Anthropology Exam 3 Study Guide Chapter 11

Why did cities and states emerge in Mesoamerica later than in the Near East?

Agriculture started later in the New World than in the Old World.

Which civilization is possibly the first officially Christian state in the world?

Axum

__________ called the period from about 5000 B.C. to 3500 B.C. the formative era in southern Iraq.

Elman Service

The Harappan civilization was located in the __________ Valley.

Indus

What was unusual about the Harappan civilization, as compared to other early states?

It lacked a centralized government.

Why are many anthropologists interested in the reasons ancient civilizations collapsed?

Knowing about the decline of states in the past may help us preserve our own.

Which region's development contradicts the theory that irrigation is one of the driving forces of the development of early states?

Mesoamerica

Where would you expect to find the earliest examples of states in the archaeological record?

Mesopotamia

The earliest city-state in Mesoamerica was probably __________.

Monte Albán

Because of its location in a neutral, nonproductive region, the city of Monte Albán is most like the modern capital city of __________.

Paris

__________ has proposed a theory of state origin stressing population growth, circumscription, and war.

Robert Carneiro

How do cities relate to a society's agricultural production?

Successful cities have developed alongside all known types of subsistence economies

What do anthropologists mean when they say that city-states arose "independently" in various regions of the world?

The states emerged without colonization or conquest from other states.

How do Wright and Johnson evaluate whether a society had the three levels of political administration they require to be considered a state?

They consider the relative health of the populace.

__________ theorized that long-distance trade led to the state.

Wright and Johnson

Which of these societies would fit the anthropological definition of a chiefdom?

a society in which a political official has authority over several communities

What is one way that states change the lifestyles of people?

allowing for larger populations

Which cultural development would you expect to see only after states appear?

complex hunting

The first form of writing found in Sumer and dating to around 3000 B.C. is known as __________.

cuneiform

The earliest Neolithic societies were __________.

egalitarian

Which of these terms can be applied to all known states?

egalitarian

A major reason for the decline of states appears to be __________.

environmental degradation

Based on the evidence explaining the decline of earlier states, what factor is the most pressing consideration for today's civilizations?

food production

What religious features would you expect to see in a state society?

full-time religious specialists

Which of the following is part of the state's infrastructure?

irrigation systems

In North America, a settlement with over 100 earthen mounds developed near present-day St. Louis. This settlement represented a __________.

large and powerful chiefdom

The threats of famine and disease are __________ intensive agriculture.

more likely with

From the time agriculture developed to about 6000 B.C., people in the Near East lived in __________.

small villages

Archaeologists can determine whether status was conferred at birth or later in life by __________.

studying children's burials

The Uruk period refers to pre-state developments in __________.

the Near East

Archaeologists can determine if an ancient society had different socioeconomic classes of people by looking at __________.

the differences in house size and furnishing

How do we know that the city of Teotihuacán in Mesoamerica was very influential at its peak?

Though very small, the city provided a great deal of resources for its people.

Which civilization is believed to have collapsed due to environmental degradation?

the Egyptians

By about __________ B.C., archaeologists had found most of the major characteristics of civilizations.

3500

Which modern type of home best approximates the homes in the city of Teotihuacán?

a mobile home

As economic specialization developed in Sumer, __________ became more elaborate.

social stratification

How do cuneiform and hieroglyphics differ?

Cuneiform was used by everyday people, whereas hieroglyphics were used by priests.

Where would you go to participate in a dig at the site of the ancient state of Axum?

Ethiopia

The formative period in Mesoamerica was much longer than the period in Iraq.

In both regions, developments in irrigation were crucial for more permanent settlements.

__________ is often given as a reason for the decline of the Roman Empire.

Overextension

Why does health often suffer in cities?

The high population allows infectious diseases to flourish.

In the state, many people are relieved of the need for __________.

food production

What are the key characteristics required to classify a society as a state?

hierarchical and centralized decision making affecting a substantial population