History key terms

Surviving material evidence of the past, such as walls, rooms or buildings.

The local surroundings of a site, including its terrain, water and relationship to neighbouring land.

A doctor who diagnoses illness and recommends treatment; medieval physicians typically studied medicine at university.

The study of how the body and its organs work.

Gathering outside a workplace to publicise a dispute and persuade others not to enter or work there.

A taste for scenery valued for its striking, irregular or romantic appearance, including ruined buildings.

A system of payment in which workers earn according to how much they produce.

Religious devotion, expressed through beliefs and actions such as prayer and support for the Church.

An infantry soldier armed with a long spear called a pike, used against enemy infantry and to protect troops from cavalry.

A religious journey to a holy place, such as the shrine of a saint.

A series of northern English uprisings in 1536 against Henry VIII’s religious changes and government, followed by renewed unrest and repression in 1537.

Stealing goods and supplies by force, especially during warfare.

A system that uses Latin letters to represent the sounds of Mandarin Chinese, helping learners pronounce words and characters.

An early migrant who moved into an area to establish a farm or settlement.

Deeply religious and devoted to the duties of one’s faith.

The Aztec nobility, who held land and dominated important positions in government, the military, the courts and the priesthood.

Attacking and robbing ships at sea without state authorisation.

The People’s Liberation Army: the armed forces fighting for the Chinese Communist Party during the Civil War.

Extracting valuable minerals from deposits of sand or gravel, often by using water to wash away the surrounding material.

An outbreak of deadly disease affecting many people. The precise disease responsible for the Athenian plague is uncertain.

Instructions issued by national government to organise responses to outbreaks of plague.

The Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains of North America, including the Sioux, Cheyenne and Comanche; their cultures and ways of life varied.

An economy in which the state directs production and investment rather than leaving these decisions mainly to markets.

A large agricultural estate producing a crop for sale, such as sugar. Caribbean sugar plantations relied heavily on enslaved labour.

Surgery that repairs or reconstructs damaged body tissues, including skin and facial features.

A permanent building designed for the performance of plays.

A Roman citizen who was not a patrician. Plebeians included both poor people and wealthier citizens.

Roman citizens outside the patrician aristocracy; Livy describes them as bearing military service and compulsory building labour under Tarquin.

A direct vote by the electorate on a particular political question, also called a referendum.

The body of ordinary Roman citizens, distinguished from the patrician aristocracy.