Domain 1: World History

Question 1

Name the first four river valley civilizations.

Answer 1

Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China.

Question 2

Name the geography and developmental milestones of

Mesopotamia

Answer 2

Located in Southwest Asia - between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Developmental milestones: Writing (Cuneiform), Organized government, Written law code (Hammurabi’s code), Systematized religion (Zoroastrianism), and Astronomy/ Astrology.

Question 3

Name the geography and developmental milestones of

Egypt

Answer 3

Located in Northeastern Africa near the Nile River, and Mediterranean and Red Seas.

Developmental Milestones: Complex religion of gods, rituals, and governance (Pharohs), Writing (Hieroglyphics), Engineering and building (Pyramids), and Mathematics.

Question 4

Name the geography and developmental milestones of

India

Answer 4

Located in Southern Asia near the Indus and Ganges rivers and the Arabian Sea.

Developmental Milestones: Urban culture, Planned cities (citywide sanitation systems), Metallurgy (gold, copper, bronze, tin), and Measurement (weight, time, length, and mass)

Question 5

Name the geography and developmental milestones of

China

Answer 5

Located in East Asia, near the Yellow River.

Developmental Milestones: Writing, Commerce, and Government.

Question 6

The Ancient Near East (geography, cultural contributions)

Answer 6

Comprised of the Tigris and Euphrates Valley, the Fertile Crescent, and the Nile Valley.

Cultural Contributions:
First independent states
First system of writing (cuneiform and hieroglyphics)
First massive architectural achievements (Ziggurat and Pyramid)
First lasting Monotheism
Beginning of science, math, and astronomy
First codification of law

Question 7

What are the achievements of the Sumerian Mesopotamian Civilizations

Answer 7

The creators of Mesopotamian Civilization (3500 - 3000 B.C.)
Large scale irrigation projects, advanced system of math, and the invention of the wheel.
Ziggurat was the center of community life, served as a temple, storehouse, and treasury.
Sargon established the first empire (c. 2371 B.C.)

Question 8

What are the achievements of the Babylonians?

Answer 8

Conquered Sumeria and established a new empire.
The code of Hammurabi was the first universal written codification of laws in recorded history. (c.1750 B.C.)
They had a centralized government and advancements in algebra and geometry.

Question 9

What are the achievements of the Hittites?

Answer 9

(2000-1200 B.C.) conqured much of the Asia Minor and northern Mesopotamia; a major contribution included the invention of iron smelting, which revolutionized warfare.

Question 10

What are the achievements of the Assyrians?

Answer 10

Created an empire based on military superiority, conquest, and terrorism (911-550 B.C.)
Military techniques included siege warfare, intimidation, and the use of iron weapons.
Created a centralized government, a postal service, an extensive library, and a system of highways.

Question 11

What are the achievements of the Chaldeans?

Answer 11

Established the New Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar (605-538 B.C.)
They conquered Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine.
Developed astrology, astronomy, advanced government bureaucracy, and architectural achievements such as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Question 12

What are the achievements of the Persians?

Answer 12

Attempted to unify the entire Near East under one rule (500s B.C.)
Established an international government.
Zoroastrianism was an ethical religion based on concepts of good and evil.
Persia failed to conquer the Greeks; was eventually conquered by Alexander the Great (334-331 B.C.)

Question 13

What are the smaller civilization of the Near East and their contributions?

Answer 13

Phoenicians: First true alphabet, Traded in purple dye.
The Lydians: Occupied western Asia Minor, under King Croesus (Golden King), First coinage of money.
Israelites: first lasting monotheism, Saul established the first kingdom in Palestine, after the death of Soloman, the Hebrews were divided into two kingdoms (Israel and Judah), Disunity and conquest resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the forced dispersal of the Jews from Palestine.

Question 14

What are the characteristics Egyptian civilization?

Answer 14

Dominate it by concerns for the afterlife religion and the Pharaoh.
Medical advances and specialized surgery were major contributions.
Invented a hieroglyphic writing system.
Agriculture was the basis of economy.
Architecture engineering and math.
Flooding from the Nile.

Question 15

Greek geography.

Answer 15

Islands surrounding the Aegean sea. Rugged landscape with mountains and valleys, with independent city states.

Scarcity of good agricultural land encourage seafaring in eastern Greece.
The southern mainland with adequate agricultural resources relied on farming.

Question 16

Greek contributions

Answer 16

Organized warfare - Mycenae, Sparta, phalanx
Literature - epic poetry, and plays
History - Herodotus (the Persian wars) Thucydides (the Polynesian war).
Architecture - columns Colonnades, and parthenon.
Arts - theater sculpture and decorative pottery
Government - democracy (Athens) oligarchy (Sparta), and bureaucracy (Alexander the great)

Question 17

Alexander the great of Macedonia

Answer 17

Established the Hellenic age which was the fusion of Greek culture with the east. He conquered Persia Asia minor and Egypt and established a world empire. Bureaucracy replaced the polis or city state as the form of government.