| animism | the belief that the forces of nature are inhabited by spirits
|
 |
|
|
| Atman | the Hindu name for the Self; the personal part of Brahman
|
|
|
|
| Brahman | the Hindu name for the Absolute Spirit, an impersonal World Soul that pervades all things
|
|
|
|
| calligraphy | (Greek, "beautiful writing") the art of ornamental handwriting
|
|
|
|
| caste system | the rigid social stratification in India based on differences in wealth, rank, or occupation
|
|
|
|
| cosmology | the theory of the origins, evolution, and structure of the universe
|
|
|
|
| culture | the sum total of those things (including traditions, techniques, material goods, and symbol systems) that people have invented, developed, and transmitted
|
|
|
|
| cuneiform | ("wedge-shaped") one of humankind's earliest writing systems, consisting of wedge-shaped marks
|
|
|
|
| dolmen | a stone tomb formed by two posts capped by a lintel
|
|
|
|
| dynasty | a sequence of rulers from the same family
|
|
|
|
| empire | a state achieved militarily from the unification of territories under a single sovereign power
|
|
|
|
| epic | a long narrative poem that recounts the deeds of a legendary or historical hero in his quest for meaning or identity
|
|
|
|
| fresco | (Italian, "fresh") a method of painting on walls or ceilings surfaced with fresh, moist lime plaster
|
|
|
|
| hieroglyphs | (Greek, "sacred sign") the pictographic script of ancient Egypt
|
|
|
|
| hypostyle | a hall whose roof is supported by columns
|
|
|
|
| karma | (Sanskrit, "deed") the law that holds that one's deeds determine one's future life in the Wheel of Rebirth
|
|
|
|
| lyre | any one of a group of plucked stringed instruments; usually made of tortoiseshell or horn and therefore light in weight
|
|
|
|
| lyric | literally "accompanied by the lyre," hence, verse that is meant to be sung rather than spoken, usually characterized by individual and personal emotion
|
|
|
|
| megalith | a large, roughly shaped stone, often used in ancient architectural construction
|
|
|
|
| metallurgy | the science of working or heating metals
|
|
|
|
| monarch | a single or sole ruler
|
|
|
|
| monotheism | the belief in one and only one god
|
|
|
|
| nirvana | (Sanskrit, "extinction") the blissful reabsorption of the Self into the Absolute Spirit ("Brahman"): release from the endless cycle of rebirth
|
|
|
|
| obelisk | a tall, four-sided pillar that tapers into to a pyramidal apex
|
|
|
|
| pantheism | the belief that a divine spirit pervades all things in the universe
|
|
|
|
| papyrus | a reed-like plant from which the ancient Egyptians made paper
|
|
|
|
| pictograph | a pictorial symbol used in humankind's earliest systems of writing
|
|
|
|
| polychrome | having many or various colors
|
|
|
|
| polytheism | the belief in many gods
|
|
|
|
| post-and-lintel | the simplest form of architectural construction, consisting of vertical members (posts) and supporting horizontals (lintels)
|
|
|
|
| pylons | a massive gateway in the form of a pair of truncated pyramids
|
|
|
|
| qi | (Chinese, "substance" or "breath") the material substance of vital force of the universe
|
|
|
|
| relief | a sculptural technique in which figures or forms are carved either to project from the background surface (raised relief) or cut away below the background level (sunk relief); the degree of relief is designated as high, low, or sunken
|
|
|
|
| stele | an upright stone slab or pillar
|
|
|
|
| terra-cotta | (Italian, "baked earth") a clay medium that may be glazed or painted; also called "earthenware"
|
|
|
|
| theocracy | rule by god or god's representative
|
|
|
|
| ziggurat | a terraced tower of rubble and brick that served ancient Mesopotamians as a temple-shrine
|