History 101: Western Civilization Ancient Civilizations: Study Questions

2. Paleolithic societies featured which of the following?
a. hunting and gathering
b. farming
c. trading metal goods
d. all of the above

3. Which of the following occurred in the "Neolithic Revolution"?
a. the first use of stone tools
b. the discovery of agriculture
c. the first rational scientific thought
d. all of the above

4. The most famous of the early Neolithic villages included
a. Catal Huyuk
b. Jericho
c. Jarmo
d. all of the above

5. The first metal used by man was
a. iron
b. zinc
c. copper
d. tungsten

6. The first civilizations developed in
a. caves
b. river valleys
c. deserts
d. islands

7. Which of the following is not connected with the development of civilization?
a. the discovery of fire
b. building cities
c. writing
d. organized governments

8. The "land between the rivers" refers to
a.  the Hittite kingdom.
b.  Mesopotamia.
c.  Egypt.
d.  Persia.

9. The form of writing that featured symbols scratched into clay with a reed stylus was called ___________________.

10. According to your text, what lay at the center of Mesopotamian life?
a. the government
b. the army
c. religion
d. a secular bureaucracy

11. The Mesopotamians built huge temple mounds called _______________________.

12. The overall mood of the Epic of Gilgamesh may be termed
a. carefree and cheerful
b. gloomy and pessimistic
c. dramatic and heroic
d. humorous and witty

13. The most famous of the Babylonian rulers, who is best known for the law code connected with his name, was
a. Sargon
b. Hammurabi
c. Akkad
d. Hittite

14. The above code reveals which of the following about Mesopotamian society?
a. women were more powerful than men
b. family life was not important in ancient Mesopotamia
c. class distinctions were important
d. trade and business were not regulated

15. The center of Egyptian civilization was the ___________ River.

16. Egyptian civilization can be said to have begun when Narmer unified upper and lower Egypt around ________ B.C.

17. The Egyptians looked upon their pharaohs as
a. democratic leaders
b. evil despots
c. god-given divine rulers
d. irrelevant to Egyptian life

18. The Middle Kingdom broke down around 1780 B.C. when
a. the Nubians to the south broke away from Egyptian control
b. nobles took power from the pharoahs
c. the Hyksos invaded Egypt
d. all of the above

19. Egyptian writing is called
a. cuneiform
b. hieroglyphics
c. linear a
d. mesolithic

20. The Egyptian practice of mummification illustrates their belief in
a. an afterlife
b. one God
c. cryogenics
d. all of the above

21. Pharaoh Amenhotep IV, who changed his name to Akhenaton, is known chiefly for
a. conquering the Hyksos
b. attempting to do away with the old gods in favor of worship of one god
c. conquering most of Palestine
d. marrying Nefertiti

22. Hittites are best associated with
a.  early development of iron.
b.  early bone tools.
c.  bronze weapons.
d.  the first chariots.

23. From around 500 B.C. the dominant power in the region from Egypt and India was
a. Assyria
b. the Hittites
c. Persia
d. the Mongols

24. The term satrap relates to
a.  a flat-bottomed sailboat that moved heavy goods.
b.  a type of sandal that distinguished slaves from free peasants in Mesopotamia.
c.  a governor in the Persian Empire.
d.  a collection of cuneiform tablets.

25. According to your text, the Near Eastern civilizations were distinctive in their _____________________, or mythmaking view of the world.

26. Of the following who is well regarded as a Hebrew warrior, poet, and king?
a.  Solomon
b.  David
c.  Moses
d.  Cyrus

27. The ancient kingdom of Israel reached its height of power under King _________________________.

28. According to the prophets the conquest of Judah in 586 B.C. happened because the
a. Chaldeans were fulfilling Satan's plan
b. temple had been destroyed before, and history repeats itself
c. Babylonians were God's chosen people
d. Hebrews had disobeyed God's laws

29.  Which of the following is NOT one of the first five books of the Old Testament?
a. Exodus
b. Ruth
c. Numbers
d. Leviticus

30. According to the Hebrews, God was
a. absolute sovereign
b. part of nature
c. neither good nor bad
d. all of the above

31. According to Hebrew theology, a human's place in the world is
a. the same as all other animals
b. the same as God's
c. a slave to cosmic forces
d. above the animals, below only God

32. Central to the Hebrew religion was the concept of the ________________, or God's special agreement with the Hebrews.

33. Which of the following is true regarding the Hebrews' attitude toward women?
a. unlike other Near Eastern societies, the Hebrews regarded men and women as equals
b. like other Near Eastern societies, the Hebrews regarded women as superior to men
c. while placing women in a subordinate position, the Hebrews granted them a measure of respect
d. Hebrew law regarded women as property

34. The Hebrew prophets generally
a. served as Hebrew kings
b. wrote plays
c. reminded the people of their sins
d. cared more about money and possessions than anything else

35. The Hebrews saw history as
a. endlessly repeating events
b. a linear series of unique, non-repeating events
c. an endless cycle of tragedies controlled by an arbitrary God
d. unimportant