Chapter 1
What do archaeologists refer to the period of time before people invented writing systems as?
The Prehistoric period.
What is the study of how early people lived?
Anthropology.
What do both historians and archaeologists study?
They both study past human activities, though historians focus on written records while archaeologists study material remains.
When did the early people first begin to use stone tools?
During the Paleolithic era, around 2.6 million years ago.
What evidence suggests that early people believed in life after death?
Burial sites with tools, weapons, and other goods.
What was the Neolithic Revolution?
The transition from nomadic life to settled farming, marking the start of the New Stone Age.
What changes characterized the New Stone Age?
The development of agriculture, the domestication of animals, and the establishment of permanent settlements.
Know the key features of early civilization.
Organized governments, complex religions, job specialization, social classes, arts and architecture, public works, and writing.
Where did the first cities emerge?
In river valleys, such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, and China.
What aided cultural diffusion among ancient peoples?
Trade, warfare, and migration.
Chapter 2
Why did the Egyptians look forward to the annual flooding of the Nile River?
It enriched the soil, making it ideal for farming.
Why did the Egyptians of the Old Kingdom design and build the pyramids?
As tombs for the pharaohs, ensuring their journey to the afterlife.
How did ancient Egyptians view their pharaohs?
As gods on earth and as divine rulers.
Which social class contained the majority of Egyptians?
Peasants and farmers.
What is a Fertile Crescent?
A region in the Middle East with rich soil and early civilizations, including Mesopotamia.
What was Sumer made up of?
City-states.
What was the significance of the Code of Hammurabi?
It was one of the earliest and most complete written legal codes, emphasizing justice and law.
What new technology did the Hittites bring to Mesopotamia?
Ironworking.
What is a covenant?
A binding agreement; in the context of the Bible, an agreement between God and the Hebrew people.
How did the Jewish view of God differ from the beliefs of most people in the ancient world?
The Jews believed in one all-powerful God (monotheism), unlike the polytheistic beliefs of other ancient peoples.
Chapter 3
Why is the summer monsoon a defining feature of life in India?
It brings necessary rainfall for farming but can also cause destructive floods.
What evidence suggests that the Indus Valley cities had a well-organized government?
The advanced city planning, including grid systems, uniform buildings, and sophisticated drainage systems.
Know about the Indus Valley civilization.
An advanced and urbanized civilization in present-day Pakistan and northwest India, known for its cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
Where did Aryan settlers establish cities?
In the Ganges River valley.
How did the Aryans divide people into classes?
Into four varnas or social classes: Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (merchants), and Sudras (laborers).
Why did priest-poets tell stories called epics?
To preserve and pass on the values, beliefs, and history of their people.
Why was China more isolated from the rest of the world compared to other early civilizations?
Due to natural barriers like mountains, deserts, and oceans.
Know what government was like under the Shang.
It was a monarchy with a strong central government, supported by a network of local rulers.
What is the Mandate of Heaven?
The belief that Chinese emperors had divine approval to rule, which could be lost if they ruled unjustly.
What technologies did the Chinese first achieve?
Bronze casting, silk production, and early forms of writing.
Chapter 4
According to Hinduism, what is the ultimate goal of existence?
Moksha, or liberation from the cycle of rebirth.
According to the Buddha, how can a person achieve enlightenment?
By following the Eightfold Path and achieving Nirvana.
Who was ruling during the golden age of India?
The Gupta dynasty.
According to Hindus, how can the caste be changed?
Through the law of karma, which affects rebirth into a higher or lower caste.
Who made village decisions in ancient India?
The village council, often composed of elders.
Who is the head of the family in an Indian household?
The eldest male.
Who did Confucius believe the best ruler was?
A virtuous leader who ruled by example.
According to Legalism, what is the way to achieve order?
Through strict laws and harsh punishments.
What did Daoists believe the best government is?
One that governs the least and allows people to live in harmony with nature.
How did Han emperors select officials to run the government?
Through a civil service examination system based on merit.
Chapter 5
What does Minoan civilization owe its success to?
Trade and its strategic location on the island of Crete.
What are Homer’s great epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey about?
The Iliad is about the Trojan War, and the Odyssey follows the journey of Odysseus after the war.
What did the rocky islands and isolated valleys of Greece contribute to the development of?
Independent city-states, each with its own government and culture.
What were Spartan boys trained to become?
Soldiers, starting from a young age.
Who led the Athenian golden age?
Pericles.
What conflict was the Peloponnesian War a result of?
The rivalry between Athens and Sparta.
Know about Greek sculpture style.
It was realistic and idealized, focusing on the human body and movement.
According to Plato, why were rational thoughts necessary?
To understand true reality and achieve a just society.
Which cultures contributed to the new Hellenistic civilization?
Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian cultures.
What was Alexander’s greatest achievement?
The creation of a vast empire that spread Greek culture across three continents.
Chapter 6
What geographical aspects made it easier to unify Italy?
Its central location in the Mediterranean, fertile plains, and fewer natural barriers compared to Greece.
How did the Romans treat the people they conquered?
They were often offered citizenship or allowed to govern themselves as long as they paid taxes and supplied soldiers.
What caused Rome to be beset by social and economic troubles?
Growing inequality, land distribution issues, and the rise of latifundia (large estates).
What is known as the 200-year period when peace, order, and prosperity flourished?
The Pax Romana.
What characterized Roman architecture?
The use of arches, domes, and concrete to build large and durable structures.
How did Romans supply their cities with water?
Through aqueducts.
Know the Romans' attitude towards Christianity before A.D. 313.
Christianity was often persecuted and viewed with suspicion.
Who ended the persecution of Christians?
Emperor Constantine with the Edict of Milan in A.D. 313.
What happened in Rome to cause Pax Romana to come to an end?
Political instability, economic troubles, and barbarian invasions.
What was the “fall of Rome”?
The gradual decline of the Western Roman Empire, culminating in its collapse in A.D. 476 due to internal decay and external pressures.
