Deck 1: Origins: the First Civilizations

Question 1

"Prehistory" may be defined as that period prior to

A) the Ice Age.
B) written records.
C) stone tools.
D) humankind.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The first civilizations appeared

A) in tropical climates.
B) on high plateaus.
C) in Western Europe.
D) on the banks of rivers.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following statements about the Epic of Gilgamesh is most accurate?

A) It originated in Egypt.
B) It was written down by Neolithic communities.
C) It was passed down orally for centuries.
D) It was inspired by the Hebrew Bible.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

One of the earliest landmarks of Paleolithic culture is

A) cave-painting.
B) metallurgy.
C) stone circles.
D) farming.

Question 5

The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are located in present-day

A) Israel.
B) Iran.
C) Iraq.
D) Syria.

Question 6

The term Paleolithic is used interchangeably with the term

A) Old Stone Age.
B) New Stone Age.
C) Neolithic.
D) Mesolithic.

Question 7

Hammurabi was a ruler of

A) Uruk.
B) Sumer.
C) Assyria.
D) Babylon.

Question 8

The Egyptian pyramids functioned primarily as

A) temples.
B) tombs.
C) administrative centers.
D) gathering places.

Question 9

The Great Temple at Karnak was

A) dedicated to the sun-god Amon-Ra.
B) a landmark of Egypt's Old Kingdom.
C) built by Indo-Aryan invaders in India.
D) built in honor of the prophet Zoroaster.

Question 10

The name Zoroaster is associated primarily with the history of

A) Persia.
B) Sumer.
C) Egypt.
D) Assyria.

Question 11

Akhenaten is associated with what religion or religious view?

A) Pantheism
B) Daoism
C) Hinduism
D) Monotheism

Question 12

The landmark known as the Book of the Dead is

A) a Hindu text on the afterlife.
B) the first Sumerian written document.
C) a set of Egyptian funerary prayers.
D) China's oldest written religious text.

Question 13

The world's oldest clay vessels appear to have come from

A) Egypt.
B) Mexico.
C) Israel.
D) Japan.

Question 14

The earliest discovered inscribed clay tablets come from

A) Sumer.
B) Africa.
C) Egypt.
D) Babylon.

Question 15

Jade artifacts, especially in the form of circular discs, are primarily associated with ancient

A) China.
B) Egypt.
C) India.
D) Babylon.

Question 16

The first literary epic developed in

A) India.
B) Egypt.
C) Mesopotamia.
D) China.

Question 17

The landmark known as Stonehenge is located in

A) Iraq.
B) England.
C) Mexico.
D) Spain.

Question 18

Hammurabi's Code is significant chiefly because it

A) originated the idea that all subjects were equal under the law.
B) is the only example of cuneiform in ancient Mesopotamia.
C) is unusually comprehensive and extensive.
D) granted women the same rights as men.

Question 19

Research into the origins of writing suggest that written signs derived from

A) hand signals.
B) markings on clay tokens.
C) images on cave walls.
D) Hammurabi's Code.

Question 20

Which Iron Age sea-faring people created a non-pictographic alphabet?

A) Phoenicians
B) Persians
C) Chaldeans
D) Assyrians

Question 21

Zhou rebels justified their rebellion against the Shang dynasty on the basis of

A) Daoist principles.
B) the Mandate of Heaven.
C) the aristocracy of merit.
D) their interpretation of the Vedas.

Question 22

Discuss any two of the following landmarks of the ancient world, explaining why each holds the status of a landmark: The

Question 23

Which landmarks do you believe are most representative of the key idea in this chapter, "origins"? In what ways does each of
these landmarks reflect a beginning point in the history of culture?

Question 24

How do the landmarks of China and India differ from (or resemble) those of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia?

Question 25

In Hinduism, the Absolute Spirit is known as

A) nirvana.
B) karma.
C) Atman.
D) Brahman.

Question 26

Taking its name from the term for "sacred knowledge," which Hindu literature teaches worship through prayer and sacrifice?

A) Ramayana
B) Vedas
C) Upanishads
D) Mahabharata