Ancient Civilizations

Question 1

What are the 4 Phases of Human Development?

Answer 1

Lower Paleolithic or Old Stone Age: 1 million years ago, early human used tools

Upper Paleolithic or New Stone Age: 6000 – 8000 BCE – also known as Neolithic, textiles and pottery developed. Discovered wheel, began agriculture, domesticated animals.

Bronze Age: 3000 BCE – metals are discovered and civilizations emerge as more technologically advanced

Iron Age: 1200 – 1000 BCE – metal tools replace stone as humans develop knowledge of smelting.

Question 2

Sumerian Culture

Answer 2

• Invention of Writing: Cuneiform was simpler than hieroglyphics
• Invention of wheel
• The first library established in Assyria by Ashurbanipal
• Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• First Written Laws: Nammu’s codes and Codes of Hammurabi
• Epic of Gilgamesh
• Time keeping system we use today

Question 3

Hittite Empire

Answer 3

• Current day Turkey, expanded into Palestine and Syria
• Conquered Babylonians, but adopted Babylonian religion and laws
• Tolerant of religions, absorbed foreign gods into their own belief system
• Peak empire 1600 - 1200 BCE
• Eventually conquered by Assyrians in 700 BCE

Question 4

Hebrew Culture

Answer 4

• Developed the monotheistic religion that eventually became Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
• Judaism founded in 20 BCE
• Described in the Torah and Talmud (Abraham and his descendants were enslaved until they were liberated by Moses)

Question 5

Babylonian Civilization

Answer 5

• Dominant after Sumerians
• Established on Euphrates River in 1750 BCE
• Code of Hammurabi
• Constructed Ziggurats - pyramid like structures
• Known as a hedonistic people

Question 6

Caste System

Answer 6

1. Brahmins - highest class, originally made up of priests and associated with the mouth of god
2. Kshatriya - second class, rulers and soldiers, associated with the arms of god
3. Vaishyas - legs of god, composed of landowners, merchants, and artisans.
4. Shudras - feet of god. Servants and slaves.

-Women have no place in traditional caste system

Question 7

Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE)

Answer 7

• Most famous dynasty
• Great Wall
• Invented: paper, paper money, printing, gunpowder
• Artistic and silk development

Question 8

Buddhism

Answer 8

• Created by Gautama Siddhartha (Buddha) in response to Hinduism in 528 BC.
• Four Nobel Truths
• Eight Fold Path

Question 9

Mayans (200 - 950 AD)

Answer 9

• Based in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula
• Complex religion, architecture, arts, engineering, and astronomy
• Overrun by Toltecs from the north in the 9th century

Question 10

Incas