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Birth of Civilization Flashcards

1
Q

Name the 4 cradles of civilization

A

Mesopotamia (Iraq)
Egypt
China
India (Pakistan)

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2
Q

What common feature do the cradles of civilization share and what did it do?

A

Rivers that caused floods to naturally occur in these regions which allow the land to be fertilized naturally, making it optimal for farming

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3
Q

What key technological and intellectual innovations did the people of Mesopotamia pioneer?

A 
Lunar calendar (12 lunar months and an additional month)
Base 60 system with minutes and hours
Writing (cuneiform scrip)
Irrigation systems
Central structures that served religious, economic, and administrative functions
Metallurgy
The wheel
Chariots
Mathematics
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4
Q

What technological and intellectual innovations the people of Egypt create?

A

Calendar with 365 days/12month+5 days in a year
Study of numerals and mathematics
Study of astronomy
Hieroglyphs

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5
Q

What script was used by priests and what scrip was used by common peoples in hieroglyphs?

A

Priests: hieratic script

Common peoples: demotic script

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6
Q

What symbols did writing use and what were these symbols meant to represent (3)?

A

Pictograms: concrete objects
Ideograms: abstract concepts
Phonograms: sounds

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7
Q

What made Egypt the richest agricultural region on the Mediterranean?

A

Egypt was the richest agricultural region on the Mediterranean due to the yearly flooding of the Nile River which left fertile black soil behind every summer.

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8
Q

What were irrigation structures used for and what allowed their creation to occur?

A

Used to control the flow of water

Invented with the help of numerals, math, and geography

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9
Q

Who was Hammurabi?

A

Hammurabi was the ruler of Babylon and created the Old Babylonian Empire

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10
Q

When and where did Hammurabi live?

A

He lived in the city of Babylon and was the ruler of its empire from 1792-1750 BCE.

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11
Q

What is Hammurabi known for?

A

Known for unifying Mesopotamia and for his code of laws

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12
Q

How did Hammurabi unify Mesopotamia?

A

He achieved this with the use of writing and diplomacy

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13
Q

How did Hammurabi contribute to the history of antiquity?

A

He contributed to the history of antiquity by setting a new standard for kingship as he united his people through the subjection to the same laws.

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14
Q

What were the characteristics of Hammurabi’s code of laws (4)?

A

282 laws
Documented in writing
Displayed in public
Shamash (god of the sun) is illustrated on the code of laws

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15
Q

Why is Shamash illustrated on the code of laws?

A

To show their divine importance since it is said that they were given to Hammurabi from the gods

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16
Q

What were Hammurabi’s code of laws used for?

A

They are used to regulate public/private matters

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17
Q

Who must provide proof in Hammurabi’s code of laws?

A

The accuser

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18
Q

Who defines the crime in Hammurabi’s code of laws?

A

The persecutor

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19
Q

What were punishments based on in Hammurabi’s code of laws?

A

Victim’s status
Circumstance
Harm caused (Principle of Retribution)

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20
Q

Which types of symbols were first invented in cuneiform script?

A

Pictograms, logograms, and phonograms

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21
Q

What symbol is used in the English alphabet that was first invented in cuneiform script?

A

Phonograms

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22
Q

What media was used for writing (writing surfaces and writing tools)?

A

Writing surfaces: Stone steles/walls, clay tablets, papyrus scrolls
Writing tools: Stylus, chisel, brush

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23
Q

What were the characteristics of spirituality in the cradles of civilization (3)?

A

Polytheism: worship of multiple gods who had human/animal characteristics, shape, needs, and tempers
Worship of these gods: was done through sacrifice in temples
The ancient afterlife: the Underworld for all, for Egypt it was possibly in the sky

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24
Q

What is the weighing of the heart story from Ancient Egypt?

A

It is a myth of the afterlife where the dead compare the wight of their heart to the feather of truth and the outcome determines wether they will go to the underworld of the sky

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25
What were the purposes of ancient Egyptian pyramids (give two reasons)?
The ancient Egyptian pyramids were used to store the pharaohs belongings and was used as the burial site for pharaohs when they passed on into the afterlife.
26
What is the Great Pyramid of Giza?
It is one of the Ancient Wonders of the World, is the oldest and only standing structure of these wonders, is Egyptian, and is the tallest structure on earth (147m)
27
Who built the Great Pyramid of Giza and when was it built?
The Pharaoh Khufu in c. 2560 BCE
28
What was the spiritual purpose of the Great Pyramid of Giza?
To serve as the final resting place of Khufu and its shape was believed to allow easier access to the sky, or the afterlife
29
What was the afterlife called by the Egyptians? By the Greeks?
Egyptians: the Duat Greeks: Hades
30
What were the 3 sections of the Greek afterlife?
Elysium, where the heroes go (like heaven) Asphodel Meadows, where people who've lived ordinary lives go Fields of Punishment, where people who've committed acts of evil go
31
Who was Khufu and how long did he rule over Egypt?
He was an Egyptian Pharaoh and ruled from 2589 - 2566 BCE
32
What was found in Khufu's Pyramid of Giza?
A solar barge/ferry to the sky which was meant tot help him in his journey to the afterlife
33
Who is Hatshepsut, what was she considered to be and what was her lifespan?
She was an Egyptian Pharaoh who was considered to be God's wife and lived from 1507-1485 BCE
34
Who was Hatshepsut's family?
Husband: Half brother/nephew Thumbs II Daughter: Neferurre
35
What is Hatshepsut considered to be the first woman of?
She is the first documented great woman in history
36
What is Hatshepsut's legacy?
Promoted intensive trade with the lands of Punt, Phoenicia, and Sinaï Constructed many temples, obelisks, and statues
37
Which city is most famous in Mesopotamia? In Egypt?
Mesopotamia: Babylon Egypt: Memphis
38
What did Babylon (Mesopotamia) and Memphis (Egypt have in common?
They were both near rivers, had 100s-1000s of inhabitants, and had monumental/permanent structures
39
What monumental/permanent structures did Mesopotamia have? What did Egypt have?
Mesopotamia: Ziggurats Egypt: Pyramids
40
What were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon?
They are one of the Ancient Wonders of the World
41
How tall were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and what did it have?
75 feet and had internal plumbing
42
Who built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, why and when?
Nebuchadnezzar II (King of Babylon) built the structure for his wife Anytis in c. 605 BCE
43
What was the purpose of building the Hanging Gardens of Babylon?
They were built for a sentimental/aesthetic purpose: 1) his wife would mourn for him so much when he would leave, so it was meant to remind her of him 2) to remind his wife of Persia because the flowers are from Persia
44
What is an example of the temporary settlements that were built in the cradles of civilization?
Djoser pyramid (c.2630 - 2610 BCE) was built at construction cites to house 10,000+ inhabitants and was used for stores and workshops
45
What is a city-state?
It is an urban centre and the surrounding countryside that acts as a sovereign political unit They were self-sufficient and self-ruled
46
What is a kingdom?
A kingdom is a territory under rule of a single authority
47
What is an empire?
An empire is a collection of states under the rule of one
48
Who was Cleopatra and what was her lifespan?
She was the last pharaoh of Egypt and lived from 69 - 30 BCE
49
What is Cleopatra's ancestry?
She has Macedonian ancestry
50
Who did Cleopatra marry (2)?
She married her brothers and Mark Anthony
51
How did Cleopatra become the sole ruler of the Egyptian empire?
She became the sole ruler due to strategies that allowed her to remain as one
52
How did Cleopatra die?
She committed suicide at her defeat by poison
53
T/F Cleopatra had/was... a) Alexander the Great's grand niece b) Egyptian ancestry c) Pharaoh of Egypt d) Married to her brothers e) Child with Augustus f) Killed by Julius Caesar
a) F, their only relation is that they are both Macedonian b) F, she is Macedonian c) T d) T e) F, she had children with Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony f) F, she killed herself
54
What were the Phoenicians (Canaan) the first to invent and when?
They invented the first alphabet in 1200 BCE
55
Name the characteristics of the Phoenician alphabet
Script: phonograms Called the abjad alphabet Only uses consonants read from right to left
56
What were the child alphabets of the Phoenician alphabet?
Hebrew and Greek/English
57
What areas did the Phoenicians colonize?
North Western Africa (Carthage 814-813 BCE) Western Mediterranean Islands Southern Spain
58
What political system did the Hebrews (Canaan) fall under?
They had independent kingdoms
59
Under which foreign rulers were the Hebrews under throughout their history?
``` Assyrian Neo-Babylonian Persian Hellenistic Roman ```
60
What spirituality did the Hebrews practice?
They practiced monotheism c.600 BCE
61
What god did the Hebrews worship under monolatry before monotheism?
They worshiped Yahweh, the god of metallurgy under supreme El (c.3500 - 1200 BCE)
62
How did the state of god of Israel/Judah change over time for the Hebrew peoples?
Became the sole creator god, lord of the universe (c. 539 BCE) Is a transcendent god (not part of nature)
63
What did the prophet Abraham do in terms of spirituality for the Hebrews?
Promised lands | Circumcision
64
What did the prophet Moses do in terms of spirituality for the Hebrews?
Freed from slavery in Egypt and went to Canaan | Ten Commandments
65
What was the religious scripture (c. 515 BCE - 70 CE) of the Hebrews?
The Torah
66
What characterized worship of Marduk? of Yahweh?
Marduk: offerings of burned sacrifices in temples Yahweh: prayer and respecting others
67
What is polytheism?
The worship and belief in many gods
68
What is henotheism?
The worship of one god out of several by family, tribe, or group
69
What is monolatry?
The worship of one god with the belief in many
70
What is monotheism?
The worship and belief in one god
71
What areas did the Neo-Assyrian Empire (911 - 609 BCE) conquer?
Mesopotamia Eastern Mediterranean Northern Arabia Egypt
72
What are the 2 factors of state building for the Neo-Assyrian Empire?
Administration and Order
73
What characterizes administration in the Neo-Assyrian Empire?
Road network (Kings Road) Mule courier Kingly glorification
74
What characterizes order in the Neo-Assyrian Empire?
Destruction Corporal Cruelty Deportation
75
What areas did the Persian Empire (Achaemenid 550-330 BCE) conquer?
Persia Asia Minor Central Asian kingdoms
76
What are the 3 factors of state building for the Persian Empire?
Administration The Immortal Army Benevolent ruling
77
What characterizes administration in the Persian Empire?
Provinces/satraps Royal road Courier rally system One state language
78
How many troops did the Immortal Army of the Persian Empire have at all times?
10,000 troops
79
What characterizes benevolent ruling in the Persian Empire?
Image as saviours Religious tolerance Reconstruction
80
Who was Cyrus the Great, how long did he reign, and what was he known as?
Persian Emperor when the empire was at its the largest Reign: c. 600 - 530 BCE Known as the 'King of the World'
81
What did the first 'declaration of human rights', that was created during Cyrus' reign, include?
Slaves freed Religious freedom Equality
82
Was Cyrus the Great said to be in love with his wife, Cassandane?
Yes
83
T/F: a) Mesopotamia = Modern Iran b) Phoenicia = Modern Philippines c) Persia = Modern Iraq d) Anatolia, Asia Minor = Modern Arabia e) Canaan = territory in Eastern Mediterranean
a) F, modern Iraq b) F, modern Lebanon c) F, modern Iran d) F, modern Turkey e) T

Ancient World (7 decks)

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