlike civilization that used iron weapons


 * Augustus** - Actual name was Octavian; he and others took over from Julius Caesar and was emperor of Rome from 27 B.C. He brought the Pax Romana.


 * Babylon** - ancient capital city of a vast empire in the Fertile Crescent


 * Carthage** - City in the Persian empire that challenged Rome for power but lost.


 * cataracts** - waterfalls on the Nile that protected Egypt from attack from the south


 * cathedral** - huge church using arches to allow larger rooms, taller ceilings, bigger windows, and more light


 * Chaldeans** - civilization lead by King Nebudchanezzar known for the Hanging Gardens of Babylon


 * Charlemagne** - Charles the Great. Frankish king who tried to unite all of western Europe


 * Christianity** - religion based on the teachings of Jesus the "Christ" or messiah. It spread because Rome's empire was so big.


 * civilization** - society with advanced politics, economy, religion, social groups, inventions, and art


 * clan** - group based on family ties


 * the Crusades** - holy wars sponsored by the Pope to try to take the Holy Land (Jerusalem) from the muslims during the Middle Ages


 * culture** - the way a group of people chooses to live including their language, art, food, religion, clothing, houses


 * delta** - fan shaped opening at the mouth of the Nile where the most fertile land was


 * democracy** - a form of government that includes favoring the equality of all people; people rule themselves.


 * domestication** - to tame animals in order to make them useful to humans


 * embalm** - preserve the bodies of the dead


 * empire** - a country plus the territories it conquers


 * estate** - a unit of property owned by a lord that is self-sufficient with village, shops, farms, and homes


 * Fertile Crescent** - region in the Middle East around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; an important birthplace of civilizations


 * feudalism** - system of relationships between lord and vassals in which they exchange land for favors


 * fief** - piece of land given by lords to vassals


 * Franks** - in 400's, Germanic group where France & Germany now are


 * gentile** - non-Jews. Paul taught that the teachings of Jesus were for all people, not just the Jews.


 * Goths** - Germanic group who lived in the Balkan Peninsula; they were divided into East Goths (Ostrogoths) and West Goths (Visigoths).


 * Hammurabi's Code** - first written set of laws


 * Hebrews** - civilization who were the first to worship one god


 * Hellenistic** - the period of time after the Greek city-states lost independence and the rulers built a big empire 335 - 145 B.C.


 * hieroglyphics** - form of writing using a combination of pictures and sounds


 * hunter-gatherer** - people in paleolithic time that found or hunted food


 * Julius Caesar** - emperor of Rome; killed 44 B.C. He did great things but had too much power.


 * King Narmer** - starting 3100 B.C. he united upper and lower Egypt into one kingdom


 * lord** - noble who owned or controlled estates of manors in the Middle Ages


 * manor** - Medieval estate made of farms, churches, homes, village & lord's house


 * Messiah** - savior. Jews thought Jesus would save them from the Romans.


 * Middle Kingdom** - 2300 B.C. to 1786 B.C. when the powerful pharaohs were overthrown, and less powerful ones took over. It ended when the Hyksos invaded.


 * migrate** - to move from one place to another


 * Minoans** - civilization on Crete beginning 2800 B.C. that led to Greek civilization


 * monasteries** - religious communities that helped people and preserved Roman and Greek writings.


 * mummy** - the wrapped body of a dead person that was treated and embalmed


 * Mycenaeans** - civilization from Russia came to Greece 2000 B.C. and led to Greek civilization


 * Neolithic** - new stone age beginning 10,000 years ago with agriculture


 * New Kingdom** - 1550 - 671 B.C. Pharaohs tried to expand the empire, but it was weakened by war and the Assyrians took over.


 * Old Kingdom** - 2600 to 2300 B.C. when Egypt was united and at its height


 * Olympic games** - Summer festival every foru years in Ancient Greece, at Olympia to honor the god Zeus.


 * Paleolithic** - old stone age, when people first lived starting 2.3 million years ago to 10,000 years ago


 * papyrus** - paper made from reeds from the Nile.


 * patricians** - people in older, wealthy Roman families who could hold public office and had more say.


 * Pax Romana** - 200 years of peace and culture in Roman history - Rome at its height.


 * peasant** - poor farmer


 * Peloponnesian Wars** - Sparta defeated Athens in these wars between 431 - 404 B.C.


 * Persian Wars** - wars between Athens and Persia; Athens won


 * Persians -** civilization with huge network of roads, used coins for money, and traded for Chinese silk


 * pharaoh** - ruler of Egypt that was also considered a priest and god


 * Phoenicians** - civilization known for peaceful trade and spreading the alphabet


 * plebians** - poorer Roman citizens who paid taxes, served in the army, & could be enslaved if in debt.


 * polis** - Greek city-state; acted independently


 * population** - number of living things in an area


 * pyramid** - great tombs that were built for pharaohs and other important people to send them into the immortal world after death


 * Republic** - Form of government in which people elect leaders to represent them.


 * Senate** - group of 300 men in Ancient Rome who made laws & advised leaders.


 * serf** - peasants who farmed, but were not free to leave the manor they farmed


 * specialization** - development of occupations other than food production in Neolithic times


 * Sumer** - first ancient civilization in the Fertile Crescent; featured ziggurats and cuneiform


 * theater** - grew from storytelling festivals honoring the god Dionysus. It included a chorus and music in plays in Ancient Greece


 * The Twelve Tables** - 12 bronze tablets in 450 B.C. where Roman laws were written for the first time.


 * Vandals** - Germanic group defeated by Goths, burned down Rome 455


 * vassal** - person who receives a fief and owes the lord money and favors and loyalty


 * Vikings** - Norsemen from what is now Norway - good sailors & warriors


 * William the Conqueror** - 1066 came from the north and conquered and united all of France and England in a kingdom