AP World History Midterm Exam Study Guide
Chapter 1
● Mesopotamia (TigrisEuphrates)
○ 80002000 BCE
■ Neolithic (New Stone Age)
■ Earliest Agriculture
○ City States (walled city and hinterland) sprung up around rivers
■ Citystates= characteristic of mesopotamia, Archaic and Classical Greece,
Phoenicia, and early Italy
○ People living here= Sumerians
■ In Southern Mesopotamia by 5000 BCE
■ Responsible for making irrigation technology, cuneiform, religious concepts found in Mesopotamian culture
○ Lugal=Big Man (their leader, king)
■ Sargon I
● Known lugal of citystate Akkad 2350 BCE
● First to unite man cities under one king and capital
● Akkadian state fell around 2230 BCE
○ Babylonia
■ Largest and most important city in Mesopotamia
■ Founded by Semitic Amorites
■ Capital of Hammurabi in 18th century BCE and NeoBabylonian king
Nebuchadnezzar in 6th century BCE
○ Hammurabi (r. 17921750 BCE)
■ Made Babylon capital of “Old Babylonian State”
■ Famous for his Law Code (many offenses were met with harsh punishments)
● Punishments were lighter for the richer, upper class
○ Writing
■ First appeared in Mesopotamia before 3300 BCE
■ Cuneiform (originated in Mesopotamia)
● Used sharpened end of reed into a moist clay tablet
● Because so many symbols had to be learned, literacy was confined to a small group of administrators and scribes
○ World View= Pessimistic
■ River flooded randomly
● Egypt (Nile River Valley)
○ 31002575 BCE (Early Dynastic)
■ Writing system of Hieroglyphics started in this period
● Because of the long period of study required to master this system, literacy in hieroglyphics was confined to a small group of scribes andadministrators
○ 25752134 BCE (Old Kingdom)
■ Capital=Memphis
○ 20401640 BCE (Middle Kingdom)
■ During this period, Egypt took over Nubia
● Egypt imposed their language, religion, and culture on Nubia
● Egypt withdraws in 1200 BCE though
○ (Intermediate period) Hyksos come in and bring end to Middle Kingdom
■ First time Egypt comes
● Mesopotamia (TigrisEuphrates)
○ 80002000 BCE
■ Neolithic (New Stone Age)
■ Earliest Agriculture
○ City States (walled city and hinterland) sprung up around rivers
■ Citystates= characteristic of mesopotamia, Archaic and Classical Greece,
Phoenicia, and early Italy
○ People living here= Sumerians
■ In Southern Mesopotamia by 5000 BCE
■ Responsible for making irrigation technology, cuneiform, religious concepts found in Mesopotamian culture
○ Lugal=Big Man (their leader, king)
■ Sargon I
● Known lugal of citystate Akkad 2350 BCE
● First to unite man cities under one king and capital
● Akkadian state fell around 2230 BCE
○ Babylonia
■ Largest and most important city in Mesopotamia
■ Founded by Semitic Amorites
■ Capital of Hammurabi in 18th century BCE and NeoBabylonian king
Nebuchadnezzar in 6th century BCE
○ Hammurabi (r. 17921750 BCE)
■ Made Babylon capital of “Old Babylonian State”
■ Famous for his Law Code (many offenses were met with harsh punishments)
● Punishments were lighter for the richer, upper class
○ Writing
■ First appeared in Mesopotamia before 3300 BCE
■ Cuneiform (originated in Mesopotamia)
● Used sharpened end of reed into a moist clay tablet
● Because so many symbols had to be learned, literacy was confined to a small group of administrators and scribes
○ World View= Pessimistic
■ River flooded randomly
● Egypt (Nile River Valley)
○ 31002575 BCE (Early Dynastic)
■ Writing system of Hieroglyphics started in this period
● Because of the long period of study required to master this system, literacy in hieroglyphics was confined to a small group of scribes andadministrators
○ 25752134 BCE (Old Kingdom)
■ Capital=Memphis
○ 20401640 BCE (Middle Kingdom)
■ During this period, Egypt took over Nubia
● Egypt imposed their language, religion, and culture on Nubia
● Egypt withdraws in 1200 BCE though
○ (Intermediate period) Hyksos come in and bring end to Middle Kingdom
■ First time Egypt comes