Final Flashcards
1
Q
McNeill discussed a microparasite that hominids in trees have long been exposed to, with different types associated with different heights in the trees. Which microparasite was it?
A
malaria
2
Q
Match the date (3.3 mya, 250,000 BP, 100,000 BP, 50,000 BP) with the development (first tools, homosapiens, moving out of Africa, Upper Paleolithic)
A
3.3 may - first tools, 250,000 BP - Homo sapiens, 100,000 BP - moving out of Africa, 50,000 BP - Upper Paleolithic
3
Q
How did the Hittite kingdom become exposed to the plague that Muršili was so concerned about.
A
Apparently through contact with Egyptian soldiers
4
Q
Which ecological zone, present in Africa but not exclusively so, remains particularly difficult for human habitation?
A
tropical forests
5
Q
What disease did hominids likely encounter as they came down from the trees in Africa that affected their capacity to operate in the savannah?
A
sleeping sickness
6
Q
T/F - With the unfolding of relationships between humans and microparasites, if sufficient evidence is present, it is usually possible to derive direct cause and affect relationships.
A
False
7
Q
What changes did Paleolithic hunters experience or adaptations did they need to make as they spread to new ecological zones across the globe? (Mark all that apply)
A
materials for tools, learning to hunt new types of game, different types of microparasites
8
Q
Which of the following developments are NOT associated with the Upper Paleolithic?
A
agriculture
9
Q
In his introduction to Plagues and Peoples, McNeill employed what he thought was a useful way for historians to group and distinguish microparasites. Which of the following most closely matches his method of distinction?
A
by their life cycle and host possibilities
10
Q
What biological advantage did early humans gain when they left Africa for Eurasia?
A
They could expand into ecosystems that did not yet have microparasites adjusted to infect humans.
11
Q
Choose the civilization that is best evidenced from 2600-1700 BCE, was based on a river, is noted for regularly sized houses/apartments, and possibly employed a writing system, but if so, no one has been able to decipher it.
A
Harappa
12
Q
Which of the following Neolithic villages had closely-packed homes with evidence that male and female elders provided leadership?
A
Çatalhüyük
13
Q
Which of the following historians, according to Arnold, considered history exclusively interested in politics and the state?
A
Thucydides
14
Q
In what ways might microorganisms be hiding in the Epic of Gilgamesh?
A
Mesopotamians saw diseases as being the domain of the gods. Thus Enkidu’s death by the gods could have been manifested through disease.
15
Q
In which civilization do we find the earliest written records from that area as tortoise shells and bones inscribed with oracles?
A
China
16
Q
What does McNeill argue about the possible relation between disease in India and the caste system?
A
The meeting of forest-folk with tropical diseases and civilized peoples with civilized diseases facilitated the development of caste groups.
17
Q
In which civilization did the feet who built the pyramids likely have schistosomiasis?
A
Egypt
18
Q
Which of the following concepts began at least with Herodotus, and continued to be an influence through Christian and some Rennaisance writers?
A
time as circular
19
Q
Where did writing first arise?
A
Mesopotamia
20
Q
Which of the following processes were initiated in conjunction with the turn toward agriculture (the neolithic revolution) but before civilizations?
A
humans produced opportunities for hyper-infestation (such as with weeds and rodents), humans began to reduce biodiversity, human could more efficiently produce calories
21
Q
Choose the best characterization of the three civilizations discussed in Afro-Eurasian regionalization.
A
In the west, a Christian civilization developed slowly over time, in the middle an Islamic Empire developed very quickly, and in East Asia, Buddhism came to China from India and then spread outward to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.
22
Q
What challenges accompanied the regularization of large-scale rice agriculture in China? MARK ALL THAT APPLY
A
Farmers in the Yangtze River valley had to deal with schistosomiasis not only from rice paddies, but simply within the broader region due to the climate.
Farmers in the Yellow River valley had to deal with the geological instability of the river, it’s high deposition of soil, and its connected propensity to burst over its banks.
23
Q
Europe experienced significant disruptions during the confluence of disease pools after 100 CE. Which of the following statements is NOT correct about that period?
A
A balance of diseases was reached early on in Western Europe, which extended to the Vikings and made it easier for them to raid the coastlines of the British Isles and France before 900.
24
Q
This Emperor first required applicants to the imperial bureaucracy to pass an exam, based largely on Confucianism.
A
Wu
25
Though there were difficulties in some regions (disease pools), the period of 200-600 CE seems to have been relatively stable in _________________ as concluded from a survey of canal systems there.
Mesopotamia
26
Which of the 'newer' disease pools had the fewest challenges before 100 CE because of a relatively low disease gradient, dispersed production, and a low degree of ecological change?
Mediterranean
27
Which of the following religions arose latest?
Islam
28
Which of the following is the best description of its respective 'road' of trade?
The roads across the Sahara were arduous, but sustained because they brought gold north, slaves south and connected the salt mines within the Sahara.
29
Which of the following is NOT part of the Surah al Hijr?
Allah reminds Muhammad that the consumption of pork, and the subservience of women are principles that must be followed, else his followers will be punished.
30
Which of the following was the largest empire of its time, ruled through a system of satrapies, and identified with a religion called Zoroastrianism.
Persian Empire
31
In 1253 ______________________ departed on a journey to visit the Mongol throne as an emissary of the king of France. While there, he saw a fantastic alcoholic fountain and someone who had been born near his hometown.
William of Rubruck
32
Choose the most correct statement about the effect the Mongols had in Russia, Persia, and China.
In Russia, Mongol rulers governed violently from afar and provided an historical opportunity for the city of Moscow. In Persia, Mongol rulers converted to Islam but their policies caused farming infrastructures to collapse. In China, Mongol rulers moved into the cities, supported the local culture, but alienated the Chinese through their customs and preference for foreign managers.
33
The ______________________ were a penitential movement of Christians in various places who travelled through towns and whipped each other, hoping to exorcise the plague from communities in Europe.
Flagellants
34
Choose the most correct statement that compares the Muslim and Christian responses to the plague in the 1300s.
Many in the Muslim world viewed the plague as Allah's works and accepted it, though prayed it would stop, while many in the Christian world found organized church religion insufficient and reacted to the times with art and performance.
35
According to Arnold, what positive influence did antiquarians have on historians?
Antiquarians demanded that one consult old documents and pay careful attention to their language as the basis for making historical assertions.
36
Which of the following did McNeill argue were the more direct causes of the decline in leprosy after the Black Death? MARK ALL THAT APPLY
The surviving population had more money for fuel to heat houses in the winter, so less huddling meant less leprosy.
The surviving population could better clothe themselves, and the Puritans told them they’d better.
37
What reasons did McNeill give for the difficulty steppelanders, like Mongols and Turks, had in economic or military recovery - even after the plague subsided? MARK ALL THAT APPLY.
Ocean shipping increased and made the Silk Road too expensive.
Hand guns arose in the 17th century and dramatically reduced advantages of horse-mounted warfare.
38
Which of the following surprising effects happened in the aftermath of the Black Death?
many leprosariums closed down in Europe
39
McNeill took several observations from the history of the plague in the 19th and 20th century and applied them to the Black Death. Which of the following was NOT one of those points.
the populations in Europe and China swelled dramatically
40
Which of the following Mongol rulers ruled China by 1279, was able to claim the Mandate of Heaven, established the capital at Bejing, ignored the Chinese examination system, and decided against slaughtering the whole of northern China.
Kubilai Kahn
41
Moctezuma I's laws focused most on which of the following things?
Social stratification through laws about dressing and adorning restricted to certain classes.
42
McNeill argued that Hernán Cortez had a major epidemiological advantage when he was attempting to battle the Aztec king. Which disease arrived in time to play a major role in Cortez's initial wars with the Aztecs?
Small pox
43
Historians previously estimated that there were roughly 15 million living in the Americas before Columbus arrived. However, estimates have been recalibrated to ten times that amount. Which of the following historical sources informed the new estimates? MARK ALL THAT APPLY
tribute lists, missionary reports
44
Which of the following Gunpowder empires conquered Constantinople, used Janissaries as soldiers, and for a time, controlled trade in the Mediterranean as a result of the navy built up under the leader Suleiman the Magnificent?
Ottoman Empire
45
Cieza de Leon described the Inca practice involving mitimaes. What were mitimaes?
Groups that were transferred after conquest to a new region to live in parallel and provide a political counterweight to their new neighbors.
46
Which of the following did the video on Chinese history discuss the most (during the first 11 minutes you watched)?
Zheng He's fleet
47
Which of the following was NOT one of the advantages that inhabitants of the Americas had enjoyed before the arrival of Europeans?
Large animals for efficient wagon-based transport.
48
Which of the following was not one of the three principal professions in which one could 'move up' in the Aztec world?
bureaucrat
49
This city had more than 200,000 inhabitants and occasionally interfered in Mayan civilization, though it did not leave any inscriptions.
Teotihuacán
50
The Moche chiefdom, which is notable for its elaborate pottery, the Lord of Sipán, and a Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon, was a phenomenon of which region?
Andean South America
51
Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons that Scheidel thinks economic inequality matters?
He thinks that if understood economic inequality can be easily overturned.
52
Which of the following statements best describe the 'Great Man' theory of historical causation?
Events in history are caused by people in power making decisions.
53
Which of the following Lorenz curves show a high Gini coefficient?
Curve away from the line of equality
54
Scheidel suggests that institutions could have re-leveled humanity but they did the opposite. In class, we discussed what institutions apply to Scheidel's discussions. Which TWO examples below apply to Scheidel's interest in institutions?
a custom, for example, the institution of marriage, an organization, or type of organization
55
Which of the following summarizes Scheidel's overarching argument the best?
In the distant past, income was relatively equal, but since rises of surplus production, income inequality in human societies have generally risen, and leveling has only consistently happened with shocks to the system, including total war, revolution, state collapse, and disease.
56
Which of the following Gini coefficients are impossible, either theoretically, or practically. MARK ALL THAT APPLY.
0. 9
| - 0.1
57
Which of the following are things that Scheidel's book is NOT about? MARK ALL THAT APPLY.
inequality between countries, inequalities in political voice, inequality in age
58
What are Scheidel's 'four horsemen' that level inequality?
Mass mobilization warfare, State collapse and System failure, Revolution, Disease
59
Arnold discusses 'Grand Narratives.' In class, we discussed these, and the synonym 'metanarrative.' Which of the following are good examples of metanarrative? MARK ALL THAT APPLY
a narrative of rational thought bringing moral, social, and ethical progress to humanity beginning with the Enlightenment
a narrative of America's rise as the greatest democracy on earth
60
Scheidel acknowledges that there are two categories of problems that make this study harder than it could otherwise be. Choose the statement that best fits his estimation of these two problems.
First, we can’t talk about absolute economic inequality directly because our measurements normally measure relative inequality or, like the Gini coefficient, don’t take into account minimum needs for substance. Second, the nature of evidence for different periods and societies differs dramatically even in the modern world, and evidence gets harder the further we go back in time.
61
Match the ruler/city/empire (Naram-Sin, Neo-Assyrian, Hammurabi) on the left with its description on the right (Declared himself a god & depicted victory in a stele, practiced mass deportations which dramatically increased inequality, conquered rivals late in life & most famous for laws)
Naram-Sin - Declared himself a god & depicted victory in a stele
Neo-Assyrian - practiced mass deportations which dramatically increased inequality
Hammurabi - conquered rivals late in life & most famous for laws
62
Which of the following elements contributed to the leveling that Scheidel observes with the evolution of humans, a leveling that reduced the advantage of brute physical strength? MARK ALL THAT APPLY.
Language, tools, weapons
63
In class, we discussed the first law listed in Hammurabi's Laws. The translation we read in class was as follows:
"If a gentleman accuses another gentleman and charges him with homicide but cannot bring proof against him, his accuser shall be killed."
It is clear that falsely accused persons are protected by this law, but another party--not directly mentioned in this law--is being protected. Who?
the courts/state
64
On p. 42, Scheidel notes that one particular type of agriculture is important to the rise of inequality. What kind?
cereal
65
Match the site/society/official (Sungir, Yetib-Mer, Comanche) on the left with its significance on the right. (30,000 yr. old burials that show inequality especially in the form of mammoth ivory beads, Official in Agade Empire who acquired great wealth and power as a result, Arrival of horse led to significant surplus through raiding which brought hierarchy to society)
Sungir - 30,000 yr. old burials that show inequality especially in the form of mammoth ivory beads
Yetib-Mer - Official in Agade Empire who acquired great wealth and power as a result
Comanche - Arrival of horse led to significant surplus through raiding which brought hierarchy to society
66
What changed between Old Babylonian period and the Neo-Babylonian period, according to inheritance documents as discussed by Scheidel on p. 48?
Neo-Babylonian inheritance documents show that wealth had roughly doubled overall, and that it was distributed more unequally than in the Old Babylonian period.
67
What basic aspects of premodern society, accepted by Scheidel, are encapsulated in this figure?
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That elites were organized in a stratified but interconnected way at the top while agrarian workers were dispersed in unconnected ways at the bottom.
68
Which of the following statements agrees with Scheidel's arguments about centralized authoritarian states? (p. 44)
Such states expanded faster than other types of states, looked somewhat similar across the globe despite environmental differences, and eroded egalitarian morals.
69
What is the significance of the situation at 24th century BCE Lagash? (p. 54)
Already at Lagash, rulers forced temples to turn over land, allowed elites to aggressively foreclose on farmers, and charged high rates for services, showing early examples of abuse of political power.
70
According to cross-sectional research, which type of small society had the lowest average Gini coefficient? (p. 37)
horticulturalists
71
In which of the following states did sixteenth-century rulers successfully prevent officials from becoming competition by selecting slaves and making their property prebends, but by 1839 guaranteed property?
Ottoman Empire
72
Which of the following emperors commercialized farming by demanding taxes in cash and thus forced small landholders to take out high-interest-rate loans to pay taxes, leading many to lose their farms to wealthier landlords?
Wendi
73
Which of the following historians noted that the top wealthy tier in 5th-century Egypt was earning 4000 pounds of gold annually from rents and the second tier earning above 1000 pounds gold annually?
Olympiodorus
74
Which Chinese emperor, according to later sources, banned sale of land and slaves and attempted to nationalize the distribution of land?
Wang Mang
75
From which of the three sources on women does this quotation come from?
"when I decided to get married and brought a wife into my house, for some time I did not wish to impose on her or let her be too free to do whatever she wanted."
Lysias, On the Murder of Eratosthenes
76
Which of the sources on women featured voices from a number of different walks of life?
Psalms of the Sisters
77
Scheidel notes that the census of households declined in China between 2 and 140 CE. What did Scheidel note may have been behind the decrease?
A decrease in separate landholdings because wealthy landowners were foreclosing on smaller landowners.
78
Which of the following best describes the changes in inequality during the Eastern Han?
Wealthy landowners, are able to take advantage of the replacement of Wang Mang, and placing a member of the former Hand dynasty on the thrown are politically powerful enough to enhance their wealth in land throughout the Eastern Han.
79
Which of the following best describes the strategy farmers employed in times of higher insecurity during the later Eastern Han and later Roman Empire and its consequences?
Farmers became more willing to turn over ownership of their land to wealthy landowners in return for protection and security. This both increased the power of the wealthy landowners, who employed security forces that over time could rival state military forces, and at the same time made it more difficult for the state to collect taxes to compete with these owners.
80
Which system of royal property allocation was adopted to early conquest of the Aztecs and Incas?
encomiendas
81
Which of the following is the best description of Shang Yang's own attempts to ensure the mobilization of large armies?
grid-like division of small plots distributed to able-bodied men
82
What percentage of a population needs to be mobilized for war before Scheidel (and most others) would consider it employing mass mobilization?
2%
83
Which of the following primary source authors was most interested in flattering his audience?
Aurelius Aristides
84
Which of the following best summarizes Scheidel's evaluation of Athens' experience with income inequality during the 5th and 4th centuries BCE?
Mass mobilization during several phases, expecially in naval power, forced the state to pay its citizens well, resulting in a lower Gini coefficient for a long time
85
How does Scheidel characterize most ancient wars?
As a zero sum game between elites to plunder each other
86
Which of the following did not happen during the civil wars of the Roman Empire in the 80s, 40s, and 30s BCE?
political power distributed to all citizens for mass mobilization
87
Which of the following civilizations had a concept that translates as "men of service in farming and warfare"?
China
88
According to Scheidel, which of the following states had the highest mobilization at some point in time?
Sparta
89
How did mass mobilization drive income inequality down within states (when it did)?
Progressive taxing
90
Which of the following authors praised an empire that was built through the superior training of its military, with men that think before acting?
Pericles
91
From which of the Islamic sources does this quote about women come from?: "He is not allowed to touch her face or hands even if he is free from lust."
Sharia
92
Which of the following was not a revolt from the Late Middle Ages covered by Scheidel in his treatment in Ch. 8?
the Zanj Rebellion in southern Iraq (869-863)
93
Which was more common in the Middle Ages, urban or rural revolts, according to Scheidel?
urban
94
Which of the following is NOT true of the rebellion associate with Spartacus?
the slaves sought a levelling of income inequality in the Roman Republic generally
95
Choose the best definition of mentalité according to John Arnold.
the attempt on the part of historians to recognize a break between current rational thinking and ideas and ways of thinking in the past
96
Basically, Scheidel views violence as the key determinant in the temporary effectiveness of income leveling in the communist regimes of the 20th century. That is, more violence equaled more leveling.
True
97
Which of the following was a notable, but never really implemented, element of the Taiping rebellion?
the idea that all property should be held in common by brothers under Jesus Christ
98
Which of the following Middle Ages revolts resulted in significant and lasting income equality?
None
99
Which of the Islamic sources reviewed for this unit is most like the book of scripture accepted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called the Doctrine and Covenants?
Quran
100
From which of the Islamic sources does this idea against income inequality come? "Earning a living by changing money is a great danger to the religion of the one who practices it. ..."
Sharia
101
With which king does Clovis' story of conversion to Christianity strangely seem familiar?
Constantine
102
Which of the following best describes the situation in 10th century BCE Egypt?
Egypt had split into two competing power centers, with a clearly impoverished Tanis in the north and a more secure and wealthy Thebes in the south.
103
Which of the following sources seems to suggest that in 10th century CE England, people were still mixing pagan and Christian beliefs?
The Leechbook
104
Which of the following best describes the principle reason the elite of Italy lost their wealth during the fall of the Roman Empire
The Italian elite lost their lands when the empire lost control of various regions outside of Italy.
105
The Sea Peoples and related phenomenons are associated with the system collapse in the near East around what year?
ca. 1200 BCE
106
The An Lushan rebellion, in which a general in the Chinese army attacked the capital, occurred during what Chinese dynasty?
Tang
107
What marker of lowering inequality in post Roman-Britain was cited by Scheidel
decrease in house sizes
108
Which of the following church leaders felt it necessary to give handouts to aristocrats to keep them afloat?
Pope Gregory
109
Which of the following trends were part of the downfall of the Tang Dynasty? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)
The more successful elite moved into one of the two capitals, Chang'an and Luoyang.
Multiple violent reprisals targeted elite families from the 880s through the 920s.
Over time successful Tang elites were able to eliminate their responsibility to pay taxes.
110
Which of the following civilizations had elements that survived longer in the northern city of Chichen Itzá than in the southern city of Tikal?
Maya
111
Which of the following best captures Scheidel's interaction with Malthusian ideas?
Malthus argued that demographic growth expands faster than economic growth, and Scheidel argues that plagues are the only of the four horsemen that significantly puts a dent in that trend.
112
Which element did Scheidel not discuss much in his discussion of the Black Death that McNeill did?
its relation to the Mongol Empire
113
Which of the following descriptions correctly identifies measures taken in England to try to prevent market forces from driving up the price of labor in the immediate wake of the Black Death?
the Ordinance of Laborers ordered that anyone offered a job needed to take it for wages previous to the pandemic
114
Does Scheidel find evidence that famines create income leveling like plagues?
No
115
During the Justinian plague, what strange place were workers in Constantinople forced to find to put the dead when all other places were filled up in the city?
fortification towers
116
What aspect of the plague did Scheidel think was necessary for the effect it had on leveling incomes in Europe?
the fact that it kept coming back
117
Which of the following groups saw wage increases in the aftermath of the Black Death? Mark all that apply.
Urban Unskilled workers
Rural Workers
Urban Skilled workers
118
In which city did Ibn Battuta witness a community attempt to repel the plague through worship?
Damascus
119
About which round of the plague do we have the most information in Europe?
The Black Death
120
True or false: According to our class discussion, previous pandemics like the Antonine and Justinian plagues, the Black Death, and the experience of the native Americans when Europeans arrived, are directly comparable to the present pandemic.
False
121
According to Arnold, which account of Sojourner Truth's address on 28th May 1851 at the Ohio Woman's Rights Conference is the truth?
Both
122
Which of the following aspects of European economies does Scheidel consider worrying, or likely to make reducing income inequality more difficult? Mark all that apply.
Rising percentage of older citizens
| Immigration
123
Which of the four horsemen did Scheidel think (in 2017) would be a significant problem in the near future?
None
124
What is the only tool that Scheidel thinks we have for managing income inequality?
policy and institutions
