Ancient History mid-term study giude

What do social scientists do?

Study human society

Define an archaeologist

An expert who studies the past by examining objects

Define the term artifact.

An object made or used by people in the past

Define a geographer.

An expert who studies and creates maps of Earth’s natural and human-made features

Why do historians read diaries and letters from the past?

To find out what happened and why

What challenges does prehistoric history present?

Lack of evidence from the period because it was before written history

Why were handprints found in caves very small?

people long ago were not as big as they are today

What does cave art tell us about prehistoric time?

what animals lived in the area

Who was the most important prophet in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?

Abraham

What is Jewish Dispora?

Jewish people moving away from their homeland is Jewish Dispora. They dispersed across the Middle East.

What is considered the most sacred place in Jerusalem?

The First Temple built by King Solomon

What three religions practice monotheism?

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam believe in one god

Why is Jesus considered the Messiah for Christianity?

Jesus is considered the Messiah for Christianity because he was chosen by God to save mankind.

According to the New Testament of the Christian Bible, what happened three days after Jesus was crucified?

Jesus rose from the dead

What are the Five Pillars of Islam?

Testimony - Believe in and devote yourself to the one god

Prayer - Pray 5 times a day

Payment of Alms - Giving to Charity

Fasting - Giving up Food and Drink during daylight hours during Ramadan

Pilgrimage - pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in your lifetime

Muslims believe the Qur’an contains the complete message of God as revealed to what messenger?

Muhammad

What change began during the Neolithic Age?

farming

How did people survive during the Paleolithic Age?

Hunting and Gathering

What discovery led to the end of the Neolithic Age, about 3000BCE?

How to make metal tools

Why were most of the early settlements located in the Fertile Crescent?

Soil was very good for growing crops

Why did people in the Neolithic Age live together in larger groups, compared to earlier times?

They could grow enough food to support more people

How did dividing up the work help communities produce more to meet their needs?

Individuals developed a variety of skills

What does specialization mean? What jobs would be an example of specialization in ancient times?

Specialization means becoming an expert in a particular subject or skill. Some jobs in ancient times would have been Spinners, weavers, Basket makers, and tool makers.

Why would a trader be an example of cultural diffusion? (you need the definition to answer the question)

A trader would find out how other groups lived and bring back the information to his people. Cultural diffusion is the spreading of cultural traits, such as goods and ideas, from one culture to another, or within one culture (sharing of ideas).

What does the name Mesopotamia come from?

Land between the Rivers (Euphrates and Tigris)

Why were Sumerian communities called city-states?

City-states had their own ruler and farmland

 What fact allowed the Neolithic people to farm in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains?

The region had plenty of rain and it was suitable for growing crops

What caused food shortages in the Zagros foothills?

Increase in population  - limited farmland

Why did the rivers flood in the Spring?

Snow melted in the mountains where the source (beginning) of the river was located

What was the main purpose of dams and reservoirs?

To store water for later use

What is a levee?

A wall of earth built to prevent a river from flooding its banks

Why was silt a problem for the people of Sumer?

Silt clogged irrigation canals

What term/phrase is used to describe a society with enough food for its people?

Stable food supply

What do you call a civilization that has a complex organization with different jobs and social levels?

Social structure

In Sumer, who would most likely live in a two-story house near the center of the city?

A government official

In Sumer, who had houses at the edge of the city?

farmers

What were the three responsibilities of the king in Sumer?

Lead the army, enforce the laws, and have temples built

Which Sumerian belief about the king helped strengthen the social order?

The king was supported/chosen by the gods

Why were scribes important to the Sumerian government?

They wrote down/recorded the laws

 In which characteristic of a civilization does a Ziggurat belong?

Religion

Why would people in Sumer use drums, pipes, and lyres?

For entertainment

Which invention made it possible for Sumerian armies to use chariots?

The wheel

What tool did Sumerians use to produce cuneiform, which was their written language?

A wedge-shaped stylus

Where did scribes record the goods people exchanged?

Clay tablets

What is Hammurabi known for and how would we describe this?

A code of laws  (“An eye for an eye”-the punishment fits the crime)

Why were social classes of ancient Egypt described like a pyramid? (explain in detail)

Most people were in the bottom classes with the least amount of power and the fewest people were at the top with the most power.

Who built the giant temples of the pharaohs?

Peasant farmers build the temples during the flooding season.

What activity was permitted only to men?

Becoming a scribe

How did most government officials get their jobs?

By inheriting them from a family member

What role did women have in religion?

They could become priestesses

What are three important jobs of the viziers in Ancient Egypt?

• Advising the Pharaoh and carrying out his commands

• Appointed and supervised many other government officials

• Chief judge - needed to remain neutral in court cases

Why did Egyptians bury some bread and beer with their dead?

So they would have food in their afterlife

Why did it take many years to become a scribe?

There were hundreds of hieroglyphs to learn

What is papyrus?

A plant used to make paper

How does the work of ancient artisans help us learn about life today?

They carved and painted scenes of everyday life

How did many farmers pay their taxes?

With grain