Prologue Flashcards
The major difference between a civilization and other methods of organizing humans in groups if civilizations is
Generated surpluses of good beyond mere needs of survival
World history involves the study of
Evolution of leading societies and interactions around the globe
The Neolithic Revolutions began around 10,000 B.C.E with the
Advent of sedentary agriculture and domestication of animals
The period of the Neolithic Revolutions and river valley civilizations ended when
Widespread invasions and new technologies led to the rise of large empires
During the period of river valley civilizations,
Human trans-regional contacts were limited
Civilizations arose in all of these river valley areas during this period except:
The Niger River (Mali)
The first truly revolutionary transformation of human society was
The rising of farming
Women were probably the first farmers because
As gatherers they generally knew which seeds to eat and where they grew
The strongest competitor to sedentary agriculture during the Neolithic Age was
Pastoralism or a nomadic herding way of life
Agriculture surpluses seem to have led most directly to
Specialized services and socially differentiated hierarchies
In Neolithic societies, technology
Became the monopoly of men, who also dominated domestic herding
The start of sedentary agriculture
Started in southwest Asia first but developed independently in other places later
Which of the following developments contributed most to the rise of permanent settlements?
The start of farming
The development of new technologies during the Neolithic Era led to
Larger harvests
Political organization durning the first civilizations tended towards
City-states or smaller regional states
Cities in the ancient Near East and Egypt were
Centers of trade, specialized manufacture, and the exchange of ideas
In Mesopotamian and Egyptian societies priests developed considerable social power and influence because they
Interpreted the gods’ wishes and placate the deities
Religiously, the first civilizations differed from Paleolithic beliefs in that
The first civilizations anthropomorphized nature into complex theologies
Which of these is an example of patriarchal society in the ancient world?
After marriage, a woman moved to the residence of her husband’s family
The event which marked the beginning for the first civilizations was the
The establishment of the first cities with complex urban cultures
Periodic nomadic invasions in the early history of the Middle East
Caused disruptions but facilitated innovations and prompted synthesis
The Fertile Crescent had been called the crossroads of the world because it was
On the routes connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa
The movement of peoples across the Fertile Crescent resulted in
The constant exchange and blending of ideas
In the Indus Valley culture, a strong government and ruling class are indicated by
Coordinated construction techniques and well-fortified cities
Unlike Sumer and Egypt, the Indus Valley or Harappan civilization
Writing had never been translated
Compared to river valley cultures in Egypt and Mesopotamia, civilization in China
Probably developed after civilizations in the Nile Valley and Southwest Asia
Although occupation is one method of determining caste in India, historically,
Skin color is also important; the ruling castes tend to be fair-skinned, while lower castes are dark-skinned
The Aryan invaders of the Indus Valley
Are related to Indo-Europeans and Iranians
All of the following statements about the Aryans are valid except
They were chariot peoples who took over the Indus Valley cities and became urban dwellers
In early China, unity and cultural identity were provided by
A common system of writing
In order to counterbalance feudalism and its tendency to decentralized ruling power, and in order to maintain their influence, Zhou monarchs utilized
Professional bureaucrats and the Mandate if Heaven to give them authority
Peasants in Zhou China and serfs or slaves in Aryan India
Were burdened by obligations to the rulers and local nobles
Unlike the Harappan civilization, Hindu, Chinese, and Mesopotamian cultures
Developed systems of technologies to resist or to assimilate nomadic invaders
