Chapter 3, 4 revision

Question 1

What is the most likely way that Sumerian rulers originally gained power?

Answer 1

They were most likely elected by an assembly of free citizens of the city.

Question 2

How did this change over time?

Answer 2

Later these rulers inherited their power and ruled over several cities.

Question 3

Describe the roles of music and festivals in Sumerian life.

Answer 3

Music had an important place in Sumerian society. They played a range of musical instruments including pipes, tambourines, drums, lyres and harps. Students learned both poetry and singing. Music played an important role in official ceremonies — in the temple, for the king and possibly at religious festivals. Religious festivals were important too. We know one was held to ask the gods for a good harvest. Another was probably held to give thanks for a successful harvest. Encourage students to search online for further examples of Sumerian festivals and rituals.

Question 4

What was a ziggurat?

Answer 4

A ziggurat was a rectangular, tiered building that was the main city temple. It usually had a large tower at the very top that was reached by a stepped pathway. It was the grandest building in

Question 5

Explain how food surpluses enabled some people to specialise in other jobs.

Answer 5

Food surpluses meant it was unnecessary for everyone to be involved in farming activities. Some people could undertake other duties such as building houses and other structures, weaving, making pottery, building boats and canoes, and working with newly discovered metals.

Question 6

Nomadic

Answer 6

Moving from place to place rather than living in one settled community.

Question 7

Colonies

Answer 7

Countries or regions taken over and controlled by another state

Question 8

Fatal Huyuk

Answer 8

Probably the worlds first city in modern day

Question 9

Hunter Gatherers

Answer 9

People who lived by hunting animals and in the wild

Question 10

Cunelform

Answer 10

A writing system in which were lines drawn as wedge shaped marks.

Question 11

Agriculture

Answer 11

Farming and herding animals

Question 12

Fossils

Answer 12

Remains of plants or animals found in rocks

Question 13

Palaeontologist

Answer 13

A scientist who studies fossils.

Question 14

Homo-erg aster

Answer 14

The first human-like species to appear in Africa

Question 15

Middens

Answer 15

Coastal refuse heaps that contain evidence of the past

Question 16

Fertile Cresent

Answer 16

In the area around the eastern
shores of the Mediterranean Sea,
the beginning of agriculture took place even before the end of the last Ice Age. The Fertile Crescent is the name given to the area now covered by Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, southeast Turkey and Iraq (see the map in spread 4.3). By around 14 000 BCE it had become warmer and wetter. Wild barley, wheat and rye grew in this area, and by around 12 000 BCE hunter-gatherers had formed permanent villages

Question 17

Flint

Answer 17

a piece of flint used with steel to produce an igniting spark.

Question 18

Summarise what the theory of evolution says about how humans evolved.

Answer 18

The human story begins in Africa. Scientific evidence tells us that several different ape-like species emerged in Africa between about two million and 200 000 years ago. Members of some of these species, including Homo sapiens, the species to which all modern humans belong. They migrated to other continents.

Question 19

Summarise what the theory of evolution says about how humans evolved.

Answer 19

The human story begins in Africa. Scientific evidence tells us that several different human-like species emerged in Africa between about two million and 200 000 years ago. Members of some of these species, including Homo sapiens, the species to which all modern humans belong. They migrated to other continents

Question 20

What are Neanderthals

Answer 20

About 250 000 years ago Homo neanderthalensis (Neanderthal man) descended from Homo heidelbergensis. (Neanderthals were extinct by 30 000 years ago.)

Question 21

How did the Aboriginals people of Australia first com to be here?

Answer 21

Coming from Africa to SE Asia Indigenous peoples arrived in Australia at least 50 000 and possibly 60 000 years ago. Over many thousands of years they gradually spread throughout the land.

Question 22

Why is it difficult to find an exact date for Aboriginals rock paintings or other artefacts such as sacred ceremony sites?

Answer 22

Because the sites were used a lot by other groups and the sacred things would have been wrecked in weather conditions.

Question 23

Why did Aboriginals not have wars between tribal groups?

Answer 23

There were no wars of conquest and expansion because each group’s creation stories related to its own land.

Question 24

What happened at the end of the last ice age in the fertile Cresent?

Answer 24

By around 14 000 BCE it had become warmer and wetter. Wild barley, wheat and rye grew in this area, and by around 12 000 BCE hunter-gatherers had formed permanent villages.

Question 25

What was the change we called the Neolithic Revolution?

Answer 25

This new way of living allowed the people to stay in one place, so they replaced their simple shelters with houses made from mud bricks and the adoption of farming and agriculture.

Question 26

What was the worlds first city called

Answer 26

Catal Huyuk

Question 27

What are four important things that the Sumerians invented?

Answer 27

Written laws, Organised Religion, writing, trade

Question 28

Civilisations like Sumer did not treat all people as equals?

Answer 28

Because Social classes developed, some people were rulers and some slaves these people had less rights

Question 29

Primary source, Secondary source

Answer 29

Prim created within the the time period artefacts paintings tools news paper

Sec. A reconstruction of the past by people living at a later time model off dinosaur maps.