1st Semester Study Guide

7th Grade

Artifact

• Early weapon, tool, or other thing made by humans

Anthropologist

• Studies human society

Archaeologist

• Hunts for evidence of human settlements

Nomad

• Person who moves from place to place regularly, usually within a group of people

Fossil

• Preserved remains of plants and animals

Province

• A political district

Astronomer

• One who studies the stars and planets

Ninevah

• The Assyrian Empire’s capital city

Nebuchadnezzar

• Chaldean king who built Hanging Gardens for his wife

Caravan

• A group of traveling merchants

Hieroglyphics

• The Egyptian writing style that uses thousands of picture symbols

Dynasty

• A line of rulers from one family

Cataract

• Wild rapids found on the Nile River

Papyrus

• A reed plant used to make sandals, baskets, river rafts, and paper

Delta

• A flower-like feature that is formed where the Nile River meets the Mediterranean Sea

Hatshepsut

• Egyptian queen who ruled from 1503 B.C. to 1482 B.C.

Tribute

• Forced payments made to the pharaoh by conquered people.

Thebes

• Capital City during Egypt’s Middle Kingdom period

Incense

• Material burned for its pleasant smell

Tutankhamen

• The boy who became pharaoh at age 10

Mount Sinai

• Place where Moses received the laws from God

Covenant

• An agreement or promise

Monotheism

• Belief in one God

Tribe

• A separate family group that descended from Jacob

Torah

• The name of the laws God gave to Moses

Synagogue

• A Jewish house of worship

Rabbi

• A teacher of the Torah

Herod

• The King known for the additions he made to the Jewish temple

Exile

• A person forced to leave his or her homeland

Colony

• A new settlement that keeps close ties to its homeland

Messiah

• A deliverer sent by God

Agora

• a marker and a place where people meet and debate

Peninsula

• A body of land with water on three sides

Acropolis

• A fortified area, usually on a hill

Oligarchy

• A few people hold power

Polis

• A Greek city-state

Democracy

• All citizens share in running the government

Helot

• The Spartan name for a captive

Tyrant

• A person who takes power by force and rules with total authority

Fable

• a short tale that teaches a lesson

Ephor

• A person who enforced laws and managed tax collection

Myth

• A traditional story about the gods and goddesses

Epic

• A long poem about heroic deeds

Oracle

• A priest or priestess who could tell the future

Mount Olympus

• The highest mountain in Greece, home to the gods and goddesses

Hellenistic Era

• A time when Greek ideas spread to non-Greek people

Alexander the Great

• Became king of Macedonia at age 20

Legacy

• What a person leaves behind when he or she dies

Alexandria

• The most important city in the ancient world

Philip II

• Admirer of Greek ideas who planned to conquer Persia

Caste

• A social group that one in born into and cannot change

Raja

• The prince or leader of a tribe

Himalaya

• Mountain range that is home to the highest mountains in the world

Sanskrit

• The written language developed in India

Monsoon

• A strong wind that blows one way in winter and another way in summer

Nirvana

• A state of wisdom

Theocracy

• A government controlled by religious leader

Karma

• The consequences of how a person lives

Dharma

• Divine law that requires people to perform the duties of their caste

Reincarnation

• The idea of passing through many livesto be united with Brahman

Republic

• a form of government in which its citizens vote for its leader

Legion

• A group of 6,000 soldiers

Apennines

• A mountain range that runs the length of Italy

Aeneas

• A Trojan hero of the epic the Aeneid

Etruscans

• A people that played a major role in shaping Roman civilization

Julius Caesar

• Military hero and Rome’s most famous leader

Latifundia

• A large farming estate

Triumvirate

• A political alliance of three people

Cicero

• Rome’s greatest public speaker

Actium

• The battle in which Octavian defeated Antony and Cleopatra

Gladiator

• Person who fought animals and other people as public amusement

Rhetoric

• Public speaking

Anatomy

• Study of bone structure

Satire

• Works that poke fun at human weaknesses

Ode

• Poem that express strong emotions about life

Saint

• A Christian holy person

Justinian

• Ruler of Byzantine Empire

Theodora

• Ruled the Byzantine Empire with her husband

Regent

• A person who rules in place of a ruler who is either too young or too ill to govern

Mosaic

• A picture made from colored bits of stone and glass

Parable

• A story that uses everyday life events to express spiritual ideas

Salvation

• To be saved from sin and allowed to enter heaven

Apostle

• An early Christian leader chosen by Jesus to spread his message

Disciple

• One of the 12 followers of Jesus

Resurrection

• To rise from the dead

Excommunicate

• To declare that a person or group no longer belongs to the church

Basil

• A bishop who created a list of rules for monks and nuns

Schism

• A separation of the two most important branches of Christianity

Charlemagne

• The Frankish king given the title of emperor by the pope

Sheikh

• The head of a tribe

Icon

• A picture or image of Jesus, Mary, and the saints

Bedouin

• A desert herder who went from place to place

Oasis

• A green area fed by underground water

Quran

• The holy book of Islam

Muhammad

• Founder of the Islamic faith

Al-Razi

• The Best known Muslim chemist

Crier

• A person who calls believers to prayer five times a day

Minaret

• A tower in which believers are called to prayer

Mosque

• Muslim house of worship

Caliph

• Successor to the Messenger of God