Deck 1: Africa

Question 1

In a situation similar to Egypt's,ancient Mesopotamian civilization arose from which of the following natural forces?

A) lightning strikes
B) melting of the polar ice cap
C) earthquakes
D) river valley formation

Answer 1

river valley formation

Question 2

Which of the following transitions did ancient peoples make that first ushered in "civilization?"

A) fishing to hunting
B) the destruction of cities
C) hunting and gathering to agriculture
D) immigration to other countries

Answer 2

hunting and gathering to agriculture

Question 3

How did Egypt and Nubia interact as civilizations during the second millennium BCE?

A) They experienced peaceful coexistence and pacifism.
B) Egypt colonized Nubia.
C) They were allies in warfare.
D) The nations were unknown to each other.

Answer 3

Egypt colonized Nubia.

Question 4

Ancient Egyptians __________.

A) regarded themselves as "white," but actually exhibited a mixture of racial features
B) influenced the development and culture of Greece and later Western civilizations
C) were dependent on the Amazon for agriculture, transportation and communications
D) left very few remains of their civilization in any form

Question 5

The concept or term habilis in anthropology refers to __________.

A) wearing a habit
B) forming habits
C) using tools
D) living in a home

Question 6

Which empire conquered Egypt in 30 BCE?

A) Rome
B) Great Britain
C) Russia
D) Ottoman

Question 7

Which desert covers the northern third of the African continent?

A) Sonora
B) Sahara
C) Mojave
D) Kalahari

Question 8

The kingdom of Kush was driven out of power by the __________.

A) Greeks
B) French
C) Persians
D) Assyrians

Question 9

In which era did Egyptian leaders start using the title pharaoh?

A) unification
B) cultural decline
C) expansion
D) origin

Question 10

Based on the image in 1-1,which aspects of the drawing suggest it is a hominid with similarities to modern humans?

A) diet and health
B) clothing and shoes
C) food and housing
D) skeletal structures

Question 11

The term homo sapiens refers to __________.

A) modern humans
B) modern chimpanzees
C) modern swine
D) modern fish

Question 12

Egyptian culture was strongly defined by which of the following attributes?

A) monotheism
B) matriarchy
C) patriarchy
D) class equality

Question 13

According to Map 1-2,in what ways did the Egyptians use the Nile River Valley for settlement?

A) They settled along the river and at its mouth.
B) They settled away from the river.
C) They settled at the headwaters of the river.
D) They settled on the river in floating cities.

Question 14

What aspects of the image in 1-3 suggest Egyptian influence on the city of Meroe?

A) reddish sands
B) pyramids and hieroglyphics
C) hot temperatures and direct sunlight
D) the mountains in the background

Question 15

Which statement best characterizes the power and status of women in ancient Egypt?

A) Women served as the rulers of Egypt because it was a matriarchal society.
B) Women were treated as property and were allowed no legal rights once married.
C) Women held a relatively high status, could own property, and be public officials.
D) Women lived in a separate society from men, rarely interacting with Egyptian society.

Question 16

The nation of Axum is significant because its people __________.

A) overtook the Egyptians while the Great Pyramids were being built
B) were Semitic and it became the first Christian state in sub-Saharan Africa
C) became extremely wealthy through exploiting nearby iron resources
D) enjoyed a success that rested entirely upon trade fell with the decline of Rome

Question 17

Ancient Egypt received which of the following influences from Nubia?

A) grain production and the concept of monarchy
B) naval warfare and the institution of slavery
C) city and town formation and design
D) highway and canal construction

Question 18

Egyptian religion was characterized by __________.

A) monotheism
B) no connections to the state
C) matriarchal priesthood
D) elites buried in royal tombs

Question 19

The nation of Ghana imported a variety of items from North Africa,particularly __________.

A) pepper
B) gold
C) slaves
D) salt

Question 20

The origins of humanity lie in which of the following continents?

A) Asia
B) North America
C) Africa
D) Australia

Question 21

Regarding Ghana's decline,cities in ancient Africa were frequently impacted by __________.

A) floods
B) earthquakes
C) capture and destruction by foreign enemies
D) Russian invasion

Question 22

How did extensive trade in West Africa shape political history in the region over time?

A) Arab merchants and the religion of Islam entered the region.
B) Sudanese empires ignored trade opportunities and embraced European Christianity.
C) The growth of cities declined in the region, leading to civilization collapse.
D) Trade led to greater isolation of the region.

Question 23

Map 1-4 compares Songhai,the Kongo,and the kingdoms of the West African forest region.In comparison to the other two,the Kongo __________.

A) lies the farthest south along the Atlantic coast
B) lies exclusively in the interior of Africa
C) lies in North Africa
D) is the largest African empire

Question 24

Which Songhai leader spread Islam in Africa and established the Sankore Mosque at Timbuktu?

A) Sunni Ali
B) Mansa Musa
C) Sundiata Mali
D) Askia Muhammad Toure

Question 25

Why were the kings of Ghana known to Europeans as some of the richest of monarchs?

A) They had successfully invaded Europe to take Europeans as slaves.
B) They controlled a vast trade network that dealt in many commodities.
C) They sailed to the Americas and formed colonies.
D) They possessed lucrative diamond mines.

Question 26

Which of the following statements best describes the Akan states?

A) The rulers gave land to settlers and asked nothing in return.
B) The rulers refused to trade with Europeans.
C) The rulers used guns to prevent the Akan states from expanding.
D) The rulers used gold from mines to purchase slaves.

Question 27

How did the Oyo people impose political unity over the Yoruba during the seventeenth century?

A) through free university education
B) through the religion of Christianity
C) with a well-trained cavalry
D) through immigration bans

Question 28

What is the connection between camels and African trade in the first century CE?

A) Camels had no role in shaping trade relations in the first century CE.
B) Camels helped to end trade in the region in the first century CE.
C) Camels facilitated long-distance trade in the first century CE.
D) Camels died out in the desert in the first century CE.

Question 29

The peoples of the forest regions of West Africa are important in the study of African-American history because they __________.

A) were the first region to trade with Egypt and other Mediterranean areas
B) converted to Christianity in significant numbers
C) played an important role in the slave trade as traders and victims
D) were the first areas to receive colonists from the United States in the early 1800s

Question 30

African Americans come primarily from which region in Africa?

A) north
B) south
C) east
D) west

Question 31

West African artists excelled in the medium of __________.

A) gold
B) bronze
C) silver
D) marble

Question 32

What did Kongo and Angola have in common with West Africa?

A) They established colonies of people in the Americas.
B) They escaped connection to the slave trade.
C) Their people divided labor by gender and lived in villages of extended families.
D) They were similar in size.

Question 33

Why did the kingdom of Benin eventually sell its own people into European slavery?

A) Its prosperity came to depend on the slave trade.
B) It desired access to Christianity.
C) Europeans would not buy other African trade goods.
D) It lacked access to European guns.

Question 34

According to Map 1-5,the routes of the trans-Saharan slave trade were characterized by __________.

A) extension to southern Africa
B) connections to the ocean in North Africa and the West African forest region
C) a wide geographical expansion across Saharan and North Africa
D) a direct terminus along the Atlantic Ocean along the West African coast

Question 35

What role did European firearms play in African history?

A) Guns became a trade item that allowed the Akan states to expand.
B) Guns played no role in African politics.
C) Guns were used by Africans to take over the slave trade from Europeans.
D) Guns were used by Africans to sell to Asian civilizations for help against Europeans.

Question 36

Mansa Musa,a ruler of the Mali Empire in the fourteenth century,__________.

A) was known for his extreme cruelty to his slaves
B) introduced Christianity to the West Sudan region
C) was one of the wealthiest rulers the world has known
D) was massacred by European armies after trying to stop the slave trade

Question 37

West Africa's indigenous religions remained strongest in the __________.

A) Saharan desert
B) forest region
C) Nile River valley
D) Kongo

Question 38

Ghana's capital,Kumbi Saleh,included __________.

A) Islamic mosques, stone houses, and 20,000 people
B) Jewish temples, straw buildings, and 50,000 people
C) Christian churches, wood houses, and 100,000 people
D) pagan prayer rooms, iron barracks, and 200,000 people

Question 39

Examine the two images in Map 1-3.What major differences existed between the two empires over time?

A) Mali expanded to the southern coast of Africa.
B) Ghana expanded to the Atlantic Ocean.
C) Mali and Ghana remained landlocked.
D) Mali expanded more than did Ghana.

Question 40

Who were West Africa's chief trading partners in the trans-Sahara trade before the fifth century CE?

A) the Greeks
B) the Spanish and the French
C) Roman merchants and the Berbers
D) the Egyptians

Question 41

Which of the following statements about the role of technology in West African culture is true?

A) It played an insignificant role because West Africa had almost no technology.
B) The use of silver to produce agricultural tools was common.
C) West Africans used technology to end African culture.
D) Iron refining and forging were common in the making of religious objects.

Question 42

In the hierarchal society of West Africa,slavery __________.

A) had no place and never existed until Europeans introduced it
B) was a permanent condition and the children of African slaves were always slaves
C) functioned as a means of assimilation into West African societies
D) was introduced by the Greeks and Romans

Question 43

In a matrilineal society,rank and power __________.

A) pass through the female line
B) are not passed to future generations
C) pass through the male line
D) are controlled by foreign visitors

Question 44

Women in West African society __________.

A) had access to formal governmental offices and posts
B) were considered to be free and independent individuals
C) had more sexual freedom than women in Europe
D) were responsible for nothing other than the care of children

Question 45

Africans possessed stringed instruments in the ancient era.

Question 46

How is power maintained in stateless societies like the Igbo in West Africa?

A) Women maintained absolute power over villages.
B) Foreigners held power over villages.
C) Rulers prevented villagers from leaving.
D) Families, rather than central authorities, ruled villages.

Question 47

Drought was an infrequent occurrence for African farmers on the savanna.

Question 48

Egyptian women never ruled Egypt as pharaohs.

Question 49

The first known kingdom in western Sudan was Ghana.

Question 50

In West African culture,poetry became part of __________.

A) an oral culture expressed by commoners and elites alike
B) the forbidden culture controlled by women
C) European additions to African culture
D) an exclusively written culture

Question 51

The people of Senegambia were politically united but did not speak closely related languages.

Question 52

Ancient African architecture received its greatest influence from the religion of __________.

A) Islam
B) Christianity
C) Buddhism
D) Judaism

Question 53

How were West African prose tales significant for African-American history?

A) The tales played no role in African-American history.
B) The tales helped African Americans resign themselves to slavery.
C) The tales became allegories for struggles against slavery.
D) The tales helped African Americans become slave masters.

Question 54

A sizable minority of African Americans can trace their ancestry to Central Africa.

Question 55

Both court poets and griots were women in West African society.

Question 56

In patrilineal societies,social rank and property is passed down in the female line from mothers to sons.

Question 57

A "call-and-response" style of singing played a vital role in West African rituals.

Question 58

West Africans used "fetishes" or figurines for rituals related to __________.

A) political changes in leadership
B) trade relationships with African governments
C) peace treaties with European governments
D) coming-of-age ceremonies

Question 59

Which musical instrument now commonly used in the U.S.has an African predecessor?

A) trumpet
B) saxophone
C) banjo
D) violin

Question 60

A giant stele standing today in Ethiopia is testament to the spread of ancient Egyptian architecture.

Question 61

The Nok,one of the early peoples of the West African forest region,were known for their _________ technology.

Question 62

Discuss the scholarly debate surrounding the race and extent of influence of the ancient Egyptians.

Question 63

Based on the Voices segment of Al Bakri's observations of Kumbi Saleh and Ghana's royal court,explain the connection between physical display and authority within the political system of Ghana.

Question 64

The _________,Islamic Berbers from Morocco,captured Ghana in 1076 CE.

Question 65

Egypt began a long decline as a result of __________'s invasion in 331 BCE.

Question 66

The Egyptian religion included ________,god of the Nile.

Question 67

Examine the Voices segment of a Dutch visitor to Benin City in 1602.How does the foreign visitor describe conditions in the city,and what cultural biases are evident in his description?

Question 68

Why do scholars generate an intense debate surrounding the ancient origin of human beings as explained in the chapter?

Question 69

Explain the role,status,and power of African women in ancient Africa.

Question 70

What were the most important economic,political,and cultural aspects of West African society? In what ways did geography impact cultural differences among West African civilizations?

Question 71

Why is the Nile river called a "gift" for ancient Egypt?

Question 72

In 1591,the king of Morocco used Spanish ________ to capture Gao,capital of Songhai.

Question 73

A large_________ stretches across Africa spanning Ethiopia to the Atlantic Ocean.

Question 74

In what ways did Islam influence ancient African political,economic,and cultural development prior to European arrival? How does that impact manifest itself today?

Question 75

Mansa Musa's connection to Mecca in 1324 entailed making a _________.

Question 76

The people known as the _________are an example of an Akan state.

Question 77

Scientists who study the evolution and prehistory of humans are known as _________.

Question 78

From north to south,Africa is divided into a series of __________ zones.

Question 79

How did class,gender,and religion shape Egyptian life?

Question 80

Examine Map 1-1.What aspects of African geography suggest limitations and possibilities for historical settlement?