History homework help

Chapter One – Summary

The first human societies we are aware of are those of the Paleolithic era. Far from being primitive, these people developed works of art, figurines, and cave paintings in addition to stone tools. As global climates changed, these hunter-gatherers found it increasingly difficult to thrive. The Neolithic era is characterized by peoples able to farm and herd. Although this required hard labor, it also produced more dependable, and more prolific, food sources. For an agricultural society to survive, and civilization to prosper, an abundance of fertile soil was necessary. Early societies found these conditions in the Mesopotamian plains, and the Sumerian people began to settle this land in the sixth millennium B.C.E. Sumerian city-states peaked between 3600 and 3000 B.C.E. A growing civilization required new methods of communication, and the Sumerians are credited with the development of writing. Records and business accounts were recorded on mud tablets using a form of writing called cuneiform.

The rise and prosperity of Egyptian civilization parallels Sumer’s. Like the Sumerians, Egyptians found the fertility of a river valley, the Nile, beneficial to the development of agriculture and farming. During the period known as the Early Dynastic Period, the Egyptians developed a method of writing similar to, but more advanced than, the Sumerian cuneiform. Hieroglyphics were created by painting ink on paper rather than inscribing clay tablets. During the Old Kingdom, pharaohs exercised sweeping power over their vast kingdom. Though it is unclear why the Old Kingdom came to an end, its collapse coincided with the decline of Sumerian civilization. Egypt’s first Intermediate Period was characterized by regionalism and unrest, a sharp contrast to the stability and unified prosperity enjoyed by the Egyptians under the Old Kingdom. However, this time of transition allowed for further growth as a civilization under the Middle Kingdom.

Review Questions

1. The world’s first civilization flourished in a land called:

a. Ur

b. Catal Huyuk

c. Uruk

d. Sumer

2. Paleolithic societies were supported primarily by

a. hunting and gathering

b. herding and farming

c. trade and industry

d. raiding neighboring societies

3. Although the people who lived in Europe towards the end of the Paleolithic era are commonly recognized for their use and development of stone tools, they can also be credited for which of the following cultural breakthroughs?

a. music

b. art

c. drama

d. literature

4. During which era did people begin to shift from passively harvesting to actively cultivating?

a. The Paleolithic Era

b. Predynastic Era

c. The First Intermediate Era

d. The Neolithic Era

5. The most significant settlement in Anatolia (in approximately 6000 B.C.E.) was:

a. Ur

b. Catal Huyuk

c. Uruk

d. Sumer

6. Civilization truly dawned with the first of the metal ages:

a. The Iron Age

b. The Copper Age

c. The Bronze Age

d. The Golden Age

7. Which of the following factors made the beginning of civilization in the Mesopotamian plain possible?

a. Rich soil was deposited by natural flooding of nearby rivers

b. There was an abundance of natural resources on the plain

c. The climate was temperate all year

d. Rainfall was regular and adequate for agriculture

8. The Sumerians were attracted to Mesopotamia because of:

a. The deep iron ore seams found under the plains

b. the relatively moderate climate

c. the marshes along bodies of water provided sources of food

d. Their need for stone and mud with which to construct their cities

9. Around 2100 B.C.E. a Sumerian scribe claimed that monarchy was instituted by the gods because:

a. The gods needed to communicate to man through a leader

b. The gods wished to have a human leader who could serve as a symbol of divine power

c. A ruler was needed after a flood nearly obliterated humanity

d. A monarch could institute a uniform and universal religion through which the gods would receive worship

10. As Sumerian villages grew in population:

a. Cities began to exercise a form of self-government

b. A dynastic monarchy emerged

c. Cities organized themselves into a loose confederation, though each city retained autonomy

d. An early form of democracy was established, with individuals meeting together to meet the needs of the society as a whole.

11. Sumerian cities were:

a. Remarkably clean and well-planned

b. Inhabited by no more than a few thousand residents

c. Characterized by open-spaces and public gardens

d. Uncomfortable and crowded

12. Which of the following was NOT a commodity readily available for successfully produced in Sumer?

a. Lapis lazuli

b. Grain

c. Jewelry

d. Glass

13. The development of writing by the Sumerians was largely a result of:

a. A desire to preserve culture and traditions for later generations

b. An interest in passing down stories and songs previously passed down exclusively in the oral tradition

c. The need to manage growing cities and their economies

d. The necessity of establishing and preserving codes of law in a more permanent form

14. The triangular indentations that constitute the script of the Sumerians is called:

a. Hieroglyphics

b. Sumerian script

c. Cuneiform

d. Semitic

15. Sumer was eventually unified by a man named:

a. Akkad

b. Sargon

c. Cheops

d. Aten

16. The Amorites spread throughout Mesopotamia and founded a city called:

a. Akkad

b. Bablyon

c. Ur

d. Memphis

17. Which is NOT an explanation for why the Egyptians felt more at peace with the human condition than did some Sumerians?

a. Egyptians enjoyed significantly more political freedom than Sumerians

b. Egypt was naturally more protected from possible invasion

c. Egypt had more natural resources like stone and metal ores

d. Egypt experienced a long period of peace which allowed it to prosper and develop political unity

18. Egypt’s first dynasty was established in:

a. Giza

b. Cairo

c. Memphis

d. Cheops

19. Egypt’s pharaohs:

a. Allowed a great deal of political freedom to Egyptians

b. Were essentially figureheads presiding over small regional governments

c. Ruled harshly and cruelly and used a strong military to impose their wills

d. Worshiped as manifestations of an eternal god

20. Egyptian hieroglyphics:

a. Can be traced directly to Sumerian cuneiform

b. Were mainly carved into stone tablets

c. Developed later into a cursive script used for common documents

d. Were used only for holy texts and monuments

21. The heart of Egyptian civilization was:

a. Its monarchy

b. Its common people

c. Its religion

d. Its art and architecture

22. “Ma’at” is best described as:

a. An ethical code governing trade and industry

b. A balance among nature’s competing forces

c. A religious belief in a life after death for which man must prepare

d. The system of hierarchy governing all created things

23. Which of the following best describes the system used to govern Egypt?

a. A military dictatorship

b. A participatory democracy

c. A bureaucratic monarchy

d. A despotic tyranny

24. During the Old Kingdom, most Egyptians lived in:

a. Large cities

b. Isolated farm dwellings

c. Ports and merchant centers

d. Small villages

25. The Egyptian outlook on both life and death was:

a. Characterized by a preoccupation with physical comfort and pleasure

b. Marked by a morbid fascination with death

c. Primarily governed by a monotheistic religion

d. More optimistic than the view described in some Sumerian texts

26. Tomb construction evolved in Egypt because:

a. Egyptians were looking for ways to prevent bodies from being exposed by the

elements or dug up by animals

b. Pharaohs demanded that their bodies enter the afterlife in a structure suitable to their elevated state

c. Family members of deceased increasingly wanted a place to honor their dead loved ones

d. Religious beliefs dictated that bodies be curried in tombs in order to ensure divine acceptance into the afterlife

27. The pharaoh credited with the beginning of the pyramid “fad” was:

a. Cheops

b. Imhotep

c. Djoser

d. Narmer

28. The Great Pyramid was probably built for:

a. Cheops

b. Imhotep

c. Djoser

d. Narmer

29. Which of the following is NOT suggested as a reason why pyramid projects were undertaken?

a. Great projects demonstrated a leader’s power

b. Conquered peoples could be subjugated by using them as slaves during construction

c. Construction can distract people from disruptive behavior

d. They became a source of national pride

30. Which of the following is NOT proposed as a reason why the Old Kingdom declined?

a. A drought may have affected the economy

b. An invading army may have wiped out the declining Egyptian military

c. Regional governments may have asserted their independence

d. Pharaohs may have failed to limit the power of regional governors