question

Akhenaten's experiment with monotheism failed because

answer

it was imposed from above and did not find a place among the people

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Mesopotamian agriculture depended on

answer

irrigation

question

Which of the Near Eastern societies invented writing?

answer

Sumerians

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All of the following traits characterized the Neolithic stage of human development except

answer

A) new types of stone tools. B) agriculture and animal husbandry as primary ways of life. C) use of bronze weapons. *** D) the appearance of towns. E) warfare and the construction of walled villages.

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According to the text, large-scale trade in the Neolithic world developed out of

answer

the agricultural surplus.

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The earliest written signs

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were pictographs, in which each sign pictured an object.

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The division of labor within Neolithic towns resulted from

answer

agricultural surplus.

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All of the following were products of systematic agriculture except

answer

A) the division of labor. B) the development of permanent towns. C) a healthier population. D) a dramatic increase in population. E) more people needed to become involved in food production. ***

question

Under the Code of Hammurabi, _____________ were punished most harshly for a given crime.

answer

slaves

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The Sumerian nobility included all of the following except

answer

leading merchants

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Sumerian society was

answer

complex, with various social categories.

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One major drawback to the system of writing known as pictographs was that it

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could not represent abstract ideas

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Sargon built a new capital city, the city of

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Akkad.

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The political unification of Egypt ushered in the period known as the

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Old Kingdom.

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Egypt was

answer

nearly self-sufficient.

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Egyptian religion was

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permeated by the cyclical patterns of the Nile River.

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The primary purpose of the pyramids was to serve as

answer

massive tombs.

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Near Eastern peoples originally developed writing to

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keep accurate records

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Around 1800 B.C.E., people whom the Egyptians called the _________ began to settle in the Nile Delta.

answer

Hyksos

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Egalitarian society

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a society with equality between groups; men and women had equal rule

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Stone Age

answer

Paleolithic period- "Old Stone Age", 200000-10000BCE, still no documentation, old stone tools Mesolithic period- bone tools were used for fishing Neolithic period- 10000BCE- 3000BCE, increased sophistication--esp. in agriculture using the new stone tools

question

Nomads

answer

traveled from place to place in search of food and resources

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Cuneiform

answer

from the latin "wedge-shaped"- the Sumerian form of writing, came AFTER pictographs

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Polytheists

answer

Mesopotamian religion, belief in many gods

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Epic of Gilgamesh

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the first Sumerian epic poem

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B.C.

answer

Before Christ

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A.D.

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Anno Domini- "In the Year of Our Lord"

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Homosapiens

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"knowing man"- knew how to make tools, nomadic, became sedentary (stayed in one place) when agriculture began

question

Agriculture

answer

cultivation of plants and animals/domestication/harvesting/storing (8000-7000BCE), first appeared along the Fertile Crescent

question

Consequences of agriculture

answer

1. War- walls were built around villages 2. Inc. in population 3. Social classes/ division of labor 4. Craftsmen 5. Trade

question

Ur

answer

First city in history, 500000 ppl, 3000BCE, modern day Iraq

question

Mesopotamia

answer

"land between the rivers" (rivers=Tigris and Euphrates)

question

Pros/Cons to living on the rivers

answer

Pros- population growth/religion Cons- flooding (can be both good and bad, good when the water irrigates)

question

Lugal

answer

first king of Mesopotamia (established a hereditary monarchy)

question

King's responsibilities

answer

- Make laws/enforce them/judicial power - Leader of the army - Supreme architect

question

What was ancient writing used for?

answer

Taxes

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True or False? Mesopotamian gods were vengeful.

answer

True

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Ziggurat

answer

temple (step-pyramids) where sacrifices were made

question

Nobles

answer

the top level of Sumerian society; consisted of the king and his family, the chief priests, and the high palace officials

question

Clients

answer

free men and women who were dependent on the nobility; in return for their labor they received small plots of land to work for themselves

question

6 Basic Elements which form a Civilization

answer

1. Urban focus- has a city 2. Distinct religious structure- gods/priests 3. Distinct political/military structure-monarchy 4. Social structure based on economic power- classes w/slaves 5. Writing- cuneiform 6. Artistic/Intellectual activity- pottery, temples, Epic of Gilgamesh

question

Sumerian

answer

1st human civilization, constant war due to high density population, kingship was hereditary

question

Imperialism

answer

1 country taking over other countries

question

Monarchy

answer

"one power" in the hands of the king

question

Arkadian Empire

answer

1st Empire- conquered Sumer

question

Sargon I

answer

Emperor of Akkad who controlled Sumer after conquering (2335BCE)

question

People who lived in Mesopotamia

answer

Sumerians

question

Amorites

answer

Babylonians who migrated from Arabia and settled along the Euphrates-location dominated trade

question

Hammurabi

answer

Babylonian king who set out to: 1. make Babylonia secure 2. unify Mespotamia 3. win the Babylonian place in Mesopotamian civilization

question

Code of Hammurabi

answer

a set of 282 laws governing daily life in Babylon; the earliest known collection of written laws. This covered a broad spectrum of moral, social, and commercial obligations.

question

Social Structure of Egypt

answer

1. Pharaoh- ruler of the land (monarchy) 2. Bureaucrats- government employees: priests, scribes, tax collectors, military leaders, governors, judges, nobles=aristocrats 3. Merchants/artisans 4. Farmers and serfs (90%) - farmers--own their own land - serfs--can either own or rent the land

question

Culture

answer

Religion, art, intellectual activity NOT political, social, or economic

question

Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton)

answer

1364-1347, declared that there was only 1 God who rewards the good and punishes the bad

question

King Tut

answer

changed Egypt back to polytheism

question

In the mind of the Egyptians, the ____ was the supreme renewer of the land

answer

Nile

question

The Nile

answer

-allowed farmers to produce their agricultural surplus, which in turn led to population growth - promoted communication throughout the valley (movement of goods and armies)

question

True or False: Egypt was self-sufficient

answer

True, Egypt's natural resources made it self-sufficient. Ex.: Egypt possessed stone which they used for architecture and sculpture, clay for pottery, and gold for jewelry and ornaments. They obtained copper from Sinai and timber from Lebanon

question

Egypt's 2 entities

answer

Upper Egypt Lower Egypt

question

Menes

answer

king who united upper and lower Egypt into ONE kingdom (3100BCE)...political unification led to the "Old Kingdom"

question

Periodization of Egypt

answer

Old Kingdom- 2660-2180 Middle Kingdom- 2080- 1640 **Hyksos invaded!** New Kingdom- 1570- 1075 *Intermediate periods- holes in history, marks the breakdown on central authority/invasions

question

Old Kingdom

answer

noted from prosperity, art, and the development of religions

question

Egyptians were ______ (what religion)

answer

polytheists

question

Most powerful Egyptian gods

answer

1. Amon (sky god)- created an entire cosmos with his thoughts, caused the Nile to flood and the wind to blow 2. Ra (sun god)- creator/destroyer of life, commanded the earth and the underworld 3. Amon-Ra- a combination of the 2 gods 4. Aton- another sun god, where the souls of the dead went 5. Isis- wife of Osiris, viewed as a protector 6. Osiris- king of the dead

question

Book of the Dead

answer

explained that the god Osiris weighed each person's heart to determine if he/she has lived justly and deserves an everlasting life. After death, the soul leaves the body to become part of the divine

question

Pharaoh

answer

commanded the wealth, resources, and people of Egypt--became one with Osiris after death

question

Pyramids

answer

used as tombs

question

New Kingdom

answer

slavery became widespread

question

True or False: there was a strict caste system in Egypt that prevented mobility, even if one possessed the talent to move up

answer

False, there was no caste system in Egypt and people could move freely between classes if they worked their way up

question

Hyksos

answer

rulers of the uplands, settled in the Nile delta in 1800BCE, took political control of Egypt and created the capital city of Avaris, slavery became more prominent

question

What Age did the arrival of the Hyksos bring Egypt into? Why?

answer

the Bronze Age--because they brought tools, armor and weapons with them

question

Egypt's desert

answer

served as a natural fortress because it was so difficult to cross

question

Akhenaten

answer

pushed for religion (monotheism), suggested that Aton was the only god--monotheism did not endure beyond his reign

question

Hittites

answer

first Indo-Europeans to become broadly important throughout the region--left a lasting imprint--introduced iron to form weapons and tools

question

Battle of Kadesh

answer

ushered in a period of peace and stability in the Near East which lasted until the 13th century BCE when "Sea Peoples" invaded/conquered, brought Egyptians back into the Nile delta and destroyed the Hittites

question

In Africa, the decline of Egyptian power energized the kingdoms of ____ and ____, who adopted the elements of Egyptian culture as they rose to power in this region.

answer

Nubia and Kush

question

The __________ thrived with the absence of pressure from the Egyptians and Hittites, and they developed a trade network that spread Mesopotamian culture along the Mediterranean. They also began to manufacture goods for export (metal tools and weapons). They also developed the alphabet, which was their most lasting cultural achievement. The Greeks later modified it and used it as their written language.

answer

Phoenicians

question

The End of Egyptian power

answer

The long wars against the Sea Peoples impoverished Egypt, weakening its power in the region

question

Third Intermediate Period

answer

the 400 years of political fragmentation in Egypt after their power was weakened

question

The Evolution of the Jewish State

answer

- From Egypt, Moses and his people (Hebrews) wandered in the Sinai Peninsula until they settled in Palestine in the 13th century BCE - Once in Palestine, the Hebrews felt threatened by the Philistines (superior technology and military organization)--Saul led attacks on the Philistines

question

The ___________ invented a script called Linear A.

answer

Minoans

question

The fall of the Mycenaean kingdoms ushered in a period historians call the

answer

Dark Age

question

The works of Homer

answer

described a time when gods still walked on earth.

question

Hesiod's Theogony

answer

traces the origin and descent of the gods.

question

Minoan civilization was centered

answer

on Crete

question

The agora in the Greek city-state served as all of the following EXCEPT a

answer

A) marketplace. B) refuge from attack. ** C) site of courts. D) site where warrior assemblies originally met. E) political forum.

question

For protection, Greek city-states relied on

answer

a militia of citizens who owned land.

question

The Greeks called a colonizing city a(n) ___________, or mother city.

answer

metropolis

question

The greatest weakness of the Greek polis (city-states) was

answer

their difficulty in cooperating with one another.

question

At the end of the First Messenian War, Sparta turned the Messenians into __________, or state serfs.

answer

helots

question

Solon did all of the following EXCEPT

answer

A) free people enslaved for debt. B) recall all exiles. C) cancel all debts on land. D) outlaw private property. ** E) divide society into four groups based on wealth.

question

An Athenian woman's main function was to

answer

have and raise children.

question

Mycenaean script derived directly from

answer

Minoan Linear A script.

question

Minoan Linear A script.

answer

deme.

question

Underlying Athenian democracy was the belief that

answer

all full citizens were sovereign.

question

The Greeks' defeat of the Persians

answer

saved Greece and Greek culture from Persian domination.

question

The most important economic activity in most Greek communities was

answer

agriculture.

question

After the Greek victory over the Persians, the Athenians formed the

answer

Delian League.

question

The sculptures adorning the Parthenon

answer

depict scenes from the life of Athena.

question

Athenian drama originated in

answer

the religious festivals of the city.

question

After the Peace of Nicias, the Peloponnesian War was rekindled by

answer

Alcibiades.

question

A government characterized by the "rule of the few" is called a

answer

oligarchy.

question

Plato's great contribution to philosophy was

answer

the founding of the Academy.

question

Herodotus's central subject was

answer

the Persian wars.

question

Aspasia was the lover and companion of

answer

Pericles.

question

_________ was the first of the Pre-Socratics.

answer

Thales

question

The culmination of Pre-Socratic thought was the theory that

answer

four substances—air, fire, earth, water—make up the universe.

question

According to the text, the most important factor in the success of Philip II of Macedon in Greece was

answer

warfare among the Greeks.

question

Alexander's expedition eastward halted at the Hyphasis River because the

answer

Macedonian army refused to go further.

question

After Alexander's death, the Ptolemies founded a dynasty in

answer

Egypt

question

The ___________ kings established cities and colonies from Western Asia Minor to India.

answer

Seleucid

question

The political history of the Hellenistic period was dominated by Greek leagues and

answer

great monarchies.

question

Zeno was the founder of the __________ school of philosophy.

answer

Stoic

question

The Stoics' most important practical achievement was the creation of the concept of

answer

natural law.

question

The bureaucrats of the Hellenistic kingdoms were usually recruited from

answer

Greece.

question

In the Hellenistic city, Greeks represented

answer

an elite citizen class.

question

The uniqueness of Hellenistic culture lay in its

answer

fusion of Greek and Eastern cultures.

question

The accomplishments of Hellenistic science included all of the following EXCEPT

answer

A) calculation of the earth's circumference to within about 200 miles. B) the development of hydrostatics. C) the revolution of weaponry according to scientific principles. D)** the discovery of techniques for the production of high-quality steel. E) the conclusion that the stars were enormously distant from earth.

question

The _________ linked China, Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean.

answer

Great Silk Road

question

Probably the most popular mystery cult in the Hellenistic Near East was that of

answer

Isis

question

In the Hellenistic period

answer

manual labor was abundant and often provided by slaves.

question

All of the following were traits of the mystery religions EXCEPT

answer

A) a community of initiates united with their god. B) a promise of eternal life for the soul after death. C) emotional intensity. D)** the use of human sacrifice. E) initiation rites that allowed the devotee access to the secrets of the religion.

question

How did Hellenistic culture influence the Jewish religion?

answer

The Old Testament was translated into Greek.

question

The Hellenistic period provided the basis for all of the following EXCEPT

answer

A) expanded commerce between Greece and the Near East. B) the development of monarchical ruling systems. C) a new cosmopolitan society. D) the Roman Empire. E) the destruction of the civilizations of the Near East.**

Western Civ. Miderm Chs. 1-5 – Flashcards

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