World History Midterm Review

What best describes prehistory?

The period before writing was developed

When did Homo Sapiens arrive?

250,000 years ago

What is the general consensus where Homo Sapiens first lived?

Africa

What dating method would an anthropologist use to measure the age of a piece of bone?

Carbon 14

When did the Neolithic Period start?

9000 BC

When did the Paleolithic Period start?

2 million BC

When did prehistory end?

3000 BC

What were some early inventions of the Neolithic Period?

Calendar, plow, weaving, pottery

What were common characteristics of early civilizations?

Complex religions, job specialization, public works

What would be true about modern society if the Neolithic Revolution had not occurred?

People would not live in towns and cities.

The most likely reason Neolithic peoples formed governments was because they needed to...

organize large public works projects.

What was the world's first village established in the West Bank between 10,000 and 9000 BC?

Jericho

The "Out of Africa" theory is one explanation for...

the geographic beginnings of Homo Sapiens.

What are the four primary causes that changed early civilizations?

Cities becoming city-states, effects of the environment, first empires forming, cultural diffusion

Where did early civilizations develop?

Near rivers

The Sumerians lived in what area?

Southeastern Mesopotamia

What types of laws were documented in Hammurabi's Code?

Civil and criminal

What rivers is Mesopotamia between?

Tigris and Euphrates

What was the primary material the Sumerians used to construct their cities?

Clay bricks

How did the Sumerians view the afterlife?

Grim, people ate dust

What was the earliest form of writing for literature?

Cuneiform

What branch of mathematics did the Sumerians develop?

Number system based on six

What early technologies did the Sumerians develop?

bronze tools, potter's wheel, wheeled carts

Which leader codified and published the law on stone pillars?

Hammurabi

About when did the Persians conquer the Babylonians?

500 BC

What policy did Darius employ while managing the Persian Empire?

Divided up the empire into satrapies

How did Darius try to encourage economic prosperity in the Persian Empire?

Encouraged the use of coins and promoted money

When did the Sumerian civilization begin?

3300 BC

What accomplishments were the Phoenicians known for?

Invented Tyrian purple dye, created glass from coastal sand, invented an alphabet with 22 characters

Who first conquered the Sumerian city-states?

Akkadians

How did the Nile help Egyptian civilization?

irrigated crops, facilitated trade between cities

What led to the fall of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom?

invasion by the Hyksos

What was the Old Kingdom of Egypt known for?

having a structured government led by pharaohs, building the Great Pyramids

What were advancements of the Egyptian New Kingdom?

dentistry, craftsmanship, hygiene, medicine

What helped modern scholars decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics?

Rosetta Stone

What was the Egyptian calendar?

12 months of 30 days plus 5 days added at the end of the year

What branch of mathematics did the Egyptians invent?

geometry

What leader built the famous Hanging Gardens?

Nebuchadnezzar

Regional governors in the Persian Empire were known as what?

satraps

What was the name of the Egyptian king who united Upper and Lower Egypt?

Menes

Who believed that good was in constant battle with evil and that each of us had to choose a side?

Zoroaster

What method of farming did the Inca utilize?

terraced farming

What government structure did the Mayans use?

city-states

According to legend, how did the Aztec decide on the location of Tenochtitlan?

an eagle eating a snake on a cactus

How did the Aztecs try to please the gods?

human sacrifice

What method of farming did the Aztecs utilize?

floating gardens (chinampas)

What modern day country was the Inca located in?

Peru

What was a major accomplishment of the Sapa Inca?

built a network of roads

What was a symbol of the Sapa Inca?

gold

What American civilization came first?

the Olmec

What is one possible reason for the decline of the Indus civilization?

Too many trees were cut down which damaged the environment.

When did the Indus River Valley civilization begin?

2600 BC

Which caste was at the top in Aryan India?

Brahmins

Which caste was at the bottom in Aryan India?

Dalits

What written language did the Aryans use for religious texts?

Sanskrit

What do Hindus believe determines what caste someone is born into?

karma

In Hinduism, what is the role of reincarnation in achieving moksha?

Reincarnation allows one to work toward moksha through several lifetimes.

What is the Hindu belief of union with the universe and release from the cycle of rebirth?

moksha

What is the Hindu philosophy of nonviolence called?

ahimsa

According to Hinduism, what guidelines emphasize doing your duty and help a person achieve union with the universal life force?

dharma

Yin and Yang

Yin: earth, darkness, female forces; Yang: heaven, light, male forces

What is true about the Legalist philosophy?

It was the main philosophy of the Qin dynasty, believed the basic nature of man is evil, believed a ruler's greatest virtue is strength not goodness

"The nature of man is evil. His goodness is acquired. Greed is his motivation."

legalism

How did Buddhism spread to other regions?

Missionaries and traders spread Buddhism to other parts of Asia.

What are the teachings of Laozi?

One must focus on the Dao or the "way" of the universe, understanding the simple ways of nature and the virtue of yielding, people should live in harmony with nature, government is unnatural and the less the better.

What are the accomplishments of Shi Huangdi?

He standardized Chinese coins and built the Great Wall of China

What are the accomplishments of the emperor Wudi?

Improvement of roads and canals, expanded Chinese territory, set up granaries across China, strengthened the government and economy

What is a good that was brought into China through the Silk Road?

horses

What is the Buddhist belief of union with the universe and release from the cycle of rebirth?

nirvana

When did the Shang Dynasty begin?

1766 BC

What are the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism?

All life is pain and suffering, negative deeds are a cause of suffering, the eightfold path is a cure for non virtue, desire is a cause for suffering

Who was the founder of Daoism?

Laozi

What leader built the Great Wall of China?

Shi Huangdi

What technology was developed during the Han dynasty?

gunpowder, paper, rudder

What was the Han civil service system?

promoted employees based on merit, required employees to take an exam to prove their worth

Which Chinese dynasty came first?

Shang

Why did the Qin dynasty fall?

People revolted against heavy taxes and cruel policies after Shi Huangdi died.

Why did the Han dynasty fall?

The dynasty lost control of local warlords

Why did the Shang dynasty fall?

The last emperor was extremely cruel

What causes a dynasty to lose the Mandate of Heaven?

It neglects government duties and ignores corrupt officials

What were Confucius' teachings?

Leaders are to provide good government, treat others as you would want to be treated, harmony resulted when people accept the place in society, educated people are responsible for working in government

Who fought in the Trojan War around 1250 BC?

The Mycenaeans and Trojans

Who wrote the book The Republic?

Plato

The oath that set ethical standards for doctors is attributed to:

Hippocrates

What best explains why Minoan civilization was able to develop its rich culture?

Trading activities and its island location allowed it to acquire ideas and technology from other civilizations.

How did geographical features, including mountains and the sea, affect Greek city-states' development?

Greek city-states developed separately from each other.

How does the Socratic method of teaching work?

The teacher asks a series of questions, which causes students to question their own assumptions.

What was an important result of the reign of Alexander the Great?

the spread of Greek culture from the Mediterranean to the Middle East

What are likely reasons for the disappearance of the Minoan civilization?

Earthquake, volcanic eruption, invasion

What type of government did the Mycenaeans use during the time of the Trojan War?

monarchy

Which epic dealt with the events of a hero's journey home after the end of the Trojan War?

The Odyssey, told by Homer

What is the most likely reason for the Trojan War?

trade rivalry

How did the Dorians affect Greece around 1100 BC?

Greeks lost skills, like writing

Who believed in the "golden mean"?

Aristotle

Which battle of the Greco-Persian War happened first?

Marathon

What was the decisive naval battle won by the Greeks against Persia in the second Persian War?

Salamis

What triggered Darius' invasion of Greece?

Athens helped the Ionian Greeks rebel

What was the name of the alliance led by Athens after the second Persian War?

the Delian League

Who outlawed debt slavery in Athens?

Solon

Who is considered the founder of Athenian democracy?

Cleisthenes