Deck 1: Early Humans and the First Civilizations

Question 1

Which of these technological developments were especially significant for Paleolithic people?

A) New systems of writing
B) Fire and tool-making
C) Farming and herding
D) Drawing and painting
E) Building large structures

Answer 1

Fire and tool-making

Question 2

What do we know about Paleolithic peoples, based on surviving cave paintings?

A) They engaged in artistic activities.
B) They lacked the use of fire, which significantly retarded their pace of development.
C) They perfected techniques that allowed them to hunt very large dinosaurs with total success.
D) They lived in brick structures.
E) They used bronze for tools and weapons, but not copper.

Answer 2

They engaged in artistic activities.

Question 3

Sumerian city-states

A) had a political structure that was democratic in many ways.
B) interacted peacefully with each other.
C) were primarily agricultural communities.
D) mastered the use of iron.
E) viewed kingship as a function of heredity only.

Answer 3

were primarily agricultural communities.

Question 4

What do historians consider a basic characteristic 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

Question 5

What made Çatal Huyuk such an important Neolithic village?

A) It was located in Egypt and the site of early pyramids. .
B) It was a secular settlement.
C) It was the first to rely on irrigation.
D) It became the site of extensive trade networks.
E) It was one of the largest urban centers housing more than 6000 people.

Question 6

Where were Neanderthal remains discovered first?

A) Asia
B) Africa
C) Germany
D) America
E) Egypt

Question 7

 During the Paleolithic 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.

Question 8

What did Mesopotamians believe about the forces that controlled the world?

A) That a single god controlled the universe and everything in it
B) That human beings controlled their destinies
C) That unreliable supernatural forces controlled the world
D) That people could control nature with the help of the gods
E) That the world was controlled by two competing gods

Question 9

Without ____, the emergence of Mesopotamian civilization might not have been possible.

A) its location between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
B) the development of large-scale irrigation
C) the defeat of the Sumerians
D) the construction of the central ziggurat
E) its rich soil and large population

Question 10

What was one of the most significant consequences of the Neolithic agricultural revolution?

A) Near equality between men and women
B) Rise of trade and specialized crafts
C) Emergence of writing and literary forms
D) Greater ease in traveling to faraway lands
E) Decline of religious practice

Question 11

Homo sapiens means

A) user of tools.
B) lived in Africa.
C) wise human being.
D) tamer of animals.
E) friend to all.

Question 12

Early farming in river flood plains resulted in a more reliable harvest because of several reasons. What is NOT one of these reasons?

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.
E) Workers were more available in river basin areas.

Question 13

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) 400-60
D) 75-100
E) more than 200

Question 14

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

Question 15

What did Sumerians believe about cities?

A) That kings who ruled strong militaries deserved to control the cities
B) That the city of Ur produced total Mesopotamian disintegration
C) That the gods and goddesses owned the cities
D) That without Hammurabi, Sumerian cities would have fell into moral decay
E) That cities should control the countryside

Question 16

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.

Question 17

What was most significant about Australopithecines, one of the earliest hominids?

A) They lived in Asia.
B) They may have been able to walk upright on two legs.
C) They were among the first to use iron tools.
D) They were in the class known as Homo sapiens.
E) They were primarily monogamous.

Question 18

Which people created the first Mesopotamian civilization?

A) Sumerians
B) Akkadians
C) Egyptians
D) Babylonians
E) Nubians

Question 19

Who were the Homo sapiens sapiens?

A) The enemies of Homo sapiens
B) The first anatomically modern humans
C) The Neanderthals
D) The Indo-Europeans
E) The ancestors of Homo habilis and Homo erectus

Question 20

Slaves in Sumerian cities were made to do all of the following tasks EXCEPT

A) constructing buildings.
B) making cloth.
C) preaching.
D) grinding grain.
E) farming.

Question 21

What happened during the reign of Akhenaten?

A) Monotheism permanently replaced polytheism in ancient Egypt.
B) Foreign affairs were ignored and Syria and Canaan 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.

Question 22

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.

Question 23

What was the name given to the Nile delta, about one hundred miles from the Mediterranean?

A) Greater Egypt
B) Lower Egypt
C) Upper Egypt
D) Central Egypt
E) Axum

Question 24

Among the early Indo-European peoples were the

A) Hyksos, who conquered Sumer in 3300 B.C.E.
B) Uighurs, who occupied Lower Egypt in 1700 B.C.E.
C) Romans, who first appeared in southern Palestine.
D) Hittites, who developed an empire in western Asia.
E) Arabs, who conquered Mecca in 1700 B.C.E.

Question 25

The annual flooding of the Nile River

A) left silt deposits that enriched Egyptian soil and made crops plentiful.
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.

Question 26

What facilitated Indo-European migrations across continents?

A) The domestication of camels
B) A written language
C) The use of wagons and wheels
D) The invention of agriculture
E) The development of weapons for protection

Question 27

The Indo-Europeans

A) fought long and exhausting wars against the Hittites.
B) originally lived in the western section of the Sahara.
C) spoke languages from a single parent tongue, including Sanskrit, Persian, and Greek.
D) were the descendants of the Mongols and Turks.
E) never penetrated Europe or India.

Question 28

Hammurabi took all of the following actions EXCEPT

A) becoming Pharaoh of Egypt during the Middle Kingdom.
B) "dividing and conquering" his enemies as he returned Mesopotamia to unified control.
C) establishing his new capital at Babylon.
D) working to stimulate economic revival and enhance the irrigation system.
E) establishing a major code of law.

Question 29

What was one of the most significant contributions to history made by the ancient Phoenicians?

A) The idea of kingship
B) Invasive warfare
C) Monotheism
D) Their system of writing
E) The use of iron

Question 30

What was true about early Sumerian writing?

A) It evolved from pictures to signs and eventually to a phonetic system.
B) It was based on hieroglyphics.
C) It led to improvements in spoken language systems.
D) It borrowed from the Greek and Egyptian writing systems.
E) It was created largely to give praise to the gods.

Question 31

Which statement about the pyramids is FALSE?

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 ones was constructed about 2500 B.C.E.
E) They were filled with boats, food, weapons, and games.

Question 32

In contrast to the Old Kingdom, the role of the pharaoh in the Middle Kingdom was that of a(n)

A) inaccessible god-king.
B) shepherd, a provider of public projects and assistance.
C) symbolic fisherman for his people.
D) warrior-king.
E) sacrificial scapegoat.

Question 33

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.

Question 34

 Which of the following is not correct about marriage and family in ancient Egypt?

A) Wives of all classes had major responsibilities and commanded respect.
B) Women had many equal legal rights to men, but had very limited career opportunities.
C) Polygamy was the general rule, and monogamy was rare.
D) For women, especially, the penalties for adultery were catastrophic.
E) Many parents and children appear to have had close and loving relationships.

Question 35

The largest category of laws in the Code of Hammurabi focused on

A) public officials' responsibilities.
B) the terms under which it is acceptable to retaliate against an injustice.
C) marriage and family.
D) the disparate rules for upper and lower class members of society.
E) military service obligations for male citizens.

Question 36

What did the Phoenicians do once they gained their political independence from the Hittites and Egyptians?

A) Develop their own language system.
B) Cast out any remaining Hittites in the region.
C) Expand their trade networks.
D) Establish a strong military.
E) Craft a new code of laws.

Question 37

Why did Egyptians believe about mummification?

A) A properly preserved body would help the spiritual self return.
B) The use of mummification would prevent the return of the ka.
C) A tightly wrapped dead body would prevent the deceased from returning.
D) A preserved body would enable the spirit to watch over living relatives.
E) The use of mummification would prevent decomposition of the body during immersion in the Nile or exposure to the sun.

Question 38

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.

Question 39

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) The Egyptian adoption of camel-drawn war chariots
D) The creation of an Egyptian empire
E) The destruction of the pyramids

Question 40

How did Nubia become the independent African state that emerged at the end of the second millennium B.C.E.?

A) It conquered Egypt.
B) It signed a treaty with Mali.
C) It bought its freedom from former rulers.
D) It emerged from the disintegration of the Egyptian New Kingdom.
E) It seized control of Africa.

Question 41

The Chaldean king who rebuilt Babylonia as the center of his empire was

A) Cyrus.
B) Ramesses II.
C) Nebuchadnezzar II.
D) Ashurbanipal I.
E) Marquil VI.

Question 42

During the Babylonian Captivity

A) the Chaldeans were able to conquer the Persians.
B) the Persians gave up control of the Kingdom of Judah.
C) many upper-class Israelites were deported to Babylonia.
D) Egypt freed the Hebrews.
E) the Hittites were held as slaves by the Babylonians.

Question 43

Which ideas of Zoroastrianism are believed to have had a fundamental impact on Christianity?

A) The imperative to care for the poor
B) The story of the last supper
C) The notion of a holy trinity
D) The concept of good and evil
E) The idea of one true religion

Question 44

 Assyrians did not consider what to be very important?

A) Ethnic differences
B) Gender differences
C) Economic differences
D) Linguistic differences
E) Military differences

Question 45

The Phoenicians

A) were great builders of several long-lasting empires.
B) established numerous Black Sea colonies.
C) invented an alphabet.
D) were skilled mercenary warriors.
E) conquered the Sea Peoples of Egypt.

Question 46

The three central aspects of Jewish religious belief were the

A) priests, rabbis and prophets.
B) covenant, the law and the prophets.
C) army, the king and the family.
D) law, the Pharisees and the rabbinate.
E) Judah, Israel, and the Temple.

Question 47

Who succeeded Cyrus as ruler of the Persian Empire?

A) Cambyses and Alexander
B) Cambyses and Darius
C) Ionisus and Cirrilus
D) Zoroaster and Mithras
E) Pericles and Cleisthenes

Question 48

In ancient Egypt, women

A) suffered under the control of husbands.
B) were respected and in charge of educating and caring for children.
C) typically married in their late teens.
D) enjoyed opportunities in some careers and in public service.
E) were required to transfer control of their property to their husbands when they married.

Question 49

 What do Zoroastrianism and Judaism have in common?

A) The concept of polytheism.
B) Emphasis on good and evil.
C) A common worship of the god, Yahweh.
D) Individual judgment of souls after death by Osiris.
E) A lack of free will.

Question 50

Many historians believe that the early books of the Hebrew Bible

A) were written at the time of the events they describe.
B) are an accurate account of all of the events recounted.
C) were written long after the events written about.
D) accurately reflect the true written history of the early Hebrews.
E) were first written on papyrus.

Question 51

After the death of King Solomon, Jerusalem became the capital of the southern Kingdom of

A) Sumeria.
B) Judah.
C) Israel.
D) Arabia.
E) Axum.

Question 52

Homo sapiens had evolved by about 250,000 years ago.

Question 53

 Systematic agriculture developed independently in different areas of the world between 3000 and 1500 BCE

Question 54

What ultimately contributed to the weakening of the Persian Empire?

A) The kings' excessive taxation and hoarding of wealth
B) The use of citizens as soldiers
C) The growing resentment among Persian subjects over the Great King and his power over life and death
D) The failure of the military to conquer advancing enemies
E) The defeat of the Persians on the banks of the Tigris River

Question 55

King Solomon is associated with all of the following EXCEPT

A) ruling a united kingdom.
B) building a temple.
C) naming Jerusalem as his capital.
D) existing when Israel was at the height of its powers.
E) controlling all of the Middle East.

Question 56

 The three central aspects of Jewish religious belief were the

A) priests, rabbis, and prophets.
B) covenant, the law, and the prophets.
C) army, the king, and the family.
D) law, the Pharisees, and the rabbinate.
E) Judah, Israel, and the Temple.

Question 57

Who did the Israelites believe were the true religious teachers, sent by God?

A) The Assyrians
B) The Chaldeans
C) The Prophets
D) The Hebrew political leaders
E) The rabbis

Question 58

Cyrus the Great created an empire that

A) spanned from Asia Minor to western India.
B) enslaved the Jews.
C) instituted cruel policies for the captured
D) established the Ptolemaic Dynasty.
E) permanently conquered Greece.

Question 59

Which group embraced Zoroastrianism as its primary religion?

A) Sumerians
B) Egyptians
C) Assyrians
D) Persians
E) Mesopotamians

Question 60

The Assyrian Empire

A) developed in the central desert region of the Arabian peninsula.
B) expanded northward from its original homeland to the Baltic Sea by 700 B.C.E.
C) was skilled at waging both conventional and guerrilla warfare.
D) was the greatest trading center of the ancient world.
E) briefly occupied southern Greece.

Question 61

Unlike Mesopotamia's rivers, the flooding of Egypt's Nile was gradual and usually predictable, and the river was seen as life-enhancing rather than life-threatening.

Question 62

The ancient Egyptians had no word for religion.

Question 63

 There is no archaeological evidence for the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.

Question 64

The first civilizations lacked a system of written record keeping.

Question 65

Paleolithic men and women both helped gather foods such as berries and nuts and hunt animals for meat.

Question 66

Most Neanderthal remains have been found in Africa.

Question 67

 The regularity of the Nile floods helped lend a sense of security to ancient Egyptian civilization and gave it great continuity.

Question 68

Genetic evidence strongly supports the multiregional theory of human evolution.

Question 69

Sumerian ziggurats performed the same function as Egypt's pyramids.

Question 70

 The Assyrian Empire developed a communication system so effective that a provincial governor anywhere in the empire could receive an answer to their question within a week of asking it.

Question 71

Merchants and artisans comprised the largest group or class of people in Egypt.

Question 72

Giza was the second largest pyramid.

Question 73

In addition to the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, and China's Yellow River, archeologists have discovered two other centers of civilization in Peru and in Central Asia.

Question 74

Persian satraps were governors who not only ruled a kingdom but were also seen as protectors.

Question 75

 The earliest civilizations in the world were largely found in river valleys like Mesopotamia.