Worlds Together, Worlds Apart, 2 e.
Glossary
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Glossary Terms for letter: B
Bactrian camel Domesticated in Central Asia around 2500 BCE, the two-humped camel was heartier than the one-humped dromedary and became the animal of choice for the harsh and varied climates typical of Silk Road trade.
Baghdad Founded in 762 CE, Baghdad (in modern-day Iraq) was the capital of the Islamic Empire under the Abbasid dynasty. In the medieval period, it was a center of administration, scholarship, and cultural growth for what came to be known as the Golden Age of Islamic science.
Bamboo Annals Shang stories and foundation myths that were written on bamboo strips and later collected.
Banana plant For the Bantu of the equatorial rain forests of central Africa, known as the Western Bantu, the introduction of the banana plant around 525 CE was a major development.
Bantu Language first spoken by people who lived in the southeastern area of modern Nigeria around 1000 CE.
Barbarian A derogatory terms used to describe pastoral nomads, painting them as enemies of civilization; the term "barbarian" used to have a more neutral meaning than it does today.
Barbarian invasions A violent migration of people in the late fourth and fifth centuries into Roman territory. These migrants had long been used as non-Roman soldiers.
Basilicas Early church buildings, based on old royal audience halls.
Beghards (1500s) Eccentric European group whose members claimed to be in a state of grace that allowed them to do as they pleased— from adultery, free love, and nudity to murder; also called Brethren of Free Speech.
Bell beaker An artifact from Europe, this ancient drinking vessel was so named because its shape resembles an inverted bell.
Berenice of Egypt An Egyptian "queen," she helped rule over the Kingdom of the Nile from 320 to 280 BCE.
Beringia A prehistoric thousand-mile-long land bridge that linked Siberia and North America (which had not been populated by hominids). About 18,000 years ago, Homo sapiens edged into this landmass.
Bhakti A religious practice that grew out of Hinduism and emphasizes personal devotion to gods.
Bipedalism Walking on two legs, thereby freeing hands and arms to carry objects such as weapons and tools; one of several traits that distinguished hominids.
Black Death Great epidemic of the bubonic plague that ravaged Europe, East Asia, and North Africa in the fourteenth century, killing large numbers, including perhaps as many as one-third of the European population.
Bodhisattvas In Mahayan Buddhism, enlightened demigods who were ready to reach nirvana but delayed so that they might help others attain it.
Book of the Dead An Ancient Egyptian funerary text that contains drawings and paintings as well as spells describing how to prepare the jewelry and amulets that were buried with a person in preparation for the afterlife.
Brahma One of three major deities that form a trinity in Vedic religion. Brahma signifies birth. See also Vishnu and Siva.
Brahmans Vedic priests who performed rituals and communicated with the gods. Brahmans provided guidance on how to live in balance with the forces of nature as represented by the various deities. The codification of Vedic principles into codes of law took place at the hands of the Brahmans. They memorized Vedic works and compiled commentaries on them. They also developed their own set of rules and rituals, which developed into a fullscale theology. Originally memorized and passed on orally, these may have been written down sometime after the beginning of the Common Era. Brahmanism was reborn as Hinduism sometime during the first half of the first millennium CE.
Bronze An alloy of copper and tin brought into Europe from Anatolia; used to make hardedged weapons.
Bubonic plague Acute infectious disease caused by a bacterium that is transmitted to humans by fleas from infected rats. It ravaged Europe and parts of Asia in the fourteenth century. Sometimes referred to as the "black death."
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