How historians talk about rise and fall, what archaeologists dig up, and the words for ages long gone.
History is written in pairs of opposites: a power 兴起 “rises” and 衰落 “declines”, is 建立 “founded” and 灭亡 “falls”. Learn them in pairs and a history text becomes much easier to follow. Two readings matter here: 朝 is cháo in every word about a dynasty or a court (it is zhāo in 朝气, “vigour”), and the capital of an old state, 都城, is read dū, not dōu.
The words
View
Verb (11)
统一to unify; to standardise; unifiedVerb4
秦始皇统一了文字和货币。The First Emperor of Qin standardised the script and the currency.
The last syllable keeps its first tone, yī, because it ends the word.
殖民to colonise; colonialVerb5
这座港口城市还保留着殖民时期的老建筑。This port city still has old buildings from the colonial period.
A colony is a 殖民地.
出土to be unearthed; to be excavatedVerb5
这些陶器是在附近的一座古墓里出土的。These pots were unearthed from an ancient tomb nearby.
衰落to decline; to go downhillVerb5
河道改变以后，这座商业城市慢慢衰落了。After the river changed its course, this trading city slowly declined.
兴起to rise; to spring upVerb5
随着海上贸易的兴起，沿海城市越来越繁荣。As trade by sea took off, the coastal cities grew more and more prosperous.
The first syllable is xīng, “to flourish”, not xìng as in 高兴.
灭亡to fall; to perish; to be destroyedVerb5
一个王朝灭亡以后，新王朝往往会为前朝修史。When a dynasty fell, the new dynasty would often compile the history of the one before.
建立to found; to establish; to build upVerb4
这所大学是一百多年前建立的。This university was founded over a hundred years ago.
Also abstract things: 建立信任, to build up trust.
记载to record (in writing); recordVerb5
据史书记载，这里曾经是一个很大的市场。According to the historical records, this place was once a large market.
The second syllable is zǎi; read zài the same character means to carry.
游牧to live as nomads; nomadicVerb5
草原上的游牧民族随着季节搬家。The nomadic peoples of the grasslands move with the seasons.
迁徙to migrateVerb5
为了寻找更好的土地，这个部落向南迁徙。In search of better land, this tribe migrated south.
Of peoples and of animals: birds 迁徙 too.
演变to evolve; evolutionVerb5
汉字的写法经过了几千年的演变。The way Chinese characters are written has evolved over several thousand years.