Societies Change Introduction

Societies change | Introduction

Glossary

Term / Description
acknowledgement / identification of where information came from
ahu / platforms on which statues were placed
alchemy / a type of chemistry, not based on scientific knowledge
amulet / an item worn for good luck or protection
ancestor / relative from an earlier historical period
anthrax / a highly infectious disease
anthropologists / people who study the history of human societies
Arabs / people from the Arab world (western Asia and north Africa)
archaeological / to do with archaeology, the investigation of sites of early human occupation
archaeological digs / areas historians dig up that are linked to past settlements; aim is to find evidence of past societies
archaeologists / people who examine sites and artefacts of past human settlements
archaeology / the study of what remains of past human settlements and the artefacts found within them
ariki / Polynesian chieftain
artefact / something made and used in the period being investigated
barbarian / term used during medieval times to identify people who were not Christians; often associated with violence
BCE / Before the Common Era
berserkers / fierce fighters
biological warfare / the use of disease as a weapon in war
Black Death / also known as the plague, a disease
buboes / a swelling or lump associated with the bubonic plague
butterfly cut / a vicious sword cut to the back
c / short form for circa, meaning around the time of
Caesar / title given to Roman emperors
caliph / person who was given authority over the political and administrative functions of Islam
caravans / groups of traders or merchants travelling together
cause / refers to the reasons for an historical event or development
cavalry / part of an army that fights on horseback
CE / Common Era (refers to the years after the birth of Christ)
celestial / relates to the stars and planets
century / a period of one hundred years
charisma / personality; charm; appeal
Christendom / Christian countries of Europe
Christian / person who follows the religion based on the life and the teachings of Jesus
chronological order / arranged in the order that they occurred in time
chronology / time order or sequence of events
city-state / an area free from the political influence of other areas, independent
civilisation / group of people and their way of life
classical / related to the time of ancient Greece and Rome
collections / groups of historical sources
colonists / settlers of land at a distance from main homeland
conjunction / an astronomical term (to do with the stars and planets) describing two appearing very close together
contest / to dispute; contestability is an important historical concept
contestability / historical concept that refers to the idea that different interpretations of the past are possible as a result of a lack of evidence or because of the different perspective of historians
context / the background to the period being investigated; the significant people, events and ideas of the time
continuities / aspects of the past that have remained the same over a certain period of time
continuity and change / important historical concepts or ideas
court / place where a king administers his kingdom, including announcing rules and laws and detailing punishments
Crusades / military campaigns to control the Holy Land
currency / form of exchange for goods and services, such as notes and/or coins
daimyo / Japanese noble samurai
danegeld / a Viking tax
descendant / a relative or offspring
development / an event or occurrence where something is developed, created or changed
DNA / deoxyribonucleic acid; substance found in all living things
doges / chief magistrates (judges) in Venice
dynasty/dynastic / family that rules over a period of time; relates to the ruling family
Ebola virus / a disease spread by blood and other body fluids
ecologist / scientist who studies the links between organisms and their environment
economic / relates to the financial organisation of a society including production, development and trade
effect / refers to the results, outcomes or consequences of a cause
empathy / the capacity to enter into and understand another’s feelings, emotions, values and attitudes
emperor / a ruler of an empire (large area of land)
empire / land or territory controlled by a nation
era / historical period of time
evidence / something that supports a claim; proof of a historical fact
exhibits / historical sources displayed in museums
feudal system / medieval social, economic and political system
fieldwork / work done at the actual site of a past civilisation
forces of change / people, ideas and events that introduced a different way of life
forge / where a blacksmith (person who shapes metal objects like swords or blades for ploughs) works
fortification / a building or structure that has been made stronger
fortresses / well-defended structures/buildings
frontier / the area on the boundary of a country or region
golden age / a period of time marked by a country’s dominance over others in terms of their wealth, power and cultural achievements
guilds / organisations of merchants and craftsmen
Han / member of the Han Chinese dynasty
hazard / a danger
hereditary office / handed down through generations or by right of inheritance
heritage / something of value passed down from one generation to another
hierarchy / organisation of groups into a ranking according to status (power and wealth)
historical site / a place or setting that has an historically significant past
hoards / collections of Viking treasure
Humanism / the idea that that humans and their earthly world were as important as the spiritual, ‘heavenly’ world
humours / fluids found in the body
immune (system) / body process that fights disease
imperial / a feature of an empire; area ruled by an emperor
Islam/Islamic / the religion based on the Prophet Muhammad; related to the religion of Islam
isolationism / a nation’s wish to reduce contact with other nations; being isolated from other nations
Judaism / religious, spiritual and ethical beliefs of Jewish people
Juvayni / a thirteenth-century Persian historian
Koran / book containing the holy scriptures of Islam
Latin / language of Ancient Rome
legacy / something handed down or passed on from one generation to another
longhouse / Viking house
mana / Polynesian spirit
manuscripts / medieval documents
martyr / a person who willingly suffers death rather than renounce their religious beliefs
medieval / historical period of time between the end of the ancient period and the start of the modern period
medieval era or Middle Ages / historical period between the end of the Ancient period and the start of the Modern period
Meiji Restoration / event that led to the return of the emperor as the ruler of Japan
miasma / fumes or air
midden / waste or rubbish pit
moai / large statues sculptured from stone on the island of Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
monasteries / buildings of a religious community of monks led by an abbot; usually removed from the rest of society
monks / men living a religious life, usually in a monastery
monotheistic / religions that believe in one god
movement / a series of actions or events taking place over a period of time that contribute to the creation of a principle or policy
Muslim / follower of Islam
navigators / people with skills that help them find their way from one place to another
nomadic / a way of life based on the movement of people and herds of domesticated animals from one area of grazing land (pasture) to another
oral histories / spoken accounts of the past
pagan / a term used in medieval times to identify people who were not Christians
pastoralist / person whose social and/or economic system (way of life) is linked to the migration or movement of herds of animals
patron / a person who supports or sponsors another person
patronage / the system of sponsorship of artists during the Renaissance
peasants / persons who worked the land
persecution / treating other people cruelly or badly
perspective / point of view from which historical events, problems and issues can be analysed
Picts, Saxons and Angli / tribes active in the period leading up to and immediately after the decline of the Roman Empire
pilgrims / individuals or groups who travel to a location for a religious purpose
pitch / tar used as a building material
political / relates to the structure, action and function of government
primary sources / first hand or original documents that have survived from the past
primary sources / objects and documents that come from the period being investigated
prophet / a person who speaks for a god or as an interpreter through whom the will of a god is expressed
Reformation / the events resulting in the establishment of protestant religions
represent / selecting sources to present a version of the past
republic / a system of government controlled by a council of citizens from the merchant class
Roman Catholic / specific group of Christians led by the Pope in Rome
rongorongo / early form of writing found on Rapa Nui
runes / Viking characters of alphabet
saint / a person officially recognised as being of great holiness and virtue
samurai / Japanese medieval warrior
secondary sources / second-hand or published sources that have been created long after the events they discuss have happened
secular / not religious
shogun / Japanese term for a military leader, commander of a force
shogunate / period of rule by a shogun
significance / the importance that is given to a particular aspect of the past
significant / important, key to understanding a historical period
sites / locations of important activity in a historical period
social / relating to how people live together and relate to each other; the organisation of groups of people within a society
status / position or level in society
Stone Age / historical period identified by human use of primitive tools made from stone
superstition / a false belief or idea
surgeon / a person who operates by cutting into the body
symbolism / use of symbols such as images, objects or colours to represent or stand for something
tariff / a tax placed on goods coming into a country
textiles / cloth
theories / possible explanations
timeline / a graphical representation along a line representing time of events in the order that they occurred
trade routes / paths followed by merchants (traders) from the source of their goods, to the markets where their goods are sold
traditional / a way of carrying out a social custom, economic activity or political act that is based on how these actions were done in the past
treaty / a document that outlines an action or policy agreed to by the nations that have signed the document
tribal / group of people united by family links or loyalty
urban / features of town life
Viking / early Norse peoples of Norway, Sweden and Denmark; also called Norsemen
Viking era / period of time influenced by the Vikings