CHAPTER 1—EARLY HUMANS AND THE FIRST CIVILIZATIONS
1. Archeologists and historians have identified several important milestones in the course of human evolution and societal development. Starting with the emergence of the first human-like creatures and ending with the invention of writing, identify at least four intermediate milestones and state their importance.
2. What was the relationship (in terms of contact, geographic and temporal overlap, etc.) between Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens? Discuss.
3. Two theories have been advanced that explain the spread of the earliest modern humans across the globe. Their names are: Multiregional and Out-of-Africa. Explain a) their differences and b) which one is favored by researchers and why.
4. What major economic changes resulted from the Neolithic Revolution? What social and lifestyle changes did it bring, and for which individuals and which groups in these societies?
5. Define the term civilization, and explain why we do not apply this label to hunter-gatherer societies.
6. Compare and contrast Neolithic society with the early civilizations in Mesopotamia and Egypt. What changed, and why?
7. Give a definition of civilization, and apply that definition to Sumerian society.
8. How did the development of writing change the societies of ancient Mesopotamia and, specifically, the lives of their peoples? Could those societies be described as "literate"? Why or why not? Which groups might have been most affected?
9. "The ancient Egyptians originated nothing of their own; they simply borrowed "civilization" from the Sumerians." Discus, pro and con.
10. Why does the text say that the social structure and ideas of ancient Egypt were a reflection of the influence of the Nile? Was this people-river relationship different from that which evolved in the societies of the Tigris-Euphrates region? Why or why not?
11. What new attitudes and practices developed during the New Kingdom in Egypt? How and why did they differ from those of the Old and Middle Kingdoms?
12. Explain what facilitated the spread of agricultural techniques from early Mesopotamia to Egypt and the Indus Valley.
13. "The ancient Hebrews were the most important peoples of the ancient Middle East." Discuss, pro and con.
14. What were the most significant aspects of the civil and military systems of the Persian Empire? Were personal or were institutional elements more important in determining its efficiency and success? What evidence causes you to think as you do?
15. Compare and contrast the ideas of Zoroaster, the Hebrews, and Akhenaten. Were they more alike than different? How, and why?
SHORT ANSWER
Instructions: Identify the following term(s).
16. hominids
17. Australopithecines
18. homo erectus
19. Homo sapiens
20. Neanderthal
21. Paleolithic
22. cave paintings
23. Out-of- Africa Theory
24. Multi Regional Theory
25. Neolithic
26. Neolithic Revolution
27. Catal Huyuk
28. Mesopotamia
29. Tigris and Euphrates
30. Sumerians
31. Eridu, Ur, Uruk, Umma, and Lagash
32. Sargon of Akkad
33. Semitic
34. Hammurabi
35. cuneiform
36. the Nile
37. Black Land and Red Land
38. Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt
39. Son of Re
40. Osiris
41. Menes
42. Great Pyramid of Giza
43. ka
44. Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, New Kingdom
45. Hyksos
46. Hatshepsut
47. Akhenaten
48. Rameses II
49. "Sea Peoples"
50. hieroglyphs
51. megaliths
52. Indo-Europeans
53. Hittites and iron
54. Phoenician alphabet
55. Hebrews and Israelites
56. Solomon
57. kingdoms of Judah and Israel
58. Babylonian captivity
59. Yahweh
60. the prophets
61. Assyrian Empire
62. Persia and Cyrus the Great
63. Cambyses and Darius
64. satraps, the Royal Road and the Immortals
65. Zoroaster
66. Zend Avesta
67. Ahuramazda and Ahriman
68. Indo-European languages
69. Indo-European Migrations
70. Phoenicians
MULTIPLE CHOICE
71. The earliest hominids
a.
lived in Asia.
b.
lived in Africa.
c.
used iron tools.
d.
are known as Homo sapiens.
e.
evolved 1,000,000 years ago.
ANS: B REF: p. 3
72. During the Old Stone Age,
a.
only Egypt had an advanced agricultural economy.
b.
both men and women hunted wild animals.
c.
hunting and gathering was the way most people supported themselves.
d.
humans lived only in the southernmost parts of Africa.
e.
communication was maintained through the use of cuneiform.
ANS: C REF: p. 3
73. Homo sapiens means
a.
user of tools.
b.
lived in Africa.
c.
wise human being.
d.
tamer of animals.
ANS: C REF: p. 3
74. Homo sapiens first evolved in
a.
Asia.
b.
Africa.
c.
Europe.
d.
America.
ANS: B REF: p. 3
75. Neanderthal remains have been found on which continent(s)?
a.
Asia
b.
Africa
c.
Europe
d.
a and b
e.
a and c
ANS: E REF: p. 3
76. Which is not true about Neanderthals?
a.
They buried their dead.
b.
They first evolved in Africa.
c.
They used tools.
d.
They were hunters and gatherers.
ANS: B REF: p. 3
77. The migration patterns of the first modern humans show that people moved beyond their familiar hunting grounds at a rate of about ____ miles per generation.
a.
2-3
b.
10-20
c.
50-100
d.
more than 200
ANS: A REF: p. 3
78. The use of fire may have begun about
a.
2,000,000 years ago.
b.
500,000 years ago.
c.
100,000 years ago.
d.
25,000 years ago.
e.
10,000 years ago.
ANS: B REF: p. 4
79. Paleolithic peoples
a.
engaged in artistic activities, as indicated by surviving cave paintings.
b.
lacked the use of fire, which significantly retarded their pace of development.
c.
perfected techniques that allowed them to hunt very large dinosaurs with total success.
d.
lived in brick structures.
e.
used bronze for tools and weapons, but not copper.
ANS: A REF: p. 4
80. What was the central aspect of the Neolithic Revolution?
a.
The first development of hunter-gatherer cultures.
b.
The successful invasion of northwestern Africa by Turkish nomads from central Asia.
c.
The emergence of systematic food production through the domestication of plants and animals.
d.
The use of fire and the cooking of food.
e.
The development of writing.
ANS: C REF: p. 6
81. Early farming in river flood plains meant a more reliable harvest because of all of the following except
a.
crops were less dependent on rainfall.
b.
river sediments deposited nutrients.
c.
natural fertilization made a sedentary lifestyle possible.
d.
governments were not centralized yet.
ANS: B REF: p. 5
82. Where have scholars found a larger, highly significant Neolithic urban center?
a.
Nairobi.
b.
Mumbai.
c.
Hokkaido.
d.
Machu Picchu.
e.
Çatal Huyuk
ANS: E REF: p. 6
83. Which of the following were among the basic characteristics of the first civilizations?
a.
the development of the Phoenician alphabet
b.
the use of iron tools and weapons by 3500 B.C.E.
c.
the development of cities
d.
the discovery of fire
e.
the invention of pottery
ANS: C REF: p. 7
84. Mesopotamian civilization
a.
developed during the Paleolithic Era.
b.
was made of cities and located in a river valley.
c.
was located between the Nile and the Niger rivers.
d.
was the only early civilization with no cities.
e.
was the birthplace of democracy.
ANS: B REF: p. 8
85. The people who created the first Mesopotamian civilization were the
a.
Sumerians.
b.
Akkadians.
c.
Egyptians.
d.
Babylonians.
e.
Nubians.
ANS: A REF: p. 8
86. All of the following are true about the ancient Sumerian city-states except that
a.
their political structure was democratic in nature.
b.
warfare between them was common.
c.
they were primarily agricultural communities.
d.
they mastered the use of bronze.
e.
they engaged in monumental construction projects.
ANS: A REF: p. 8-9
87. Which of the following is a true statement?
a.
The Akkadian Empire achieved no expansion, but endured for a thousand years.
b.
Ur produced total Mesopotamian disintegration.
c.
The Amorites, under the leadership of Hammurabi, replaced the Sumerians and Akkadians as rulers of Mesopotamia.
d.
Hammurabi eliminated all aspects of Sumerian culture in Mesopotamian life.
e.
Sumer was established by the Hyksos.
ANS: C REF: p. 1
88. What principle did the Code of Hammurabi emphasize?
a.
reciprocity
b.
political decentralization
c.
retribution
d.
incarceration
ANS: C REF: p. 11
89. Mesopotamian religion
a.
played a limited role in its culture.
b.
was monotheistic in nature.
c.
was reinforced by the intensity of the region's environment.
d.
employed divination to maintain people's uncertainties about the gods' behavior.
e.
believed that the world was controlled by two competing gods.
ANS: C REF: p. 11-12
90. Which of the following is not true about the Code of Hammurabi?
a.
Public officials had numerous responsibilities.
b.
It incorporated a system of consumer protection.
c.
The largest category focused on marriage and the family.
d.
Sexual promiscuity was tolerated for men only.
e.
Hammurabi's code did not mention women.
ANS: E REF: p. 11
91. Hammurabi did all of the following except
a.
become Pharaoh of Egypt during the Middle Kingdom.
b.
"divide and conquer" his enemies as he returned Mesopotamia to unified control.
c.
establish his new capital at Babylon.
d.
work to stimulate economic revival and enhance the irrigation system.
e.
establish a major code of law.
ANS: A REF: p. 10-11
92. Which of the following is not true about cuneiform?
a.
It used the Cyrillic alphabet.
b.
It was used for record keeping.
c.
It was used for teaching.
d.
It was used to record Mesopotamian literature.
e.
It was developed by the Sumerians.
ANS: A REF: p. 12
93. The Epic of Gilgamesh was
a.
the formal title of the Osiris myth.
b.
an epic poem from Mesopotamia dealing with the search for immortality.
c.
a creation myth developed by early Phoenician thinkers.
d.
the first Egyptian literary masterpiece.
e.
a code of laws established by the Babylonian ruler, Gilgamesh.
ANS: B REF: p. 12
94. The annual flooding of the Nile River
a.
enabled Egyptian civilization to thrive by leaving deposits of fertile silt.
b.
was an unwanted event that occurred suddenly and generally without warning.
c.
did not require an organized irrigation system.
d.
produced many large urban centers that served as havens from the raging waters.
e.
inhibited the evolution of civilization in ancient Egypt.
ANS: A REF: p. 13
95. The Nile delta, about one hundred miles from the Mediterranean, was called
a.
Greater Egypt.
b.
Lower Egypt.
c.
Upper Egypt.
d.
Central Egypt.
e.
Axum.
ANS: B REF: p. 13
96. Which of the following is not correct about the pyramids?
a.
They were tombs for the pharaohs.
b.
They were constructed during the Middle Kingdom.
c.
They were symbols of royal power.
d.
The most magnificent of the pyramids was constructed about 2500 B.C.E.
e.
Pyramids were filled with boats, food, weapons, and games.
ANS: B REF: p. 16
97. In contrast to the Old Kingdom, the role of the pharaoh in the Middle Kingdom was that of
a.
an inaccessible god-king.
b.
a shepherd, a provider of public projects and assistance.
c.
a symbolic fisherman for his people.
d.
a warrior-king.
e.
a sacrificial scapegoat.
ANS: B REF: p. 16-17
98. Mummification was to
a.
help ensure that one could continue to live despite the death of the physical body.
b.
assure against the return of the ka.
c.
prevent the vital force of the physical body from returning.
d.
prevent the vital force of the physical body from departing.
e.
prevent decomposition during immersion in the Nile or exposure to the sun.
ANS: A REF: p. 16
99. What did the aftermath of the Hyksos intrusion into Egypt result in?
a.
The Egyptian use of iron for improved tools and weapons.
b.
The reestablishment of the Old Kingdom.
c.
Egyptian adoption of camel-drawn war chariots.
d.
A significant increase in Egyptian imperialism in the New Kingdom.
e.
The destruction of the pyramids.
ANS: D REF: p. 17
100. Egyptian hieroglyphs
a.
used sacred characters as picture signs.
b.
employed the use of an alphabet.
c.
were written only on a paper made from papyrus reed and oak bark.
d.
were introduced by the Amorites.
e.
were borrowed from the practices of the Phoenicians.
ANS: A REF: p. 19
101. The independent African state that emerged at the end of the second millennium B.C.E. was
a.
Axum.
b.
Mali.
c.
the Maghreb.
d.
Kush.
e.
Zanj.
ANS: D REF: p. 20
102. During the reign of Akhenaten,
a.
monotheism permanently replaced polytheism in ancient Egypt.
b.
foreign affairs were ignored and Syria and Palestine were lost.
c.
Thebes was replaced by Cairo as the capital.
d.
the Hyksos invaded the Nile Valley.
e.
the Sea Peoples were driven from Egypt.
ANS: B REF: p. 17
103. In addition to Mesopotamia and Egypt, other nearby areas in which significant human advances were made included
a.
the development of large urban centers in the Balkan peninsula by 9300 B.C.E.
b.
probable independent development of animal domestication and limited farming in what is now southern France by 10,000 B.C.E.
c.
the establishment of large sheep ranches on the islands of Sicily and Ireland.
d.
the construction of a large megalithic complexes in the British Isles and in northwestern France which revealed a surprising awareness of astronomical data.
e.
the appearance of true cities in northern Gaul by 4000 B.C.E.
ANS: D REF: p. 20
104. Among the early Indo-European peoples were the
a.
Hyksos, who conquered Sumer in 3300 B.C.E.