Ancient Civilizations Final Exam

Name: Date: Ancient Civilizations 15 Questions 1. Which development most enabled early peoples to form permanent settlements? a. advances in agricultural production b. the creation of democratic government c. the spread of monotheism d. advances in written language 2. Cuneiform and hieroglyphics were important achievements in the development of a. written language. b. religious beliefs. c. agricultural production. d. representative government. 3. Hammurabi s Code of ancient Mesopotamian society was important because it a. listed the laws and the corresponding punishments. b. explained how government officials were chosen. c. established a single currency for use across the empire. d. described how to perform formal religious ceremonies. 4. The art and architecture of ancient Egypt were designed to emphasize the a. value of the arts in daily life. b. role of the individual as an artist. c. idea of beauty as seen by the artist. d. religious idea of eternal life. 5. It is visible from great distances. It is a reminder to all who see it of the wealth and power of the leader of the people who built it and of his glory and greatness as a god here on the Earth. The speaker in the passage above is referring to the a. Greek tyrant and the Parthenon. b. Egyptian pharaoh and his pyramid. c. Assyrian king and his lighthouse. d. Hebrew king and the Temple. 6. Greece s mountainous terrain and its series of small islands influenced the ancient Greeks to develop a. a political system based on independent city-states. b. a culture that was uniform throughout its vast empire. c. an economic system based on mining precious metals. d. a society completely isolated from other civilizations. 1 P a g e

7. We regard an individual who takes no interest in public affairs not as harmless, but as useless. Pericles Funeral Oration The quotation above illustrates the importance a. ancient Athenians placed on individual participation in the education of young children. b. religious rituals of the community. c. political process of the city-state. d. economic activities of the household. 8. The legacy of ancient Greek myths and epics, such as the Iliad, continues to provide people with a. accurate descriptions of historical events. b. heroic figures and great adventures. c. real life stories about everyday people. d. objective studies of ancient civilizations. 9. Ancient Greeks used myths about their gods primarily to a. strike fear in their enemies. b. explain events in the natural world. c. justify their type of government. d. undermine the Persian religion. 10. The origins of checks and balances in the U.S. political system can be traced to the a. French monarchy. b. Roman Republic. c. Greek aristocracy. d. Aztec Empire. 11. During Neolithic Times people transitioned from hunters and gatherers to farmers. What key changes exemplified this transitional phase? a. The creation of a stable food supply and the construction of permanent shelters. b. The establishment of communities and the development of new jobs. c. The establishment of trade. d. A & C e. All the above 12. Which of the following is not true of the first writing system? a. It was developed by the Romans. b. It began with the use of pictures to represent syllables and objects. c. It was recorded on tablets made of clay. d. It was first used to keep business records. 2 P a g e

13. What is an example of a cultural effect that trade had on the peoples that used the Silk Road? a. China became wealthy trading silk. b. Rome became powerful trading jade. c. Buddhism spread from India to China. d. Daoism spread from China to Rome. 14. What did Sumerians and Egyptians write on? a. Paper (Papyrus) b. Clay c. Stone d. A & B e. All of the Above 15. What physical feature (land or water form) best supported the growth of the cradle civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China? a. Oceans b. Plateaus c. Rivers d. Mountains Ancient Mesopotamia/Near East 10 Questions 1. How did Sumerians control the amount of water in the valley? a. Levees b. Canals c. Dams d. All the Above 2. Who was the famous Babylonian king known for his code of laws? a. Hammurabi b. Gilgamesh c. Sargon I d. Sargon II 3. Hammurabi s Code is important in world history because it was an early a. form of writing that could be used to record important events. b. written list of laws that controlled people s daily life and behavior. c. record-keeping system that enabled the Phoenicians to become great traders. d. set of symbols that allowed the Sumerians to communicate with other people. 4. Sumerian society was organized in, which consisted of a city and the surrounding lands. a. Townships b. Tribes c. Clans d. City-States 3 P a g e

5. The first written symbols were picture symbols, or a. letters. b. numbers. c. pictograms. d. phonics. 6. The development of writing evolved from the Sumerian need to keep these. a. fables b. business records c. sacred texts d. historical accounts 7. Sumerian scribes used a sharp pointed tool called a stylus to write on this material. a. Papyrus b. Clay Tablets c. Silk d. Porcelain 8. This type of writing is known for its wedge-shaped characters. a. Cuneiform b. Hieroglyphics c. Calligraphy d. Sanskrit 9. What does the word Mesopotamia literally means? a. the land between the rivers b. the first civilization c. the land of kings d. the land of plenty 10. Who conquered all the Sumerian city-states and made them into one country? a. Gilgamesh b. Sargon c. Hammurabi d. Amenhotep Ancient Egypt 10 Questions 1. Why did ancient Egyptians believe having social classes was a good idea? a. They believed there wasn t enough money for everyone. b. They believed society worked when people knew their roles. c. They believed Egypt should focus on Egyptians rather than fight wars. d. They believed there would not be enough farmers without a class system. 4 P a g e

2. Who was the chief god of the Egyptians? a. Zeus b. Ra c. Isis d. Osiris Ancient Civilizations Final Exam 3. Why was Upper Egypt called "Upper?" a. Because it was further upstream along the Nile River than was Lower Egypt. b. Because it is above Lower Egypt on a map. c. Because it is higher than Lower Egypt. d. None of the above 4. How were mummies made? a. Dead bodies were wrapped in linen. b. Dead bodies had their guts taken out, and then the bodies were wrapped in linen. c. Dead bodies were treated with spices and salts, then their guts were taken out, and then they were wrapped in linen. d. The guts were taken out, the bodies were dried with salts and spices, and then the bodies were wrapped in linen. 5. Who united Upper and Lower Egypt and started the Old Kingdom? a. Horus b. Sargon c. Narmer d. Osiris 6. How did the Egyptians believe the pharaoh would use his pyramid after he died? a. He would climb the sides to go up to heaven. b. He would live under it forever. c. He would come back to life after many, many years. d. None of the above 7. How did Egyptians respond to Amenhotep's new religion? a. They celebrated and honored the new god. b. They obeyed, but didn't like it. c. They rioted and fought with the soldiers to overthrow the new religion. d. They created a new god. 8. How was Hatshepsut able to become the ruler of Egypt? a. She drowned her nephew in the Nile. b. She killed her brother. c. Her father had ordered it before he died. d. She ruled while her nephew was young. 5 P a g e

9. The pharaoh was at the top of Egypt s social pyramid. Moving down the pyramid, what is the order of the classes listed below, from highest to lowest? 1. Artisans 2. Government Officials 3. Peasants 4. Priests 5. Scribes a. 2, 5, 4, 1, 3 b. 4, 5, 2, 3, 1 c. 2, 4, 5, 1, 3 d. 1, 2, 4, 5, 3 10. What does the social pyramid show about Egypt s social classes? a. The fewest number of people were in the highest classes. b. They were more rich people than poor people in Egypt. c. Most people were artisans. d. There were many people advising the pharaoh. Ancient India 10 Questions 1. Who was the Buddhist emperor who tried to rule with kindness? a. Siddhartha Gautama b. Ashoka c. Shiva d. Buddha 2. What were the people who settled in ancient India called? a. The Aryans b. The Sumerians c. The Assyrians d. The Babylonians 3. This structure divided Indian society into groups based on a person s birth, wealth, and occupation. a. Legalism b. Confucianism c. Daoism d. Caste System 4. What was the name of the chief god of the Indian Aryans? a. Ra b. Buddha c. Shiva d. Zeus 6 P a g e

5. What were the people called who did not belong to any caste? a. Brahmins b. Kshatriyas c. Sudras d. The Untouchables 6. The most important language of ancient India was a. Cuneiform b. Sanskrit c. Hieroglyphics d. Calligraphy 7. Hindus believe that souls are born and reborn many times, each in a new body. What is this rebirth process called? a. dharma b. karma c. reincarnation d. nirvana 8. What was the name of ancient India s first empire? a. The Gupta Empire b. The Mauryan Empire c. Mesopotamia d. Assyria 9. What was the name of the prince who founded Buddhism and received the name Buddha because he was enlightened? a. Siddhartha Gautama b. Ashoka c. Shiva d. Shi Huangdi 10. Which of the following were great centers of civilization in ancient India? a. Mohenjo-Daro b. Harappa c. Babylon d. Ur e. A & B f. C & D 7 P a g e

Ancient China 10 Questions Ancient Civilizations Final Exam 1. What was the main contribution of Emperor Shi Huangdi to China? a. He unified most of China under one government. b. He established a public education system in China. c. He required citizens to use the Mongol language. d. He encouraged acceptance of the Hindu religion. 2. The Chinese people turned to the teachings of Confucius because his ideas were thought to help a. unify the Chinese against foreign enemies. b. restore order in China. c. stop the Chinese people from converting to Islam. d. create democratic institutions. 3. What was the ancient China valley called? a. The Yellow River Valley b. Yangtze River Valley c. Indus River Valley d. Fertile Crescent 4. What made Shang armies especially powerful? a. weapons made of bronze b. weapons made of stone c. weapons made of bones d. weapons made of iron 5. What did the Shang dynasty accomplish? a. They survived for 1,000 years. b. They controlled all of ancient China. c. They treated men and women as equals. d. They remained isolated from other peoples. 6. What was one way the Zhou dynasty managed to keep China stable for several hundred years? a. by claiming approval from heaven b. by enforcing strict laws c. by limiting people s freedom d. by letting people vote for leaders 7. What philosophy do the statements on this list describe? (1) People are basically selfish. (2) Laws must be strict and must be strictly enforced. (3) Punishments for breaking laws must be harsh. a. Confucianism b. Daoism c. Legalism d. Republicanism 8 P a g e

8. Why were Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism developed when they were? a. because there were such good schools in China at the time b. because the Zhou dynasty wanted to maintain its power c. because the Zhou dynasty wanted to maintain the feudal system d. because there was so much disorder in Peasants China at the time 9. What was the purpose of building the Great Wall? a. to provide work for peasants who had no jobs b. to prevent scholars from criticizing the emperor c. to protect the empire from invaders d. to promote wealth among the empire s Landowners 10. During the Han dynasty, the Chinese for the first time a. traded silk. b. got salt from the sea. c. used farm animals. d. painted with brushes. Ancient Greece 15 Questions 1. How did the rise to power and reign of Alexander most affect Greece? a. He established a peaceful relationship with the Persian Empire. b. He strengthened greatly the concept of democratic rule. c. He made Macedonia into the intellectual center of the Hellenistic world. d. He ended the power of the city-states and established a unified nation. 2. With which field are Pythagoras and Euclid associated? a. Chemistry b. Linguistics c. Geometry d. Literature 3. Because the ancient Greeks developed democracy, which of the following is part of American politics today? a. a council of elders b. juries of citizens c. a national religion d. a symbolic royalty 4. The Greek city-states fought against each other in the Peloponnesian War. What was a major effect of the war a. Sparta was able to conquer Thebes. b. Macedonia was able to conquer Greece. c. Athens was able to enter a golden age. d. Thebes was able to develop astronomy. 9 P a g e

5. After his military victory, how did Alexander keep his power in Persia? a. He had the Persians worship Greek gods. b. He adopted many Persian practices. c. He had the Persians read Egyptian books. d. He adopted a Persian boy to succeed him. 6. What does it mean to say that Alexander conquered by using kindness? a. He let towns that surrendered to his army keep their own leaders. b. He convinced people to vote for him to make him their only leader. c. He gave people gifts of gold and jewels in order to become their leader. d. He offered lessons for people 7. The Parthenon was built high atop a hill in Athens. What does this location reveal about the Athenians? a. They believed honoring the goddess Athena was very important. b. They honored the goddess Athena by struggling to climb to her temple. c. They believed praying in Athena s temple was very important. d. They honored the goddess Athena by discussing philosophy at her temple. 8. What does the Greek love of sports show about ancient Greeks? a. They treated their slaves as equals in sports. b. They valued physical health as much as intellect. c. They valued victory more than anything else. d. They treated men and women as equals in sports. 9. Sparta got the land it needed by conquering its neighbors. What happened after Sparta conquered a neighboring land? a. Spartans demanded that the conquered people leave the land and let Spartans move in. b. Spartans demanded that the conquered people give Sparta much of their food crops. c. The conquered people moved to Sparta and sold their goods in the marketplace. d. The conquered people traveled by sea to other countries to trade for barley and wheat. 10. What type of government does the following list describe? There is one ruler. The ruler usually inherited power. The ruler passed on leadership to his son. a. Democracy b. Monarchy c. Oligarchy d. tyranny 11. Which of the following best describes a difference between a king and a tyrant? a. A king is elected, but a tyrant seizes power. b. A king is elected, but a tyrant inherits power. c. A king inherits power, but a tyrant seizes it. d. A king leads the assembly, but a tyrant disbands it. 10 P a g e

12. This was a period of great peace and wealth, between 479 and 431 B.C.E, when Athens was the artistic and cultural center of Greece. a. The Golden Age b. Pax Romana c. Glorious Revolution d. Enlightenment 13. A Greek city-state is called a. a. Colony b. Polis c. Agora d. Acropolis 14. In a democracy citizens have the right to vote. List four things the Athenians voted for or against. a. Laws b. Leaders c. Taxes d. War e. All of the Above f. None of the Above 15. What was the war between Sparta and Athens called? a. The Peloponnesian War b. The Gallic War c. The Persian Wars d. The Punic Wars Ancient Rome 15 Questions 1. The wars with Carthage (264 146 B.C.) gave the Roman Empire control of a. North Africa. b. Asia Minor. c. Northern Europe. d. the Middle East. 2. What did not lead to the fall of Rome? a. Political Instability b. Weakening Frontiers c. Economic & Social Issues d. Rise of the Byzantine Empire 11 P a g e

3. Architecture, art, engineering, language, philosophy, and law are all legacies of ancient Rome. What religion is also part of ancient Rome s legacy? a. Christianity b. Islam c. Hinduism d. Buddhism 4. Due to the size of the Roman Empire what major problem did the ancient Romans face? a. Defending all the borders. b. Trading with neighbors. c. Building Roads. d. Finding enemies to defeat. 5. Emperor Diocletian tried to protect the Roman Empire through this act? a. Dividing the empire into two Northern Roman Empire & Southern Roman Empire b. Dividing the empire into two Western Roman Empire & Eastern Roman Empire c. Surrendering to the Vandals. d. Surrendering to the Visigoths. 6. What were the most important ideas in Roman philosophy and law? a. Live in a way that agrees with nature. b. The one truly good thing in life is to have good character. c. Natural law says that everyone has certain rights. d. A and C e. All the Above 7. Why did the Roman emperors give the poor bread and circuses? a. so the poor wouldn t eat meat b. so the poor could make more money c. so the poor wouldn t rebel d. so the poor could learn to read 8. During the first period of Roman expansion, the Romans a. took over the Italian peninsula. b. conquered all of Europe. c. expanded into North Africa. d. became a dictatorship. 9. Which of the causes below did not lead to the end of the Roman Republic? a. Viking raids b. Slave revolts c. Many jobless people in Rome d. Caesar s defeat of Pompey 12 P a g e

10. The people who killed Julius Caesar wanted to give power back to the Senate, but their actions had an unexpected effect. What was it? a. the beginning of a civil war b. the beginning of the Punic Wars c. the beginning of Rome s expansion d. the beginning of Rome s wealth 11. Under what leader did Rome become an empire? a. Julius Caesar b. Octavian Augustus c. Hannibal d. Pompey 12. In the Roman Republic, patricians referred to a. the wealthy landowners. b. the majority of the people. c. everyone but slaves. d. everyone who was male. 13. Why did the plebeians want laws to be written? a. so their children could learn to read in Roman schools b. so the patricians couldn t pass new laws too easily c. so their land would be protected from the government d. so the patricians couldn t change laws too easily 14. Why were the plebeians unhappy when the Republic was first set up? a. The preferred living under the king. b. They had lost their right to vote. c. They had no say in making the laws. d. They preferred living in an empire. 15. Which of these stories about ancient Rome is a myth? a. Latins were Rome s first settlers. b. Rome s founders were raised by wolves. c. Etruscans conquered early Rome. d. Rome s people shared Greek religion. Geography 10 Questions 1. Many factors shaped the lives of ancient Greeks. Which of the following is an example of how a geographic factor affected them? a. They got milk and cheese from goats. b. They lived in isolated villages. c. They formed a democratic government. d. They bartered with people from other cultures. 13 P a g e

2. India is separated from the rest of their continent (Asia) by these two physical features making it a subcontinent. a. Indus River & Ganges River b. Himalaya Mountains & Hindu Kush Mountains c. The Indus River & Himalaya Mountains d. Hindu Kush Mountains & Ganges River 3. Which river was central to the first cities of India? a. Nile River b. Ganges River c. Tigris River d. Indus River 4. Rome was built near what river? a. Tiber River b. Nile River c. Seine River d. Euphrates River 5. This sea was essential to life in ancient Greece and Rome. a. Red Sea b. Caspian Sea c. Mediterranean Sea d. Black Sea 6. What were the two key rivers in Mesopotamia? a. Euphrates River & Nile River b. Nile River & Tigris River c. Euphrates River & Tigris River d. Ganges River & Indus River 7. Between what two rivers did the ancient Chinese people lived between? a. Yellow River & Yangtze River b. Euphrates River & Tigris River c. Ganges River and Indus River d. Nile River and Tiber River 8. What is the name of the landform on which Greece is situated? a. Isthmus b. Peninsula c. Delta d. Plateau 14 P a g e

9. What was special about the annual cycle of the Nile River? a. The Nile flooded once a year, right before planting b. The Nile flooded, but the Egyptians never knew when c. The Nile froze in winter d. The Nile flooded every month 10. What does the Nile River empty in to? a. The Caspian Sea b. The Atlantic Ocean c. The Red Sea d. The Mediterranean Sea Architecture & Engineering 5 Questions 1. Which structure below is associated with Mesopotamia? a. Ziggurat b. Parthenon c. Pantheon d. Sphinx 2. Which structure below is associated with China? a. Hanging Gardens of Babylon b. Great Wall of China c. Colosseum d. Parthenon 3. Which structure below is associated with Rome? a. Great Pyramid of Khufu b. Olympic Stadium c. Colosseum d. Parthenon 4. Which structure below is associated with Greece? a. Pantheon b. Forum c. Colosseum d. Parthenon 5. Which structure below is associated with Egypt? a. Great Pyramid of Khufu b. Olympic Stadium c. Colosseum d. Parthenon 15 P a g e