Chapter 1 Flashcards
What is the only errant source for the history of earliest man?
The Bible
Define civilization.
Community-minded life with varying aspects of agriculture, trade, specialized roles/vocations, political and religious organization, manufacturing technology, and writing.
True or False: Early man was primitive.
False
What aspects show that early man was intelligent?
Language, Forging Technology, Musical Ability, City-Building Technology, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Crop Farming, Some Legal Code (at least in concept), and Perhaps the Ability to Write
What does the statue Venus of Willendorf represent?
An early and odd fertility goddess.
What are the important aspects of western civilization’s legal environment?
The establishment of a codified law that must be known to all.
Where is Mesopotamia?
The land area in modern-Iraq between the Tigris and Euphrates. Mesopotamia is also part of the fertile crescent.
Define city-states.
Cities that have no political allegiance to a larger organizing body.
Where do we find the first evidence of civilization?
At Sumer.
When was the Bronze Age?
3000 B.C.
What occurred during the Bronze Age?
The period where forging skill was regained. Bronze weapons and implements were created.
What are some general aspects of Sumerian society?
An urban environment that focused on individuals working together for the good of each other to improve their overall lot in life.
What was the Sumerian script called?
Cuneiform.
What type of script did the Sumerians initially use?
A pictographic script. One that used a picture of the thing that was trying to be communicated. (e.g. draw an ox to communicate ox.)
What was the next evolution of Sumerian script?
An ideographic script. One that uses a picture to represent something more abstract and much harder to draw.
What was a future advanced script the Sumerians did not achieve?
A phonetic script. Symbols that when put together form more diverse and functional groups to symbolize something. (e.g. how d-o-g in English symbolizes a dog.)
True or False: Sumerian civilization regarded their kings as gods?
False. Though they did consider their kings representatives of the gods.
What was the Code of Hammurabi and when was it created?
A transcription of all the laws governing their society and the punishment for each based on social class. It was inscribed on a stele. It was created in the 18th century B.C.
Were the Sumerians monotheistic or polytheistic?
Polytheistic. Their gods were organized into a pantheon.
What was a Ziggurat?
A massive pyramidic structure with a temple on top dedicated to the patron god of the city-state.
What is a revealed religion? Did the Sumerians possess a revealed religion?
A revealed religion is one in which there is a possesed rule book that can illuminate all theological matters. The Sumerians did not have a revealed religion. Theological matters were left up to a priest class.
What was an example of the collected myths and stories of a people during early civilization?
The Epic of Gilgamesh.
When was the Epic of Gilgamesh transcribed?
Around the 17th century B.C.
What is the Epic of Gilgamesh about?
The journey of King Gilgamesh and his life. It also records some details related to a flood. Close to the actual Biblical account of the flood.
