Question 1

Ma'at:

Accepted Answer

Ma'at was the ancient Egyptian goddess of truth, justice, and harmony. The concept of Ma'at represented the ideal state of order and balance that the Egyptians believed was necessary for the universe to function properly. This concept was central to their religious beliefs and was also applied to social and political life.

Question 2

Which period saw Egypt expand its borders,abandon its isolationism,and change its ideal of pharaoh from a god to a "good shepherd"?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which period saw Egypt expand its borders,abandon...

Question 3

Labor among Paleolithic peoples was strictly divided along gender lines,as men did the hunting and women the gathering.

Accepted Answer

Such gendered assumptions do not reflect the complex realities of hunter-gatherer societies.It is more likely that all members of the group were engaged to some extent in all the basic activities.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT true regarding women in Egyptian society during the Pharaonic Period?

Accepted Answer

Women in Egyptian society during the Pharaonic Period did not have complete sexual freedom. While extramarital and premarital sex were accepted, adultery was still considered a serious offense punishable by law.

Question 5

Agricultural surplus made it possible for early societies to become more stable and to expand in population,yet also kept early societies socially stagnant as all labor was focused on the land and the cultivation of more grain.

Accepted Answer

Agricultural surplus made it possible for members of society to devote at least a portion of their labor to pursuits other than agriculture and to begin to specialize in crafts such as pottery or cloth making.It also contributed to a rise in social elites who exploited the labor of others to gain power and become rulers.

Question 6

The weakening power of the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties resulted in:

Accepted Answer

The weakening power of the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties led to a decentralization of power, which allowed for a wider distribution of wealth as local governors and officials gained more autonomy and resources.

Question 7

The Sumerians' adversarial relationship with their surroundings and general distrust of nature were paralyzing to their culture as they lacked motivation to make significant advances in science,technology,and trade.

Accepted Answer

Although the Sumerian did distrust nature,and even their gods,the desire to control their surroundings led to immense advances in technology,including the development of bronze casting and of different technologies based on the wheel.As a result,trade and Sumerian culture as a whole flourished.

Question 8

Egyptian coffin books or books of the dead contained:

Accepted Answer

Egyptian coffin books, also known as Books of the Dead, contained instructions for traveling through the underworld. These texts were intended to guide the deceased through various challenges they would face in the afterlife and help them reach their final resting place.

Question 9

Although the Akkadians were the predominant people of central Mesopotamia,they adopted Sumerian script,culture,war techniques,and language.

Accepted Answer

The Akkadians retained their Semitic language and were not bound by conventions of Sumerian warfare.

Question 10

Myths can be considered an early form of history.

Accepted Answer

Myths often represent an oral tradition of a group of people trying to make sense of their reality by understanding their past.

Question 11

The two gods most fundamental to Egyptian religious belief were:

Accepted Answer

The two gods most fundamental to Egyptian religious belief were Isis and Osiris. They were seen as the divine couple who gave birth to all life and ruled over the realm of the dead. Their story of death and resurrection was central to Egyptian mythology and influenced their beliefs about the afterlife. Seth was also an important god, but he was often viewed as a disruptive and destructive force, rather than a central figure of worship. Anubis and Horus were also significant gods, but not as foundational as Isis and Osiris.

Question 12

The Nile River served as a natural division for the regions of Egypt.

Accepted Answer

In fact,the Nile River helped to unify the disparate cities and towns of Egypt by allowing easy administrative,commercial,and,when necessary,military travel.The Nile River allowed for the sharing of culture and technologies,but also gave a conduit through which pharaohs could and did project their power over Egypt.

Question 13

Hammurabi's Law Code accorded no rights to women.

Accepted Answer

Although the rights of women were restricted compared to men's rights in ancient Babylon,Hammurabi's code did grant women some limited rights such as the right to divorce estranged or abusive husbands and the right to demand that such a husband support his children.

Question 14

The Egyptians made notable advances in:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Egyptians made notable advances in:
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Question 15

Which comparison between Egypt and Mesopotamian civilizations is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

There is insufficient evidence to suggest that Egypt and Mesopotamian civilizations enjoyed significant political and cultural interactions with each other. Despite some limited trade contacts between them, the two civilizations evolved largely independently of each other, with few direct points of contact or cultural exchange.

Question 16

Before entering an enjoyable afterlife,the deceased Egyptian supposedly:

Accepted Answer

The deceased Egyptian would be judged by Osiris and other divine judges in the Hall of Ma'at. There, their heart would be weighed against the feather of truth and they would have to recite the negative confessions, a list of over 40 sins they had not committed during their lifetime. If they passed this judgement, they would be granted access to the afterlife. There was no requirement to buy access to heaven or build a pyramid, although some Egyptians did believe that having a tomb or pyramid could assist them in the afterlife. Finding their soul in the Duat was also part of the journey to the afterlife, but it was not a requirement before entering an enjoyable afterlife.

Question 17

Hammurabi's Law Code is the first law code that exacted equal punishment for crimes across the social spectrum.

Accepted Answer

The Law Code is evidence of a highly stratified society with strict class divisions.Crimes committed against the nobility were punished more heavily than those committed against the lower classes.

Question 18

Egyptian society:

Accepted Answer

Egyptian society was highly stratified, but the majority class consisted of the poor, including peasants and most artisans, while only a tiny minority consisted of royalty and nobility. Slavery did exist in ancient Egypt, but it was not a significant factor in the economy or society. Women did have a degree of participation in Egyptian society, including the ability to own property and run businesses, but it was still a patriarchal society. While there were powerful queens in Egyptian history, this does not necessarily indicate a matriarchal society overall.

Question 19

The early pharaohs had difficulty establishing their rule over all Egypt due to the power of local civic and religious authorities.

Accepted Answer

Legitimating their rule over all Egypt was difficult.Local civic and religious loyalties remained strong,and for centuries Lower Egyptians would continue to see themselves as distinct in some respects from their neighbors to the south.

Question 20

Hierarchical structures of leadership were uncommon in early hunter-gatherer societies.

Accepted Answer

These societies may have been highly organized,but lack of personal wealth made attendant distinctions in rank and status unlikely.

Quiz 1: Early Civilizations