humanities midterm

“Prehistory" may be defined as that period prior to what?

Prior to the invention of written records / writing.

The term Paleolithic is used interchangeably with what other term?

Old Stone Age.

What is one of the earliest landmarks of Paleolithic culture?

Cave paintings or stone figures

Where did the first civilizations appear?

in river valleys such as Mesopotamia and the Nile.

In what present-day country are the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers located?

Iraq.

In what city was the oldest ancient complex of the Americas discovered in 2001, revealing pyramids, wide plazas, a sunken amphitheater, and numerous residences?

Caral

What is a reason that Hammurabi's Code is significant?

It represents one of the earliest comprehensive, written codifications of law, establishing uniform standards of justice and accountability.

Hammurabi was a ruler of ______.

Babylon

According to research, from where did written signs derive?

markings on clay tokens

The world's oldest clay vessels appear to have come from where?

Japan

The earliest discovered inscribed clay tablets come from ______.

Sumer

Which Iron Age seafaring people created a non-pictographic alphabet?

Phoenicians

What material was used in the early artworks of sub-Saharan Africa, such as the Nok heads?

Terracotta

Jade artifacts, especially in the form of circular discs, are primarily associated with ancient ______.

China

Where is the landmark known as Stonehenge located?

Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England.

What description of the Great Temple at Karnak is accurate?

massive religious complex dedicated to Amun-Ra

Which of the following statements about the Epic of Gilgamesh is most accurate?

It is the world's oldest surviving literary epic, originating in Mesopotamia, and explores themes of human mortality, friendship, and the quest for immortality.

Where did the first literary epic develop?

Mesopotamia

Where is the landmark known as Stonehenge located?

Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England.

What description of the Great Temple at Karnak is accurate?

It served as the principal sanctuary for the state god Amun-Ra in Ancient Egypt, built with massive post-and-lintel architecture and hypostyle halls.

The name Zoroaster is associated primarily with the culture of ______.

Persia

What was the primary function of the Egyptian pyramids?

To serve as tombs for the Pharaohs

What is the Book of the Dead?

A collection of ancient Egyptian funerary texts, spells, and magic formulas intended to guide and protect the deceased in the afterlife.

Akhenaten is associated with what religion or religious view?

Monotheism

On what basis did Zhou rebels justify their rebellion against the Shang dynasty?

The Mandate of Heaven

In Hinduism, the Absolute Spirit is known as _______.

Brahman.

Taking its name from the term for "sacred knowledge," which Hindu literature teaches worship through prayer and sacrifice?

The Vedas.

In what region did the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations arise?

Aegean Sea basin

What does the word "Hellenic" indicate?

Anything relating to Greek culture, people, or language

What landmarks were produced during the so-called "Heroic Age"?

The epic poems of Homer

From what does the word "marathon" derive?

Battle of Marathon

What role is Herodotus known for?

"Father of History"

Athens' Golden Age flowered shortly after what event?

Persian Wars.

How far east did Alexander carry Hellenic culture?

India

What is a landmark of the Hellenistic Age?

Lighthouse of Alexandria, Library of Alexandria

Democritus is associated with what discipline?

Natural Philosophy

Aristotle's landmark contributions include all of the following EXCEPT what?

Theory of Forms / Ideas

The thinker who advanced the idea that reality lay in numerical proportion was ______.

Pythagoras.

In the Republic, Plato argues that ______ should govern.

Philosopher-kings

Which of the following schools of thought was NOT developed in the Hellenistic Age?

Platonism / Pythagoreanism / Sophism

In Golden Age Athens, laws were made by what group?

The Ecclesia

The unfree laborers in Sparta were called ______.

Helots.

In Greek mythology, who is the god of music?

Apollo.

The Parthenon is dedicated to ______.

Athena

Which of the following orders is NOT a program of ancient Greek architectural design?

Tuscan or Composite

What subject is featured in the two great epics of the Greeks, the Iliad and the Odyssey?

The Trojan War and its aftermath

The origins of Greek drama are probably found in what source?

Religious rituals and choral hymns

How frequently were dramatic festivals held in Athens during the Golden Age?

Annually

The Analects of Confucius show a deep concern for what societal aspect?

Moral ethics, social order, filial piety, and good governance.

Which of the following peoples had the LEAST direct influence on the development of Roman culture?

The Minoans

The Punic Wars were waged between Rome and ______.

Carthage.

What was the immediate consequence of the assassination of Julius Caesar?

civil war.

The powerful class of large landowners in ancient Rome were known as ______.

Patricians.

What was the term for the civil and military authority of Rome?

Imperium.

What statement best captures Seneca's Stoic philosophy?

That virtue and duty are the highest goods, and one must achieve tranquility of mind by accepting fate with calm detachment and self-control.

Catullus dedicated some of his poems to a woman he called Lesbia, a nod to the influence of which poet on his work?

Sappho

Which Roman poet's risqué The Art of Love led Octavian to send him into exile?

Ovid.

What was Juvenal known for in ancient Rome?

satire

There is little surviving evidence with which to judge Rome's accomplishments in the field of ______.

Music.

How can the style of Roman portraits best be described?

Veristic

The hero of Virgil's Aeneid is a native of ______.

Troy.

Romans innovated the use of which building material, which made large-scale architectural constructions much cheaper to build?

Concrete

What design is formed from a series of arches placed back to back?

A barrel vault

Roman baths typically centered on a rectangular colonnaded hall known as a(n) ______.

Basilica

For what purpose did Roman artists use the technique later known as trompe l'oeil?

illusion of three-dimensional space, depth, and landscapes

What landmark commemorated Roman military victories?

A Triumphal Arch

To whom was the Pantheon dedicated?

All the gods

What was a landmark of Han China?

The Silk Road

The life-sized figures found in the tomb of the first emperor of the Qin dynasty are made of what material?

Terracotta

In contrast with Rome, imperial China under the Qin and Han did not leave what type of landmark?

Free-standing monumental arches