Midterm Flashcards
How did the skull discovered in Germany differ from our human skulls?
Instead of a forehead like ours, it just had two thick ridges above the eyebrows.
What gives “prehistory” its name?
It comes before history.
Which examples of materials did scientists find that change slowly but regularly over a very long period of time?
Woods and plants and volcanic rocks.
Why do historians call it the “Stone Age”?
The primitive peoples built stone tools.
About how long did the Neanderthal people inhabit the earth?
Two hundred thousand years.
About how long ago did the Neanderthal people appear in prehistory before our ancestors?
Seventy thousand years earlier.
What was the climate like during The Stone Age?
Winters were longer and summers shorter.
Do you know what __________ invented? … They invented talking.
Cavemen.
Which of the following were not invented or developed by prehistoric people?
Clothes, houses and tools, plows to plow with, grains to make bread with, cows for milking, sheep for shearing, dogs for hunting and for company, bows and arrows for shooting and helmets and shields for protection.
How long did The Ice Age last?
Many tens of thousands of years!
What reasoning did the writer give for why cavemen drew and painted in caves?
To summon creatures like a magic spell.
Because forests were dangerous places in those days, home to large numbers of wild animals, such as wolves and bears, prehistoric people built __________.
Pile dwellings.
What were “pile dwellings”?
Huts on stilts rammed deep in the mud in the middle of lakes.
What did prehistoric people invent and decorate with patterns and fire in ovens?
Clay pots.
What did the cavemen learn to do in the warmth once the ice retreated to the high mountains?
To plant grasses and then grind the seeds to make a paste to bake in the fire: bread.
Around 4000 BC, prehistoric people discovered a more convenient way of making tools: __________.
They discovered metals.
Which metal did prehistoric people use that “has a nice shine” but is “soft and gets blunt more quickly than stone”?
Copper.
Prehistoric people “discovered that if you add just a little of another, very rare, metal, it makes the copper stronger. That metal is __________.”
Tin.
Prehistoric people mixed __________ and __________ together to make __________.
Tin, copper, bronze.
Near __________ somebody was once digging a pit when they came across a bone, deep down under the ground. It was a human bone. __________.
Heidelberg, in Germany.
When did Menes rule over Egypt?
5100 years ago.
What were the rulers of Ancient Egypt called?
Pharaohs.
Of what did the Egyptians not sing in praise of their river four-thousand years ago?
You water the plains and have the power to feed all cattle. You quench the thirsty desert, far from any water. You bring forth the barley, you create the wheat. You fill the granaries and storehouses, not forgetting the poor
What was the Ancient Egyptian writing system called?
Hieroglyphs.
Why did the Egyptians preserve all their ancient traditions over the centuries and the priests make sure that no son did anything his father had not done before?
To them, everything old was sacred.
Which body of water did the Ancient Egyptians worship?
The Nile.
Which of the following do we not attribute to pharaohs?
They were called pharaohs. A pharaoh was immensely powerful. He lived in a great stone palace with massive pillars and many courtyards, and his word was law. All the people of Egypt had to toil for him if he so decreed.
Who was the sun god in Ancient Egypt?
Amon was the Ancient Egyptian sun god.
Who was the god of the Kingdom of the Dead?
Anubis.
In honor of their gods, they chiseled majestic stone statues, as tall as __________, and built temples as big as __________.
A five-storey house, towns.
What are the tall pointed granite stones placed outside of temples in Ancient Egypt called?
Obelisks.
Which of the following describes a belief that the Ancient Egyptians had in their religion?
A man’s soul left his body when he died, and for some reason, the soul continued needing that body, and would suffer if it crumbled into dust.
Which of the following was not a method that the Ancient Egyptians used to preserve the bodies of the dead?
They bandaged them with long strips of papyrus so that they wouldn’t decay.
Why did Ancient Egyptians put in food and furniture and clothes in the tombs and create paintings on the walls from the life of the departed?
A tomb was intended to be a dwelling for the soul when it returned to visit its body.
Which of the following is not an example of how Egyptians “knew what they were doing”?
How they pumped water into ditches as a primitive plumbing system.
Based on the discoveries found in noblemen’s tombs, how did the king reward his faithful ministers?
In noblemen’s tombs, we can see embassies thriving from abroad, laden with tribute, and the king rewarding faithful ministers with decorations.
Which two objects were combined to write “Osiris” in hieroglyphs?
A throne and an eye were combined to write “Osiris” in hieroglyphs.
Which three languages are found on the Rosetta Stone?
Ancient Greek, Egyptian Hieroglyphs, and another Egyptian dialect were found on the Rosetta Stone.
What material did Ancient Egyptians use for their writing?
Papyrus.
How long did Ancient Egypt’s empire last?
Nearly 3000 years.
Which pharaoh attempted to change Ancient Egypt’s culture?
Akhenaton.
Which animal head did the god of the Kingdom of the Dead have?
A jackal’s
Which of the following did Akhenaton not do as ruler?
The ancient temples were shut down, and King Akhenaton and his wife moved into a new palace. Since he was utterly opposed to tradition, and in favor of fine new ideas, he also had the walls of his palace painted in an entirely new style.
Which is not related to Akhenaton?
He invested time in the gods and the culture’s mysterious rituals.
Wise words are rarer than __________, yet they come from the mouths of __________ who __________.
Emeralds, poor slave girls, turn the millstones.
When did Menes rule over Egypt?
5100 years ago.
What were the rulers of Ancient Egypt called?
Pharaohs
Of what did the Egyptians not sing in praise of their river four-thousand years ago?
Creating the beans
Why did the Egyptians preserve all their ancient traditions over the centuries and the priests make sure that no son did anything his father had not done before?
Their priests made quite sure that no son did anything his father had not done before him. To them, everything old was sacred.
What was the Ancient Egyptian writing system called?
Hieroglyphs
Which body of water did the Ancient Egyptians worship?
The Nile.
Which of the following do we not attribute to pharaohs?
They were immensely powerless.
Who was the sun god in Ancient Egypt?
Amon.
Who was the god of the Kingdom of the Dead?
Anubis was the god of the Kingdom of the Dead.
In honor of their gods, they chiseled majestic stone statues, as tall as __________, and built temples as big as _________.
Five-story house.
What are the tall pointed granite stones placed outside of temples in Ancient Egypt called?
Obelisks.
Which of the following describes a belief that the Ancient Egyptians had in their religion?
A man’s soul left his body when he died, and for some reason, the soul continued needing that body, and would suffer if it crumbled into dust.
Which of the following was not a method that the Ancient Egyptians used to preserve the bodies of the dead?
They bandaged them with long strips of papyrus so that they wouldn’t decay.
Why did Ancient Egyptians put in food and furniture and clothes in the tombs and create paintings on the walls from the life of the departed?
A tomb was intended to be a dwelling for the soul when it returned to visit its body.
Which of the following is not an example of how Egyptians “knew what they were doing”?
How they used great nets to catch geese on the Nile.
Based on the discoveries found in noblemen’s tombs, how did the king reward his faithful ministers?
Decorations.
Which two objects were combined to write “Osiris” in hieroglyphs?
A throne and an eye.
Which three languages are found on the Rosetta Stone?
Ancient Greek, Egyptian Hieroglyphs, and another Egyptian dialect.
What material did Ancient Egyptians use for their writing?
Long strips of this papyrus.
How long did Ancient Egypt’s empire last?
Nearly 3000 years.
Which pharaoh attempted to change Ancient Egypt’s culture?
Akhenaton.
Which animal head did the god of the Kingdom of the Dead have?
Jackal’s head.
Which of the following did Akhenaton not do as ruler?
He had the walls of his palace painted in the traditional style.
Which is not related to Akhenaton?
He taught his people of the gods that existed.
Wise words are rarer than __________, yet they come from the mouths of __________ who __________.
Emeralds, poor slave girls, turn the millstones.
Mesopotamia resided between which two rivers?
The Tigris and the Euphrates.
The name Mesopotamia is Greek for what?
land between the rivers.
Which of the following two cities existed in Mesopotamia?
Nineveh and Babylon.
One such mound, standing in the desert, is all that remains of __________, once the greatest city on earth, a city swarming with people who came there from every part of the world to trade their wares.
Babylon.
Upstream, at the foot of the mountains, sits another. This was __________, the second greatest city in the land … [the capital of] of the Assyrians.
Nineveh.
Which quality do historians and archaeologists not think demonstrates a culture?
towns and tradesmen, noblemen and kings, temples and priests, administrators and artists, writing and technical skills.
Which of the following items was not discovered in the burial sites at Ur?
A silver shield designed with rubies.
Archaeologists discovered the ruins of which city beneath rubble mounds near the Persian Gulf, the city that the Bible states was where Abraham was born?
3100 BC.
Archaeologists discovered the ruins of which city beneath rubble mounds near the Persian Gulf, the city that the Bible states was where Abraham was born?
Ur.
What did people discover inscribed in clay tablets?
Cuneiform.
Into what did the Mesopotamians inscribe their signs?
Soft clay.
What did the Epic of Gilgamesh describe his battles against?
Monsters and dragons.
With thanks to recorded business dealings, who do historians know were great traders in Mesopotamia?
Sumerians.
Which Mesopotamian ruler left a long and important inscription engraved in stone?
Hammurabi.
The planet Mars is named after the god of what?
War.
The planet Venus is named after the goddess of what?
Love.
Which of the following pictures did the Babylonians and Assyrians not portray in their statues?
Warriors praying for victory.
In which of the following ways were the Babylonians and Assyrians kings not portrayed in their statues?
They sat upon jeweled thrones.
To which gods and goddess did the Babylonians and Assyrians make sacrifices?
Baal, the sun god, or to the moon goddess Ishtar or Astarte.
Which ancient Mesopotamian cultures observed the stars and gave names to constellations?
The Babylonians and the Assyrians.
What is the name of the tall, broad towers that the Sumerians and Babylonians built to be nearer to the stars?
Ziggurats.
Which of the following qualities is not attributed to the Babylonian and Sumerian strange buildings?
At the very top was a temple dedicated to the Nebuchadnezzar, or one of the other Mesopotamian rulers.
What were Nebuchadnezzar’s “truly greatest deeds”?
His digging of huge canals and water cisterns.
Against whom did Nebuchadnezzar fight and bring home a vast number of foreign captives as slaves?
Egypt.
Mesopotamia resided between which two rivers?
The Tigris and the Euphrates.
The name Mesopotamia is Greek for what?
Land ‘between the rivers.
Which of the following two cities existed in Mesopotamia?
Babylon and Nineveh.
One such mound, standing in the desert, is all that remains of __________, once the greatest city on earth, a city swarming with people who came there from every part of the world to trade their wares.
Babylon.
Upstream, at the foot of the mountains, sits another. This was __________, the second greatest city in the land … [the capital of of the Assyrians.
Nineveh.
Which quality do historians and archaeologists not think demonstrates a culture?
Palaces and visitors.
Which of the following items was not discovered in the burial sites at Ur?
Magnificent harps decorated with lions’ heads.
Archaeologists discovered the ruins of which city beneath rubble mounds near the Persian Gulf, the city that the Bible states was where Abraham was born?
Ur.
Archaeologists learned that people in the plains near the Persian Gulf had already learned to shape bricks from clay and build houses and temples by what year?
3100 BC.
What did people discover inscribed in clay tablets?
Cuneiform, meaning wedge-shaped.
Into what did the Mesopotamians inscribe their signs?
Soft clay.
What did the Epic of Gilgamesh describe his battles against?
Monsters and dragons.
With thanks to recorded business dealings, who do historians know were great traders in Mesopotamia?
Sumerians.
Which Mesopotamian ruler left a long and important inscription engraved in stone?
Hammurabi.
When did King Hammurabi live?
1700 BC.
The planet Mars is named after the god of what?
Mars meant war.
The planet Venus is named after the goddess of what?
Love.
Which of the following pictures did the Babylonians and Assyrians not portray in their statues?
Priests inspecting kneeling captives bound in chains.
In which of the following ways were the Babylonians and Assyrians kings not portrayed in their statues?
They looked forlorn.
To which gods and goddess did the Babylonians and Assyrians make sacrifices?
Baal and Ishtar.
Which ancient Mesopotamian cultures observed the stars and gave names to constellations?
The Babylonians and the Assyrians.
What is the name of the tall, broad towers that the Sumerians and Babylonians built to be nearer to the stars?
Ziggurats.
Which of the following qualities is not attributed to the Babylonian and Sumerian strange buildings?
Sturdy columns that upheld ornate balconies where priests stood.
What were Nebuchadnezzar’s “truly greatest deeds”?
His truly greatest deeds.
Against whom did Nebuchadnezzar fight and bring home a vast number of foreign captives as slaves?
He fought against Egypt.
Where was the Jewish Civilization located in ancient times?
Between Egypt and Mesopotamia
The Jewish people were first conquered and ruled by the __________, and then the __________ would invade.
Egyptians, and then the Babylonians would invade.
What is a “monotheistic herdsman”?
Monotheism: The doctrine or belief that there is only one God.
Herdsman: A man who herds, tends, or manages livestock.
In what way did the Ancient Jews make history rather than being part of history?
They didn’t just become part of history, they made history—and by that I mean they shaped the course of all history to come. And this special something was their religion.
Which of the following would the Ancient Jews not describe their God as creating?
Songs and stories.
The Ancient Jewish God “was he who raged furiously against them in the storm, but he never __________.”
Abandoned his people.
“And the songs of their deeds, which were the deeds of their god, are the __________.”
The Old Testament of the Bible.
Where is the story of Abraham located, and where is Abraham from?
Genesis, Ur.
Abraham was probably alive at the same time as whom?
King Hammurabi.
“God was angry at their pride and stopped them … by making them all speak different languages so that they could no longer understand one another.”
The Tower of Babel.
What is the Tower of Babel about?
Babylonian ziggurats.
Which biblical figure was sold yet became a counselor and minister to the pharaoh?
Joseph, Son of Jacob.
“And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor: and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar and in brick…”
Exodus.
“In the end, __________ led [the Jews] out of Egypt into the desert … From there they tried to win back the promised land—that is, the land in which their ancestors had lived since the time of Abraham.”
Moses.
“And finally, after long, cruel, and bloody battles, they succeeded. So now they had their own small kingdom, with its capital: __________.”
Jerusalem.
The Jews’ “first king was __________, who fought against a neighboring tribe, the __________, and died on the battlefield.”
Saul, Philistines.
“__________ was a wise and just king who ruled soon after 1000 BC” and who “built the first Temple of Jerusalem.”
Solomon.
What was found at the innermost part of the Jewish temple?
The tablets of the Laws with their Ten Commandments.
What were the names of the two kingdoms that arose after Solomon’s reign?
After Solomon’s reign things went less well for the Jews. Their kingdom split in two: the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah.
These people who __________ to their flocks eventually sang of a better and stronger and more __________ god whom they worshiped.
Tended, exalted.
“Nowhere else will you find so many stories about ancient times so __________ told” because of how clear and intense the storytelling is.
Vividly.
Deep inside the __________ temples, there were images of other gods, and through the word of the Jewish people’s __________, they heard again and again about their own suffering.
Heathen: An adherent of a religion that does not worship the God of Judaism, Christianity, or Islam.
Prophet: A person who speaks by divine inspiration or as the interpreter through whom the will of a god is expressed.
“And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with __________: and they made their lives __________ with hard __________.”
Rigor, bitter, bondage.
In the book of __________, Moses leads his people out of Egypt into the desert.
Exodus.
Which of the following things did King Nebuchadnezzar not do?
Destroyed the city of Judah.
Where was the Jewish Civilization located in ancient times?
Between Egypt and Mesopotamia.
The Jewish people were first conquered and ruled by the __________, and then the __________ would invade.
Egyptians, Babylonians.
What is a “monotheistic herdsman”?
A person who herds animals and believes in one god.
In what way did the Ancient Jews make history rather than being part of history?
Through their religion.
Which of the following would the Ancient Jews not describe their God as creating?
Songs and stories.
The Ancient Jewish God “was he who raged furiously against them in the storm, but he never __________.”
It was he who raged furiously against them in the storm, but he never abandoned his people.
“And the songs of their deeds, which were the deeds of their god, are the __________.
The Old Testament of the Bible.
Where is the story of Abraham located, and where is Abraham from?
Ur in the Chaldees.
Abraham was probably alive at the same time as whom?
Hammurab.
God was angry at their pride and stopped them … by making them all speak different languages so that they could no longer understand one another.
The people of a great city tried to build a tower that would reach up to heaven, and God was angry at their pride and stopped them building any higher by making them all speak different languages so that they could no longer understand one another.
