Ancient Civ Midterm

How does climate influence history?

If a place had a good climate for farming or were surrounded by water they would be more likely to survive

How do archaeologists influence the interpretation of history?

Archaeologist’s own biases or interpretations of what happened influences history. 

Why do interpretations of history change over time?

If there is new evidence or artifacts found 

How do paleontologists contribute t the understanding of prehistory?

They find bones and fossils from different time periods

What developments took place during the Neolithic Age?

They polished stone tools, made pottery, grew crops, and raised animals.

How do Cro-Magnons differ from Neanderthals?

They were homo sapiens, had bigger brains, and were more developed in hunting and spoken language. 

How did the invention of tools benefit early modern humans?

They helped them be able to hunt and to meet their survival needs and eventually start the agricultural revolution.

What advantages did farmers have over hunters?

They had a larger food supply

What are the benefits of settled life?

There were more highly skilled workers, more food, and a varied cultural life. 

Hoe has the discovery of human remains at Stonehenge changed our understanding of Neolithic culture?

Some women had high social ranks

What are the characteristics associated with ancient civilizations?

Advanced cities, specialized workers, complex institutions, record keeping, and advanced technology.

Which group of early humans was the first to invent tools?

homo erectus

What are the differences between homo sapiens and homo erectus?

They had smaller brains and smaller teeth

What were the effects of the agricultural revolution?

There was a population boom, people were no longer nomads, and there was a larger food supply

What are the differences between Stonehenge and Superhenge?

Stonehenge was smaller and was used as a calendar, calculator, etc. Superhenge was bigger and was used for rituals

Why is Sumer considered to be one of the world’s first civilizations?

Sumer contained the five requirements of a civilization: Advanced cities, specialized workers, complex institutions, record keeping, and advanced technology

What was religion like during the Stone Age?

They built things like ziggurats to worship their gods (polytheistic)

What was business like in ancient Ur?

They traded or bartered for goods, weighing the value of items against others.

How are ancient monuments threatened in our modern world?

People destroy them during war/conflict

What were some of the challengers settlers faced in Mesopotamia?

The unpredictable flooding, unpredictable weather, no natural barriers, and limited natural resources.

What were the attributes of a Sumerian city-state?

They all had a ziggurat in the middle of their cities, surrounded by wheat and barley, and

What was the status of Sumerian women?

They took care of the children, their husband, the house, and if the family had one– a shop

Which race created the first empire?

The Akkadians

How did the deserts affect the Egyptian settlements?

It acted as a natural barrier for them

What were the differences between the religions of Mesopotamia and Egypt?

Mesopotamia believed their ruler/priest could speak to the gods, but Egypt believed their ruler/pharaoh was a god.

What contributions did Egyptians make towards writing?

The people of Egypt created Hieroglyphics, a form of pictographs. They also created papyrus, a material that made it easier to keep records.

What caused the rise and fall of the Egyptian Kingdoms?

Old: Pharaohs lost power. Middle: Hyksos conquered them. New: Attacked by the Libyans

What affect did geography have on early Indian civilizations?

It was surrounded by mountain ranges which separated it from the rest of the continent, and the rivers it was surrounded by provided good soil and monsoons

Why is little known about the early Indus river civilizations?

 Their writing system hasn’t been deciphered yet

What was unique about the ancient Harappan city of Mohenjo-Daro?

sophisticated water supply and waste extraction systems

What caused the decline of ancient Harappan cities?

it could have been climate change

What were some of the characteristics of the Harappan culture?

They created sculpture, seals, pottery, and jewelry. 

Which of China’s rivers is known as “China’s Sorrow”?

The yellow river

What are some of the most important attributes of ancient Chinese culture?

Family and respect

What were some of the major developments during The Zhou dynasty?

Iron, ox-drawn plows, crossbows, and horseback riding were all introduced

What is the chronological order of the ancient Chinese dynasties?

Shang, Zhou, Qin, and Han

What is cuneiform?

wedge-shaped characters used in the ancient writing systems

What is hieroglyphic?

Egyptian writing system with pictures and symbols

What are the different Indian monsoon seasons?

Summer monsoons and winter monsoons

What are Indo-European languages?

English, Spanish, Persian, and Hindi 

What warfare advantages did the Hittites have?

They had Chariots 

What are the characteristics of Hinduism?

Polytheistic religion, believe in reincarnation, and they believe in the caste system

What are the characteristics of Jainism?

Everything has a soul-they do not harm anything including animals

What are the characteristics of Buddhism?

Buddhists were to follow a plan of behavior called the Eightfold Path to reach nirvana—right views, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. They also believed in reincarnation but not just of humans

What are the characteristics of Judaism

believe that God is one, has no form, created the world, is eternal and is still actively involved in world affairs.

Geographically, where were the Minoans most dominate?

Crete, a large island on the Southern end of the Aegean Sea.

What are the contributions of the Phoenicians?

Remarkable shipbuilders, and sailed around the continent of Africa and back through the Strait of Gibraltar. 

What were the details concerning the Israelites living in Egypt?

Egyptian Pharaoh felt threatened by the number of Israelites moving to Egypt and ordered for all Israelites male babies to be murdered. 

What were the details concerning the Israelites living in Babylon?

They lived in captivity until Cyrus the Great freed them

Who is Abraham and what is his importance to the Iraelites?

He was the “father’ of the Israelites, lead them to Canaan 

How did the Hyksos gain control of Egypt?

Egypt was weak, they had chariots which the Egyptians had never seen before.

What made Hatshepsut a different kind of New Kingdom ruler?

She was a female ruler and focused on trade.

How did the Kush Empire attain its wealth?

They used natural resources and enjoyed the supplies of iron ores. Manufactured iron weapons and tool to be traded and sold.

How did the Assyrian kings rule conquered peoples?

They controlled dependent people by choosing their leaders.

Who defeated the Assyrians and restored the city of Babylon?

Nebuchadnezzar restored Babylon and defeated the Assyrians. 

ow did Cyrus choose to rule within his Persian Empire?

1. He understood the importance of his citizens  and understood all regions. 

How did Cyrus honor local religions?

He respected local gods. And restored temples and artifiacts.

How did Darius change the way the Persian Empire was governed?

introduced administrative divisions called strapies. He standardized laws, currency, and weights and measures.

What were the basic beliefs of Confucianism?

Valued harmony moral character, respect for elders,

What were the basic beliefs of Zoroastrianism?

Truth and righteousness

What were the basic beliefs of the Legalists?

Strict laws and harsh punishments

Where is Greece located and how did geography affect Greek culture?

Located in southeastern europe its mountains and sea shaped its trade, because it flourished because they used the sea   to travel to other lands. It also shaped the city-states because most of the city-states were divided due to the fact that mountains were everywhere and caved in the other city states leaving them isolated.

How did the Minoans affect the development of the Mycenaeans?

Adopted art, writing, religious practices

What caused the decline of Greek culture after the Trojan War?

Greece faced a dark age, economic decline, loss of literacy, population decreased.

How did the Dorians change the Greek government?

They introduced oligarchies, altering Greek government.

What were the basic characteristics of Spartan society?

They focused on military discipline, It vauled simplicity, endurance and duty.

What advantage did the Athenians have over the Persians in the battle of Marathon?

Athenians used local knowledge and the phalanx formation to overcome the larger Persian force.

How did Pericles reform Athenian democracy?

He introduced Direct democracy which became an important legacy of Periclean Athens

What is Pericles greatest political legacy?

He transformed his alliance into an empire and dominated all the city-states in that league 

How did Pericles pay for many of his reforms within the Athenian society?

He used money from the Delian league to make Athenian navy the strongest

What are the characteristics of lyric poetry?

They do not tell stories, instead they deal with emotions and desires

What were the strengths of each side during the Peloponnesian War?

Athens had the better navy while Sparta had the stronger army

What were the basic beliefs of the philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle?

Socrates believed that absolute standards did exist for truth and justice. Plato believed that a perfectly governed society can be harmonized. Aristotle questioned the nature of the world and of human belief, thought, and knowledge.

How did the Greeks view the Macedonians?

Thought of them as foreigners and looked down on them

How was Macedonia able to easily conquer Greece in the 340s BC?

The Greek city states were at war with one another 

Why was Alexander well prepared to lead Macedonia’s army when he became king?

He followed his dads reign and learned many skills through Aristotle's teachings

What Persian king did Alexander defeat during his Persian campaigns?

Darius III

What happened to Alexander’s empire after his death?

Many people fought for reign and led to war

What were the characteristics of Hellenistic culture?

Many art forms along with mathematics, physics, astronomy, and philosophy

How did the status of Greek women change during the Hellenistic period?

They gained rights for learning education and owning property.