# Definitions: Ancient History Terms # Definitions: Ancient History Terms ## Chronological Terms - **BCE**: Before Common Era — equivalent to BC, used in secular academic contexts - **CE**: Common Era — equivalent to AD, used in secular academic contexts - **Bronze Age**: Period characterized by bronze metallurgy (~3300–1200 BCE in the Near East) - **Iron Age**: Period following the Bronze Age, characterized by iron technology (~1200–~500 BCE) - **Archaic Period**: Early phase of Greek civilization (~800–480 BCE) - **Classical Period**: Height of Greek civilization (~480–323 BCE) - **Hellenistic Period**: Post-Alexander era of Greek cultural diffusion (323–30 BCE) ## Political Terms - **Polis**: Greek city-state, the fundamental political unit of ancient Greece - **Satrapy**: Provincial administrative unit of the Persian Empire, governed by a satrap - **Principate**: First phase of the Roman Empire (27 BCE–284 CE), maintaining republican facades - **Dominate**: Later phase of the Roman Empire (284–476 CE), openly autocratic - **Foederati**: Barbarian groups settled within the Roman Empire under treaty obligations ## Cultural Terms - **Cuneiform**: Wedge-shaped writing system of Mesopotamia - **Hieroglyphics**: Pictorial writing system of ancient Egypt - **Linear A**: Undeciphered Minoan script - **Linear B**: Deciphered Mycenaean Greek script - **Koine Greek**: Common dialect of Greek used across the Hellenistic world ## Archaeological Terms - **Tell/Tel**: Artificial mound formed by accumulated remains of ancient settlements - **Stele/Stela**: Upright stone slab used for commemorative or legal inscriptions - **Ziggurat**: Stepped temple platform in Mesopotamian architecture - **Necropolis**: Large ancient cemetery ("city of the dead") --- ## Review Queue - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 7: "**BCE**: Before Common Era — equivalent to BC, used in secular academic con..." - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 8: "**CE**: Common Era — equivalent to AD, used in secular academic contexts" - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 9: "**Bronze Age**: Period characterized by bronze metallurgy (~3300–1200 BCE i..." - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 10: "**Iron Age**: Period following the Bronze Age, characterized by iron technolo..." - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 11: "**Archaic Period**: Early phase of Greek civilization (~800–480 BCE)" - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 12: "**Classical Period**: Height of Greek civilization (~480–323 BCE)" - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 13: "**Hellenistic Period**: Post-Alexander era of Greek cultural diffusion (323..." - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 16: "**Polis**: Greek city-state, the fundamental political unit of ancient Greece" - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 17: "**Satrapy**: Provincial administrative unit of the Persian Empire, governed b..." - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 18: "**Principate**: First phase of the Roman Empire (27 BCE–284 CE), maintainin..." - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 19: "**Dominate**: Later phase of the Roman Empire (284–476 CE), openly autocratic" - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 20: "**Foederati**: Barbarian groups settled within the Roman Empire under treaty ..." - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 23: "**Cuneiform**: Wedge-shaped writing system of Mesopotamia" - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 24: "**Hieroglyphics**: Pictorial writing system of ancient Egypt" - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 25: "**Linear A**: Undeciphered Minoan script" - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 26: "**Linear B**: Deciphered Mycenaean Greek script" - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 27: "**Koine Greek**: Common dialect of Greek used across the Hellenistic world" - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 30: "**Tell/Tel**: Artificial mound formed by accumulated remains of ancient settl..." - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 31: "**Stele/Stela**: Upright stone slab used for commemorative or legal inscriptions" - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 32: "**Ziggurat**: Stepped temple platform in Mesopotamian architecture" - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 33: "**Necropolis**: Large ancient cemetery ("city of the dead")" - when was this true? > Standard academic definition. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 7: "**BCE**: Before Common Era — equivalent to BC, used in secular academic con..." - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 8: "**CE**: Common Era — equivalent to AD, used in secular academic contexts" - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 9: "**Bronze Age**: Period characterized by bronze metallurgy (~3300–1200 BCE i..." - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 10: "**Iron Age**: Period following the Bronze Age, characterized by iron technolo..." - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 11: "**Archaic Period**: Early phase of Greek civilization (~800–480 BCE)" - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 12: "**Classical Period**: Height of Greek civilization (~480–323 BCE)" - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 13: "**Hellenistic Period**: Post-Alexander era of Greek cultural diffusion (323..." - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 16: "**Polis**: Greek city-state, the fundamental political unit of ancient Greece" - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 17: "**Satrapy**: Provincial administrative unit of the Persian Empire, governed b..." - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 18: "**Principate**: First phase of the Roman Empire (27 BCE–284 CE), maintainin..." - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 19: "**Dominate**: Later phase of the Roman Empire (284–476 CE), openly autocratic" - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 20: "**Foederati**: Barbarian groups settled within the Roman Empire under treaty ..." - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 23: "**Cuneiform**: Wedge-shaped writing system of Mesopotamia" - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 24: "**Hieroglyphics**: Pictorial writing system of ancient Egypt" - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 25: "**Linear A**: Undeciphered Minoan script" - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 26: "**Linear B**: Deciphered Mycenaean Greek script" - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 27: "**Koine Greek**: Common dialect of Greek used across the Hellenistic world" - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 30: "**Tell/Tel**: Artificial mound formed by accumulated remains of ancient settl..." - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 31: "**Stele/Stela**: Upright stone slab used for commemorative or legal inscriptions" - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 32: "**Ziggurat**: Stepped temple platform in Mesopotamian architecture" - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 33: "**Necropolis**: Large ancient cemetery ("city of the dead")" - what is the source? > Standard academic definitions do not require sources.