Rapid Review

Summary—Periods 1 and 2: Up to 600 C.E.

1. From the simplest barter system to long journeys along trade routes, the exchange of goods and ideas shaped this period and led to further change throughout the world. Important trade routes like the Silk Road, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea shaped development.
2. Once people began to settle and gradually organize into early civilizations, the discovery of agriculture began to change their lives at a more rapid pace.
3. As humans organized themselves in families, gender roles emerged. With the development of agriculture, the division of labor further deepened these divisions. These gender roles were reinforced by religious systems and governmental systems.
4. During this period, major world religions developed and spread, shaping the civilizations they encountered. Religions and belief systems, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism (Asia), and Christianity and Judaism (Europe, Asia) influenced large numbers of people throughout the period.
5. Civilizations emerged that had organized governments, complex religions, social structures, job specialization, public works, systems of writing, and arts and architecture. These civilizations grew into larger and more complicated governmental organizations, such as empires (e.g., Rome, Han, and Gupta).

Key Topics—Periods 1 and 2: Up to 600 C.E.

Remember that the AP World History exam tests you on the depth of your knowledge, not just your ability to recall facts. While we have provided brief definitions here, you will need to know these terms in even more depth for the AP exam, including how terms connect to broader historical themes and understandings.

Early Humans

1. Paleolithic: Literally, “old stone.” The period from the appearance of the first hominids (human-like creatures) to approximately 8000 B.C.E.
2. Animism: Often found in primitive tribes, the belief that spirits can possess and control natural things and forces.

Development of Agriculture

1. Neolithic Revolution: Starting around 7000 B.C.E., this period marked the beginnings of permanent settlements and sedentary farming, leading to longer lives and higher populations.
2. Pastoralism: The agricultural practice of domesticating animals for food or other uses, beginning around 4000 B.C.E.
3. Job specialization: As civilizations progressed and not everyone needed to farm to live, skilled laborers like artisans were allowed to craft things that had value. The trade that followed led to the growth of cities.
4. Patriarchy: A society in which men hold power within the family, in governance, and/or in economics.
5. Metallurgy: The crafting of metallic ores into functional and/or valuable items, beginning around 4500 B.C.E.
6. Mesopotamia: Literally, “The Land Between the Rivers.” Geographic region centered on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, located in modern-day Iraq. Considered one of the four major “cradles of civilization.”

The First Civilizations

1. Assyria: Region in Southwest Asia spanning from modern-day Egypt to Iraq, this region was founded by a Semitic people around 2000 B.C.E. and lasted into the 600s B.C.E. Known for their fierce warrior spirit, the Assyrians were also great builders, creating cities like Nineveh and Ashur.
2. Shang: A people speaking a Sino-Tibetan language, they developed an ancient civilization along the Huang He (Yellow) River in modern-day China. Along with Mesopotamia, South Asia, and Egypt, it is a “cradle of civilization.”
3. Cuneiform: The Sumerian system of writing and one of the oldest forms of writing. Completed by pressing a wedge-shaped stylus into clay.
4. Ziggurats: The hallmark of Sumerian architecture, these multitiered pyramids served as temples to the gods.
5. Hammurabi’s Code: Oldest known code of law. Issued by Hammurabi around 1800–1700 B.C.E. to unify his empire in Babylon, this code emphasized retaliation as punishment—“an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.”
6. Phoenicians: Phoenicia was founded around 2000 B.C.E. in modern-day Lebanon, and this civilization based its livelihood on the sea. Skilled mariners, the Phoenicians traded their famed murex shells (used for “royal purple” dye) and red cedar trees. Their alphabet inspired the Greek alphabet. Collapsed around 600 B.C.E. with an Assyrian invasion.
7. Egypt: Located in Northeast Africa on the fringe of the Sahara Desert and centered on the Nile River, this nation is considered another one of the “cradles of civilization.”
8. Pictographs: Many forms of ancient writing were based on symbols that represented a sound or a concept. Pictographic languages from this period include Egyptian hieroglyphics, Sumerian cuneiform, the text of the Harappan seals, and the text of the Chinese oracle bones.
9. Roman Empire: The largest of the ancient world’s empires, it spanned across the European continent and around the Mediterranean basin. Previously a republic, the empire was noted for its strong military, achievements in academics, and the spread of Christianity. Its peak was a 200-year period (about 20 B.C.E.–180 C.E.) known as the Pax Romana, or Roman Peace.
10. Hebrews: Descendants of Abraham, considered the founder of Judaism, the first monotheistic religion. They settled in modern-day Israel c. 1500 B.C.E., then moved to Egypt.
11. Harappa and Mohenjo-daro: The two key cities of the Indus River Valley Civilization. Located in modern-day Pakistan, they represent another one of the “cradles of civilization.”
12. Vedas: A collection of hymns and chants, which would form the basis of Hinduism. The Vedas were some of the few artifacts left behind by the Aryans, nomads who took over the Indus Valley civilization c. 1500 B.C.E.
13. Hinduism: The majority religion of India today and the spiritual successor of Vedic thought. It emphasizes a cycle of reincarnation (rebirth), which can be improved or even broken by acquiring good karma for following the dharma, or rules, of one’s caste.
14. Caste system: The system of social class division in Hinduism. From highest to lowest were the priests, warriors, skilled workers and free men, bonded serfs, and pariahs (untouchables).
15. Mandate of Heaven: Ancient Chinese concept stating that the right to rule was granted by the heavens. Used to explain the rise of every Chinese dynasty from the Zhou in 1122 B.C.E. to the Qing in 1644 C.E.
16. Qin dynasty: One of the earliest empires in Chinese history. From 221 to 206 B.C.E., the Qin dynasty was known for its use of iron and bronze, along with the beginning of the Great Wall.
17. Olmecs: Oldest known civilization in the Americas (circa 1000 B.C.E.). Centered in modern-day Mexico, they were known for their active trade, scientific developments, and giant stone heads.
18. Chavin: Earliest known civilization in modern-day South America (c. 800 B.C.E). Their mountain-based trade system helped the Andes Mountains become a cradle of Mesoamerican Civilization.
19. Maya empire: Peaking from about 250–900 CE, the Maya empire, centered on the Yucatan Peninsula of modern-day Mexico, was known for its massive cities of Tikal and Chichen Itza. Trade in stone, shells, and cacao helped them thrive. Collapsed c. 900 CE under mysterious circumstances.

Classical Societies

1. Persia: Centered in modern-day Iran, they thrived around 500 B.C.E–500 C.E. Their greatest kings, Cyrus, Darius, and Xerxes, helped expand the empire into Greece. In addition to being a great military power, Persia was remarkably well-managed, with its Royal Road.
2. Alexander the Great: Macedonian king of the fourth C.Entury B.C.E. whose legendary conquests created an empire that included Greece, Persia, Southwest Asia, and parts of India. Responsible for the creation of Hellenistic culture.
3. Hellenistic: Culture that fused the ideas of Greece and Persia, particularly after the conquests of Alexander the Great.
4. Mauryan Empire: One of the first two empires of a unified India. The Mauryan Dynasty (321–185 B.C.E.) saw the rise of Chandragupta and Ashoka, the spread of Buddhism, and a well-organized economy.
5. Ashoka: Great leader of the Mauryan Empire in India, he ruled around 250 B.C.E. Known for spreading Buddhism throughout India by sponsoring missionaries and encouraging vegetarianism.
6. Gupta empire: One of the first two empires of a unified India. The Gupta Dynasty (320-550 C.E.) revived Hinduism in India, delineated clear roles for men and women, and made great contributions in both the arts and sciences.
7. Daoism: Beliefs of Chinese philosopher Laozi (Lao Tsu), based on the Dao, or “the Way,” in which people live in harmony with nature and believe in “less government.”
8. Han dynasty: One of the earliest empires in Chinese history. From 206 B.C.E. to 220 C.E., the Han dynasty was known for its strong C.Entral government, thriving Silk Road trade, state-sponsored education, and general peace and prosperity.
9. Silk Road: Network of land and sea routes facilitating trade between the Roman Empire, the Persian Empires, and the Chinese Empires. In addition to valuables, cultural ideas and new technologies traveled and spread along the routes.
10. Filial piety: Confucian virtue emphasizing respect toward one’s elders.
11. Republic: First formed in Rome in 509 B.C.E., a government system in which the people elect their leaders and help create the laws. About 50 years later, the Twelve Tables helped to formalize Roman law.
12. Diaspora: The mass spreading of the Ten Northern Tribes of Israel in 722 B.C.E., following an Assyrian invasion. This caused the loss of Hebrews’ cultural identity. In the present, it can refer to the mass scattering of any group of people
13. Christianity: Emerging in the first C.Entury C.E., this system of religion taught simplicity, love, compassion, and equality under one God. Based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, which are recorded in the New Testament. Quickly spread throughout the Mediterranean basin thanks to missionary activity, it is now the world’s dominant religion.
14. Monsoon winds: Seasonal winds that affect weather patterns (and therefore, agriculture) in South Asia. Ancient mariners used these winds to carry them to India, allowing for a thriving trade throughout the Indian Ocean.
15. Indian Ocean trade: Archaeological evidence confirms that Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Malays, Gupta Indians, and others utilized advanced marine innovations to trade valuable goods across the Indian Ocean.

Development and Spread of Religion

1. Shamanism: Often associated with indigenous tribes around the world, this system of belief involves a shaman, or spiritual medium, treating the ill by communicating with an unknown, unseen spirit world.
2. Ancestor veneration: Often associated with the Chinese, this is the worship of the spirits of one’s ancestors.
3. Brahma: One of the three primary gods of Hinduism, he is regarded as the creator.
4. Buddha: Born Siddhartha Gautama, this Indian prince founded Buddhism as an attempt to explain why there was suffering in the world. Buddhists today believe in the Four Noble Truths: that life contains suffering, that suffering is caused by desire, that desire can be rejected and nirvana (perfect peace) achieved, and that nirvana can be achieved through the Eightfold Path (a system of right forms of living).
5. Confucius: Greatest of the Chinese philosophers (551–479 B.C.E.), his philosophy of reverence of ancestors, good education, and wise governance shaped the culture of China well into the twentieth C.Entury.
6. Islam: The second most practiced religion in the world today. Founded in 622 C.E. by the Prophet Muhammad, it teaches the belief in Allah as the only god and Muhammad as the only prophet. A core tenet is the Five Pillars of Islam: declaration of faith, daily prayer, fasting during Ramadan, alms to the poor, and pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj).
7. Zoroastrianism: The religion of the Ancient Persians. Based on the teachings of Zoroaster in the Avesta, it teaches that life is a constant struggle of good versus evil in which good would always prevail.