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