APWH Dry Prequel quiz

Early Civilizations & River Valleys

Rise of agriculture and permanent settlements

Göbekli Tepe

Early religious site, not a permanent city

Sumerians

First permanent settlements in Mesopotamia Created irrigation, cuneiform, and city

Mesopotamia

Region between Tigris and Euphrates rivers

Akkadians

Northern neighbors of Sumerians, formed first empire

Babylonians 

Mentioned but considered overrated in this context

Assyrians

Known for aggressive military dominance

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Symbol of Mesopotamian legacy

Ancient India

Harappan cities with advanced planning and spiritual evolution

Harappans & Mohenjo

Daro – Urban centers that supported larger civilizations

Egypt

based civilization with happy afterlife beliefs and pyramid burials

Ancient China

Dynastic cycle and philosophical traditions

Dynastic Cycle

Pattern of rise, decline, and renewal of dynasties

Mandate of Heaven

– Divine approval used to justify rule

Confucianism

– Focus on authority, harmony, and filial piety

Taoism –

Emphasizes natural order and simplicity

Buddhism –

Competed with Confucianism, later blended with it

Qin Dynasty –

Centralized control and legalism

Han Dynasty

– Expanded bureaucracy, fell from internal/external pressures

Classical World

Persia, Greece, and Rome

Persia

Empire with Zoroastrianism, tolerance, and infrastructure

Zoroastrianism

Early monotheism with good vs. evil deity

Greek Conflicts

Greeks revolted, Persians failed to conquer

Greece

Rise of Athens, philosophy, and cultural flourishing

Persian Wars

– Athens defeats Persia, forms Delian League

Golden Age of Greece

– Art, architecture, and philosophy thrive

Socrates

Questioned everything, few recorded beliefs

Plato 

Believed in ideal realm, influenced Christianity

Aristotle

– Logic and observation, admired by scholars

Peloponnesian War

Civil war between Athens and Sparta

Macedonia & Alexander –

Conquered Persia, spread Hellenistic culture

Rome

Expansion, military rule, and Pax Romana

Punic Wars 

Rome defeats Carthage in three war

Julius Caesar

Gained power, assassinated leaving an heir

Octavian (Augustus)

– First emperor, began Pax Romana

Pax Romana

Peaceful era with trade, roads, and Christianity spread.