AD
From the Latin term Anno Domini. The English translation is “In the Year of the Lord.” AD is the abbreviation used in Christian nations to denote the time Period from the birth of Jesus. In non-Christian countries the abbreviation CE
(meaning Common Era) is used in place of AD.

Agriculture
Cultivating the soil to produce crops, raising livestock and poultry.

Asset
Anything of value. More specifically, any thing with monetary value.

Bronze Age
Period beginning about 3000 BC when man first learned to amalgamate cooper and tin to make a stronger metal, bronze.

Civilization
Term used to denote a society who has reached a level of development that includes producing excess food, building cities, establishing a government, and keeping written records.

Constitution
The fundamental laws, principles, structure, and process of a government. A constitution may be a written document, or it may be a collection of laws, customs, and court decisions.

Demand
In economics, the need and desire for goods and services combined with the willingness and ability to pay for them.

Direct Democracy
A government where the citizens propose and vote directly on each law.

Domesticate
Domestic means home. Domesticate means to make to or adapt for home use: such as to “tame” or adapt wild animals for domestic use.

Exports
Goods that are produced by a country and sold to a foreign country.

Feudal
A political and economic system based on customs and alliances. A (feudalism) system whereby warlords make alliances and pledge allegiance to a designated leader, but independently govern their individually held lands

Imports
Goods that are brought into a country from another country.

Market
In economics, a place where buyers and sellers come together.

Millennium
One thousand years. “Millennia” is the plural form.

Monarchy
A government headed by a king or queen. In an absolute monarchy, the king’s power is unrestricted. In a limited monarchy, the monarch’s powers are restricted by enforceable limitations such as a governing body and/or a constitution

Natural Resources
Anything that occurs naturally and has value, such as forests, iron ore, coal, water, and etc.

Neolithic
The time period when man changed from hunter / food-gather and became a Revolution food producer. When man learned to produce food by farming and domesticating animals. (Revolution is an occurrence that completely changes the way man lives, works and/or thinks.)

Republic
A government where the citizens elect representatives to carry out the governing processes.

Spatial Diffusion
The distribution of ideas, products, culture, technology, innovation, languages and so on across space to other people.

Silk Road
A series of trails or routes that connected China, India, and the area around the Mediterranean.

Sovereignty
Supreme and absolute power to make and enforce laws within the territorial boundaries of a nation, state, or city-state.

Standard
The level of development in a country based on individual income, shelter, education of living diet, life expectancy, technology; and any other factors that contribute to comfort or quality of life.

Subsistence
When a person or society can only produce enough food to survive.

Technology
The tools and knowledge to perform tasks. (Note: this can be as simple as making and using a digging stick or as complicated as designing and utilizing a computer.)

Temporal
Of the spiritual world. Early Christian writings divided governing responsibilities between the secular (of this world) and the temporal (of God’s world). Thus, earthly kings became responsible for the secular laws, and the church became responsible for enforcing the temporal laws.

Theocracy
A government based on religious beliefs. The head of the government is generally considered to rule by divine guidance and may be worshiped as a god.

Traditional Economic System
An economy in which jobs, production, and the distribution of production is based on ritual, custom, or habit. (Example: Such as tribal tradition where all men are hunters, and all women are food gatherers. Also, in societies where children are assigned the same jobs their parents perform.)

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