Short Answers And Essay Questions Flashcards
Compare and contrast early Epipaleolithic-era collecting to Paleolithic foraging. And also the typical toolkits of each mode of subsistence.
Collecting=more stationed in a specific location; collecting and bringing back what was found; collected more than what they needed at a time (sturdy tools)
Foraging=people constantly migrating while scavenging for food (light weight tools)
What climatic and ecological changes marked the transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene in the Middle East? What was the impact of the Younger Dryas on Natufians?
A period of Younger Dryas; food became scarce with the extreme cold weather; the Natufians almost died out and had to resort to other means of finding food
What physical features distinguish a wild variety of wheat or a wild mountain goat from its domesticated version?
Wild Plant Rachis=easily broken, releasing seeds from stalk; Domesticated Plant Rachis=tough, difficult to break, holds seeds to stalk; Wild Goat; larger & more aggressive, larger horns; Domesticated Goat=smaller overall and smaller horns
What were some of the burial practices of Epipaleolithic and Neolithic peoples of the NE?
Bury the dead with jewelry and knives in the floors of their homes; years later, take the skull out of the grave and place it in their home after decorating it
How did the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers compare and contrast to the Nile River Valley? Include the different geographical and ecological zones in each area. Compare and contrast the desert in Sumer to that in Egypt.
Mesopotamia was surrounded by the 2 rivers; unpredictable weather; had to constantly regulate the river systems for stability in the cities; dry climate
Egyptian cities ran along side the Nile River; nothing but desert with a few oases; the weather was more predictable (June=Inundation Season, Oct.=Planting, March=Drought)
What are the monumental buildings and features found in a Sumerian city? In a Mayan city?
Sumerian City=ziggurats, palace, other temples
Mayan City=stela, pyramids, palace
Why did the earliest state develop in Mesopotamia and not in the adjacent area of the Fertile Crescent?
The land was flood land between two rivers. The citizens had to regulate the rivers. There was also no rainfall nor was it not a good place too farm. A difficult place to live however, with the proper tools and man power there would be a great surplus in food and materials. The area in the Fertile Crescent did not yield a large enough surplus that the area of Mesopotamia created.
Be able to list 5 of the key characteristics of a state society and to describe these for one of the states we’ve discussed.
Dense population; division of labor; tax collection; Monumental architecture; social & economic stratification; systems of writing or other record keeping; development of sciences, engineering, mathematics, astronomy; long- distance trade
Compare and contrast flooding of the Tigris/Euphrates rivers and the Nile River. How was agriculture managed in each of these areas given that they receive little to no rainfall?
Mesopotamia=annual but unpredictable flooding, redirected river’s flow towards low-lying fields & the city, heavily relied on complex irrigation systems
Egypt=relied on the predictability of the annual flood of the Nile (Basin Irrigation)
How did the ancient Mayans conceive of time? What was the nature of their calendar system?
Q
What was the nature of blood sacrifices in Classic Mayan culture? What was the symbolic meaning of blood? What was the symbolic meaning of the Mayan ballgame?
B
What was the nature of blood sacrifices in Classic Mayan culture? What was the symbolic meaning of blood? What was the symbolic meaning of the Mayan ballgame?
Death and sacrifice were spiritually linked to the concepts of creation and rebirth; blood was nourishment to the Gods (their spiritual connection); a sacrificial ritual that is played with a hard rubber ball where at the end of the game, someone is decapitated
Compare and contrast an Egyptian and Mayan pyramid (construction, materials, and how it was used). Is it likely that a more ancient society taught both of them how to build pyramids?
Egyptian Pyramids=tombs with temples attached to it; much larger; smooth, limestone sides; pointed tips covered in gold
Mayan Pyramids=combined temples and tombs; stepped with stairways that led to the top
