Question 1

Where did the Sumerians first settle?
A) The Upper Nile
B) The Fertile Crescent
C) The Mediterranean Islands
D) Western Africa

Accepted Answer

The Sumerians first settled in the Fertile Crescent, specifically in the southern part of Mesopotamia, an area known for its rich soils and conducive environment for early agriculture and civilization development.

Question 2

What are two Semitic languages?
A) Arabic and Hebrew
B) Urdu and Hindi
C) Persian and Arabic
D) Greek and Maltese

Accepted Answer

Arabic and Hebrew are both Semitic languages, part of a language family originating in the Middle East.

Question 3

During the Neolithic period, a major development in agriculture was the ability to:
A) accumulate and store grain
B) feed large numbers of livestock
C) build larger architectural structures
D) control bodies of water

Accepted Answer

The ability to accumulate and store grain was a major development in agriculture during the Neolithic period, allowing for the creation of surplus food supplies and the support of larger populations.

Question 4

Where are some of the oldest paintings of humankind found?
A) Sub-Saharan Africa
B) Lascaux
C) Amarna
D) Egypt

Accepted Answer

The Lascaux caves in France contain some of the oldest known paintings, dating back to around 17,000 years ago.

Question 5

In general terms, what is most striking about the long history of Egyptian culture?
A) The evolution of its writing system
B) Its unity and consistency
C) Its ever-changing, highly diverse nature
D) Its isolation from all surrounding cultures

Accepted Answer

Egyptian culture is notable for its remarkable unity and consistency over thousands of years, despite changes in leadership and occasional foreign rule. This continuity is evident in its religion, art, language, and social structure.

Question 6

What do archaeologists believe the Venus of Willendorf depicts?
A) a Greek goddess
B) a female fertility figure
C) a famous queen
D) a child

Accepted Answer

The Venus of Willendorf is widely interpreted by archaeologists as a female fertility figure, given its exaggerated female features which are thought to symbolize fertility or a mother goddess concept from the Upper Paleolithic period.

Question 7

Who became the most important deity during the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt?
A) Aton
B) Isis
C) Minos
D) Knossos

Accepted Answer

Aton became the most important deity during the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt, especially under the reign of Akhenaten, who promoted Aton as the principal god and attempted to monotheistically focus Egyptian worship on Aton.

Question 8

Who discovered the civilization that predated the Mycenaeans?
A) Sir Arthur Evans
B) Lord Wilton Spiel
C) Heinrich Schliemann
D) Howard Carter

Accepted Answer

Sir Arthur Evans discovered the Minoan civilization, which predated the Mycenaeans, during his excavations at Knossos on the island of Crete.

Question 9

According to legend, who dictated to King Hammurabi the laws that he would later include in the Law Code of Hammurabi ?
A) Enlil
B) Shamash
C) Aton
D) Osiris

Accepted Answer

Shamash, the Babylonian sun god, was believed to have dictated the laws to King Hammurabi. Shamash was associated with justice, making him an appropriate deity for this role in the legend.

Question 10

How did the art of Amarna differ from conventional Egyptian art?
A) It employed a stylized, artificial quality.
B) It was highly formal, apparently intended only for somber occasions.
C) It had greater lightness and naturalism.
D) It depicted female figures exclusively.

Accepted Answer

The art of Amarna is known for its departure from the traditional, rigid forms of Egyptian art, introducing a style that was more relaxed, naturalistic, and depicted figures in a more lifelike manner. This included a greater emphasis on movement and the depiction of the human body in a more realistic, sometimes almost exaggerated, form of naturalism, unlike the conventional, idealized portrayal of figures in earlier Egyptian art periods.

Question 11

What artifacts from Jericho are considered an indication that they practiced ancestor worship?
A) fertility figures
B) burial statues
C) restored skulls
D) stone shrines

Accepted Answer

Restored skulls found in Jericho are considered evidence of ancestor worship. These skulls were often plastered and painted to create lifelike faces, suggesting a reverence for the dead that is consistent with practices of ancestor worship.

Question 12

According to the text, what have archaeologists posited that Stonehenge was?
A) an ancient temple
B) a storage facility for weapons
C) a monument to a great leader
D) a solar calendar and observatory

Accepted Answer

Stonehenge is believed to have been a solar calendar and observatory based on the text's description of its alignment with the sun and its use for tracking the solstices.

Question 13

Who was the earliest great architect to appear in historical record?
A) Khafre
B) Djoser
C) Babur
D) Imhotep

Accepted Answer

Imhotep, who served under the Pharaoh Djoser, is credited as the architect of Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara, Egypt, around 2630–2611 BC. This makes him the earliest architect known by name in history.

Question 14

What civilization conquered the Babylonian Empire?
A) The Semites
B) The Persians
C) The Kassites
D) The Sumerians

Accepted Answer

The Persians, under the leadership of Cyrus the Great, conquered the Babylonian Empire in 539 BC, marking a significant expansion of the Achaemenid Empire.

Question 15

How have modern scholars typically divided the history of ancient Egypt?
A) into two major periods
B) into three major periods
C) into four major periods
D) i nto six major periods

Accepted Answer

The answer of How have modern scholars typically divided the...

Question 16

Which civilization succeeded in uniting Mesopotamia in about 1800 B.C.E.?
A) Assyrians
B) Kassites
C) Babylonians
D) Sumerians

Accepted Answer

The Babylonians, under the rule of Hammurabi, succeeded in uniting Mesopotamia around 1800 B.C.E., marking a significant period of consolidation and the creation of the famous Code of Hammurabi.

Question 17

What was Sumerian religion based upon?
A) animal worship
B) spirits of ancestors
C) natural phenomena
D) monotheism

Accepted Answer

Sumerian religion was based upon the worship of natural phenomena, with each city-state having its own patron god or goddess associated with natural elements and forces.

Question 18

What was the first great literary work of ancient Mesopotamia?
A) Ashurbanipal
B) Book of the Dead
C) Epic of Gilgamesh
D) Tutankhamen's autobiography

Accepted Answer

The Epic of Gilgamesh is considered the first great literary work of ancient Mesopotamia, dating back to the early 3rd millennium BCE. It is an epic poem that tells the story of Gilgamesh, a historical king of the Sumerian city-state of Uruk.

Question 19

Which art form is particularly characteristic of the Cyclades islands?
A) Marble figurines
B) Pottery
C) Frescoes
D) Wood sculptures

Accepted Answer

Marble figurines are particularly characteristic of the Cyclades islands, dating back to the Early Cycladic period (3rd millennium BCE). These artifacts are known for their simplicity and abstract forms.

Question 20

Who was the central deity in Minoan religion?
A) a being that is half-man and half-wolf
B) a river god
C) a sun god
D) there is not enough evidence to know

Accepted Answer

The Minoan civilization, which flourished on the island of Crete, has left behind limited and largely undeciphered evidence regarding its religious practices. The central deity or deities of Minoan religion remain a subject of speculation due to the lack of definitive texts or clear archaeological evidence. Therefore, it is accurate to say that there is not enough evidence to conclusively identify a central deity in Minoan religion.

Quiz 1: Beginnings

Where did the Sumerians first settle?

What are two Semitic languages?

During the Neolithic period, a major development in agriculture was the ability to:

Where are some of the oldest paintings of humankind found?

In general terms, what is most striking about the long history of Egyptian culture?

What do archaeologists believe the Venus of Willendorf depicts?

Who became the most important deity during the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt?

Who discovered the civilization that predated the Mycenaeans?

According to legend, who dictated to King Hammurabi the laws that he would later include in the Law Code of Hammurabi ?

How did the art of Amarna differ from conventional Egyptian art?

What artifacts from Jericho are considered an indication that they practiced ancestor worship?

According to the text, what have archaeologists posited that Stonehenge was?

Who was the earliest great architect to appear in historical record?

What civilization conquered the Babylonian Empire?

How have modern scholars typically divided the history of ancient Egypt?

Which civilization succeeded in uniting Mesopotamia in about 1800 B.C.E.?

What was Sumerian religion based upon?

What was the first great literary work of ancient Mesopotamia?

Which art form is particularly characteristic of the Cyclades islands?

Who was the central deity in Minoan religion?