Inquizitive Ch. 1 Western Civilization

Which is the best description of cuneiform, as it is shown in this tablet from around 2600 B.C.E.?

"Each symbol represents a syllable in the Sumerian language."

Law #8 from the Code of Hammurabi says: If a man steals an ox, a sheep, a donkey, a pig, or a boat—if it belongs either to the god or to the palace, he shall give thirtyfold; if it belongs to a commoner, he shall replace it tenfold; if the thief does not have anything to give, he shall be killed. What can you deduce from this law?

A crime against the state was more significant than a crime against a fellow subject. The religious and political arms of the state were equally protected by the law.

Which of these imperial developments predated Hammurabi's rule in Mesopotamia?

An earlier imperial leader issued a code of law of his own. Past imperial conquest already united the region linguistically.

How do historians know that some elite Egyptian women could read and write?

Archaeologists have found and deciphered personal notes exchanged between women."

What conclusions about Babylonian society can be drawn from Hammurabi's code of laws?

Babylonian society was hierarchical, giving nobles more power than commoners and men more power than women. Babylonians struggled with issues we have today, like fraud, divorce, and medical malpractice.

In what ways were predynastic Sumerian cities connected to one another?

Cities spoke a common language. Cities shared a common culture.

Which of the following questions are researchers able to definitively answer about human life in the Paleolithic period?

Did people make art? Did people bury their dead? Did people know how to use fire?

Hieroglyphics was the writing system of ancient Mesopotamia, whereas cuneiform was the writing system in ancient Egypt.

False

There is no modern linguistic link to Ancient Egypt because the Egyptian spoken language completely died out.

False

Settled agriculture developed as part of the Neolithic revolution, which began around 11,000 B.C.E.

False Hammurabi's political legitimacy came from his role as the creator of a just and orderly society through his use of law.

His local god told him to establish proper standards of behavior for the benefit of society as a whole."

Glaciers receded northward as the climate warmed. People began to cultivate plants and domesticate animals. Women in permanent settlements began to have more children, and tasks were divided more strictly along gender lines. People learned how to store grain and grow food from saved seeds. Societies became increasingly stratified as individuals developed specialized skills.

Ur-Nammu

He called for the construction of an awe-inspiring ziggurat and temple complex at Ur.

Ur_Nammu

He called for the construction of an awe-inspiring ziggurat and temple complex at Ur.

Sargon

He merged temples and installed his own family members as high priests and priestesses.

Why was Sargon's influence felt beyond the region of Mesopotamia?

His akkadian empire controlled trade routes that linked routes that linked Mesopotamia to Africa, the Persian gulf region and northern India

Just before the list of laws, the Code of Hammurabi says: When the god Marduk commanded me [Hammurabi] to provide just ways for the people of the land in order to attain appropriate behavior, I established truth and justice as the declaration of the land. I enhanced the well-being of the people. According to Hammurabi, why did he establish a clear, universal body of laws?

His local god told him to establish proper standards of behavior for the benefit of society as a whole."

Which questions about pharaonic political power are historians currently unable to answer?

How did priests at Nekhen wrest political and religious legitimacy away from the pharaoh? What effect did the rise of Nubian states in the south have on the Egyptian economy?

sumerian

Humans cannot avoid death or achieve immortality. Correct label: Our gods are capricious and unreliable.

And of every living thing you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you. ...

I had all my kith and kin go up into the boat, all the beasts and animals of the field and the draftsmen I had go up.

Noah built an altar to the Lord ... and offered burnt offerings.

I offered incense in front of the mountain-ziggurat. ... "The gods smelled the savor ... and collected like flies over a sacrifice ... "

He waited another seven days, and again sent out the dove [which] came back to him ... and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf, so Noah knew the waters had subsided from the earth. Then he ... sent out the dove, and it did not return to him anymore. ...

I sent forth a raven and released it. The raven went off, and saw the waters slither back. It eats, it scratches, it bobs, but does not circle back to me.

How did the ability to store agricultural surpluses affect societies?

It made it possible for some people to specialize in non-agrarian skills. It promoted social stratification.

Which of the following occurred when centralized authority broke down at the end of the Egyptian Old Kingdom?

Patronage of the arts became more widespread. The regional division between Upper and Lower Egypt reemerged. Multiple people each claimed to be the legitimate pharaohs of all of Egypt.

After reading the text, watch this video about political power in the ancient world.How did the role of the Egyptian pharaoh differ from that of the Sumerian lugal?

Pharaoh means "great household" whereas lugal refers to a single charismatic leader whose power was based on personal prowess. In the Old Kingdom, the pharaoh was considered a living god who was reborn to rule repeatedly, not a person favored by the gods to rule for one lifetime.

Who managed the community's material wealth and irrigation systems at al-Ubaid?

Priests

How did Sumerians use the wheel?

They built war chariots. They made ceramic pots. They used donkey-drawn work carts.

like nomadic societies

They engaged in hunting and gathering. Correct label: Their society was egalitarian and men and women shared many tasks equally.

like later cities

They engaged in settled agriculture. Correct label: They had ceramic storage vessels and decorated, plaster-covered houses.

What does the Epic of Gilgamesh tell us about how ancient Sumerians defined civilization?

They equated civilization with urbanism, and barbarism with living outside of agrarian, settled society."

What do archaeologists know about Neolithic people from studying their pottery?

They stored grain, oils, and alcoholic drinks. They cooked their food. They traded with other people.

The Epic of Gilgamesh explores, among other themes, the Early Dynastic shift away from priestly leaders toward military leaders.

True

Which of the following forms of written language were used in Old Kingdom Egypt?

a shorthand version of hieroglyphics that scribes used for note-taking a "cursive" script composed of simplified hieroglyphic characters a detailed pictographic script in which each symbol represented a word or concept

Place in order the most powerful people to the least powerful people in Sumerian society.

aristocrats and priests independent land-holding farmers enslaved Sumerian artisans and laborers enslaved non-Sumerian artisans and laborers

Settled agriculture was a development of the Paleolithic Era, more than 40,000 years ago.

false Settled agriculture developed as part of the Neolithic revolution, which began around 11,000 B.C.E.

What does Mesopotamia mean?

land between the lakes referring to tigris and euphrates river This geographic description can help you understand the development of Mesopotamian societies. The erratic flooding of the two rivers necessitated centralized building and management of irrigation systems.

Unlike Sumerian priests, - derived their right to rule from their military successes. Like temples, these military leaders had the power to collect - from their subjects.

lugals-crops and labor

Put the following Old Kingdom Egyptian social groups in order from most to least powerful and prestigious.

pharaoh and his extended family nobles and scribes craftsmen and artisans common farmers and laborers slaves (who were usually captives of war).

What kinds of physical infrastructure typified early cities in Mesopotamia?

temples, protective walls, irrigation system

Coptic

the language used by the Coptic Christian Church in Ethiopia, is the linguistic descendant of the spoken language of Ancient Egypt

Although Mesopotamian and Egyptian cities both grew in close proximity to river systems, it was harder to travel throughout the - region than through the - valley. Another difference was that the Nile River's pattern of flooding was - predictable than flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Partly as a result of these geographical differences, - enjoyed much longer periods of stability under strong, centralized government.

tigris- nile-more-egypt

How did Mesopotamians originally use writing?

to record information about inventory and tax collection

After reading the text, watch this video about how historians learn about the past. Is it true that historians can learn about the past even when there is no written record?

true

"Even though the irrigation system was controlled by the state, each farmer was individually responsible for the part of the network that crossed his land."

true Hammurabi's Old Babylonian Empire persisted for about 200 years after his death, and the city of Babylon retained its fame and prestige even after being invaded.

Law #53 from the Code of Hammurabi states: If a man neglects to reinforce the embankment of the irrigation canal of his field and then a breach opens and allows the water to carry away the common irrigated area, the man in whose embankment the breach opened shall replace the grain whose loss he caused. What does this law suggest about irrigation in Babylon?

"Even though the irrigation system was controlled by the state, each farmer was individually responsible for the part of the network that crossed his land."

Why was Sumerian technological development dependent on trade?

"Mesopotamia lacked metal ores, so Sumerians imported copper ore to make tools and weapons.

Why do archaeologists have more examples of daily uses of writing from Sumer than from the Egyptian Old Kingdom?

"Mesopotamian clay tablets were more durable and longer lasting than Egyptian papyrus."

Laws #104 and #128 from the Code of Hammurabi state: 104. If a merchant gives a trading agent ... any ... commodity for local transactions, the trading agent shall collect a sealed receipt for each payment in silver that he gives to the merchant. 128. If a man marries a wife but does not draw up a formal contract for her, she is not a wife. What inference can be drawn from these two laws?

"The Code of Hammurabi made written language a central part of Babylonian society."

Most of the surviving written texts from the Old Kingdom in Egypt come from elite tombs. Why does this make it difficult to build an understanding of Old Kingdom life and history?

The records lack information about common people. Because they come from tombs, the records exaggerate Egyptians' focus on death.

egyptain

By following the guidance of the gods, humans can achieve a kind of immortality. Correct label: Reliable flooding and regeneration of the land is a gift from the gods. Correct label: Our leader is the embodiment of truth, order, and justice on earth.

Hammurabi

He demanded that his subjects all pay homage to Marduk, the previously humble patron god of his city.

What common visual technique do these pieces use to communicate meaning?

The Narmer Palette shows slaves and other humans as smaller than the pharaoh, while the Code of Hammurabi shows Hammurabi (standing) as smaller than his patron god (seated). both pieces depict less powerful figures as physically smaller than powerful figures

In "The Instruction of Ptah-Hotep," the author advises his son: A great thing is ma'at, enduring and surviving; it has not been upset since the time of Osiris. He who departs from its laws is punished ... Evil may win riches, but it is the strength of ma'at that endures long ... What can you infer about Middle Kingdom Egypt from this passage?

The author believed that integrity was fundamental to successful leadership. Egyptians believed that their code of ethics could be traced back to the reign of Osiris.

Make yourself an ark of cypress wood ... and cover it inside and out with pitch. ... Make a roof for the ark ...

The boat which you are to build ... its length must correspond to its width. Roof it over like the Apsu.

Which of our current common measures is based on Sumerian mathematics?

60 minutes in an hour 360 degrees in a circle

Identify the accurate comparisons between the Ziggurat of Ur and the Step Pyramid.

Both are physical evidence of a strong connection between political power and religious institutions. Each is evidence of a powerful leader who could collect taxes in goods and labor.

Rulers of the Third Dynasty of Egypt tightly controlled the behavior of nomarchs. What does this suggest about the power of the pharaoh?

Even though leaders were considered living gods, ambitious aristocrats sometimes threatened the pharaoh's position."

After reading the text, watch this video about various ways by which human societies have engineered nature and evaluate the statement below. Even though flooding in the Nile River valley was more predictable than flooding in the Tigris-Euphrates valleys, Egyptians and Mesopotamians developed very similar irrigation infrastructure.

False Different patterns of flooding between the two river systems gave rise to different irrigation infrastructure and water allocation techniques.

The Code of Hammurabi suggests that the Babylonian role of king was primarily that of spiritual leader and fierce warrior.

False Hammurabi's political legitimacy came from his role as the creator of a just and orderly society through his use of law.

"Mesopotamian clay tablets were more durable and longer lasting than Egyptian papyrus."

False Settled agriculture developed as part of the Neolithic revolution, which began around 11,000 B.C.E.

Put these events associated with the Neolithic Revolution into chronological order, beginning with the oldest event

Glaciers receded northward as the climate warmed. People began to cultivate plants and domesticate animals. Women in permanent settlements began to have more children, and tasks were divided more strictly along gender lines. People learned how to store grain and grow food from saved seeds. Societies became increasingly stratified as individuals developed specialized skills.

The following passage is a verse from a hymn: You create the grain, you bring forth the barley, Assuring perpetuity to the temples. If you cease your toil and your work, Then all that exists is in anguish. To whom (or what) is this hymn most likely addressed?

Nile River This verse shows both the reliability of the Nile River, and the fact that Egyptians understood its role as the foundation of their civilization

Which important artifact enabled scholars to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphic writing?

Rosetta Stone

Did women ever hold powerful positions in Old Kingdom Egypt?

Yes, queens were powerful in their own right and sometimes served as regents for their young sons. Yes, some women became priestesses.

Just as Uruk was downstream from Babylon on the Euphrates, Giza was downstream from Abydos on the Nile.

true The Nile River runs north into the Mediterranean Sea, whereas the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers run south into the Persian Gulf. This explains why northern Egypt was called Lower Egypt.