History 153 - Borders and Walls
Which of the following two towns in the state of Maine have an ongoing border dispute that goes back to 368 years ago.
Kittery and York
By the thirteenth century, which of the following people groups posed the greatest threat to China's urban civilization?
the Mongols
True Statements about the Great wall of China
the Wall was designed to protect from nomadic raiders such as the Huns and Mongols large portions of the Wall were made out of rammed earth here is no single unified wall that stretches all across China The earliest parts of what we call the "Great Wall" today were built by Qin Shihuangdi, China's first emperor
El Paso, Texas is a city on the US-Mexico Border, closely connected with the Mexican city of Juárez. With a population that is nearly 80% Hispanic, El Paso was originally part of Mexico until it was ceased by Texas. In which year did this (El Paso becoming part of Texas) happen?
1846
Historians of which Chinese dynasty wrote the following statements: "The men of Qin built the Long Wall as a defense against the barbarians. Up went the Long Wall and down came the empire. People are still laughing about it today." and "Endlessly they built walls, without ever pausing for breath. The builders worked from dawn till dusk, and what was the use?"
Manchu (Qing) Dynasty
In the first century AD, the Jewish historian Josephus associates the people of Magog (the Magogites) with which of the following people, known as horsemen from the central Asian steppes?
Scythians
In which of the following periods were Chinese "oracle bones" produced?
Shang Dynasty
According to USA federal law, authorities MUST do which of the following when they discover illegal tunnels under the US-Mexico border?
fill them with concrete
In his book, Walls: A History of Civilization in Blood and Brick, David Frye argues that a single shared threat caused the great empires of Europe and Asia to focus on defenses, leading to the "great age of walls," between about 200 BC to AD 1,000. What was that threat?
nomadic horsemen of the Eurasian Steppe
Briefly explain the key difference between the terms "Border" and "Borderland."
the terms "Border" and "Borderland." Border is the distinct line that separates two areas. Borderland is the land in-between. For example, the cheerleaders from the reading go to school in a borderland.
For which of the following accomplishments is Sargon of Akkad best known?
the world's first recorded conquest
The westernmost of China's great walls are located in the Taklamakan desert of northwest China. Which of the following construction methods best describes this wall?
alternating layers of reed bundles packed with tamped dirt
In the early 1500s, the Italian political advisor Niccolò Machiavelli identified five emperors of the Roman Empire as "the Five Good Emperors." Which of the following best represents this group?
b. Trajan (AD 98-117) Y c. Hadrian (AD 117-138) d. Antoninus Pius (AD 138-161) e. Marcus Aurelius (AD 161-180)
Later Roman historians give a specific date of April 21, 753 BC as the foundation date for the city of Rome. Although this date is almost certainly too specific, archaeology does support the view that an urban settlement had emerged at Rome by around 750 BC. Briefly explain TWO specific aspects of what we know about Rome and its foundation (from archaeology and/or legends) that DIRECTLY relate to our course themes of Walls and Borderlands.
1. Rome was a city that was built as the neutral meeting point for three different tribes (or peoples). It was on the border for them. They could trade here and meet each other here on a neutral meeting ground. Rome soon became a city that helped to unite these different cultures. 2. The Romans believed that Rome began with two twin brothers: Romulus and Remus. This myth says that Romulus and Remus would often fight each other. Romulus began to build the walls of Rome and Remus laughed at him and made fun of the wall he was building and he jumped over it. Romulus became angry and he killed Remus, and Rome was built.
Today, more than 21,000 border agents work on the USA's southern border with Mexico. How many patrolled the border before September 11, 2001?
4,000
Match the following events in the life of Zenobia to their correct date. One point for each correct match.
AD 240 → Zenobia is born, AD 258 → Zenobia is married to Odaenthus of Palmyra AD 267 → Zenobia begins ruling as Regent in Palmyra AD 269 → Zenobia invades and conquers Egypt, AD 270 -273 → Zenobia rules the breakaway Palmyrene Empire AD 273 → Zenobia is defeated by Aurelian and brought to Rome
Which of the following Egyptian pharaohs built a border fortification called the "Wall of the Ruler"?
Amenemhat I
Which of the following options correctly includes Alexander's 3 successors?
Antigonus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus
Which of the following Roman emperors was NOT the biological son of a previous emperor?
Antoninus Pius
According to Ployer, Rome's eastern frontier, the Limes Arabicus, runs between which of the two following cities?
Bostra and Aila/Aqaba
Which biblical prophet firsts introduces someone called "Gog from Magog" into the Bible?
Ezekiel
According to Frye, which of the following people made the (disgusting) remark that "man's greatest joy" is "cutting his enemy to pieces, seizing his possessions, making his loved ones cry, and raping his women"?
Genghis Khan
One of the main legacies of Alexander the Great was the creation of the so-called "Hellenistic" world. Which of the following best defines "Hellenistic"?
Greek-like
In which of the following Chinese dynasties was "the Silk Road" developed?
Han Dynasty
Briefly define and explain the key differences between the following terms: "History" and "The Past."
History is a documentation of the past. The past is anything that has happened up until the very present. People who write news articles, recordings, ect. are documenters and creators of history.
Archaeology is the study of the human past using the physical/material remains that are left behind from the past. Archaeological remains can be grouped into four separate categories (artifacts, ecofacts, features, structures). Match each of the following items to their correct corresponding category.
Human bones → Ecofact A tablet with writing on it → Artifact Remains of a ditch → Feature Shards of a glass bottle → Artifact A ruined building → Structure Carbonized seeds → Ecofact
In which of the following modern countries would you find the ruins of ancient walls called the "String of Stones," "Nimrod's Dyke," or the "Moat of Shapur" by local villagers?
Iraq
Which of the following is the world's oldest known city, which was surrounded by a wall in the tenth millennium (9000s) BC?
Jericho
Which of the following rulers established China's Yuan dynasty?
Kublai Khan
Briefly explain where (in modern terms) Mesopotamia is located, what the word "Mesopotamia" means, and why this region is particularly suitable for the development of civilization.
Mesopotamia is mostly modern day Iraq. The name means between two rivers. It was a good place for civilization because it was extremely fertile. There often was flooding in Mesopotamia
In which of the following periods of Roman history did Rome see the greatest growth in the territories it controlled?
Middle and Late Republic (300 - 30 BC)
In the biblical book of Genesis, "Magog" is listed as a descendant of which of the following characters?
Noah
Zenobia was a famous ruler of an ancient city that had been part of the Roman Empire. Although her territory expanded, which of the following cities was her base/capital?
Palmyra
Outline the historical development of China's "Great Walls," with specific reference to major wall-building episodes and the effectiveness (or not) of those walls. Be sure to mention specific names and dates.
Qin Shi Huangdi began the wall building in China in 221 BCE. It was continued during the Han dynasty. It was used to protect against the Mongolians and huns. It eventually was proven to be not very effective and slightly eroded away. Frye, pages 47-61, 81-92, and 131-144
Who are Regina and Barates, where are they from, and what does their story tell us about Roman frontiers?
Regina was a former slave. Barates fell in love with her and freed her. Regina was from an outer town and Barates bought her as a slave until he fell in love with her. Then she died and he made her a huge gravestone. The most important point, though, is that this story tells us that despite the frontiers being built to separate/divide people, they could sometimes serve as mechanisms of connection. In this particular case, we have a VERY unlikely couple coming together despite enormous cultural, social, and geographical barriers. They were from polar opposite ends of the empire, yet somehow came together through the frontier.
Match the following MAJOR periods of Roman history with their correct approximate dates.
Roman Republic → 509 - 30 BC Roman Kingdom → 750 - 509 BC Roman Empire → 30 BC - AD 476
"Trust in Virtue, not in walls" was the counsel of a Confucian scholar during the reign of which of the following Chinese rulers?
Sima Yan
Place (by dragging and dropping into position) the following periods of ancient Mesopotamian history into their correct chronological sequence, from earliest to latest.
Sumerian City States Akkadian Empire Old Babylonian Empire Neo-Assyrian Empire Neo-Babylonian Empire
Which of the following Roman frontiers is considered to be the most highly developed of all Roman frontiers?
The Antonine Wall
For which of the following reasons is Wu Sangui most famous?
letting Manchu invaders through the Wall in a plot to seize power for himself
In our reading by Ployer, several types of artificial barriers used by the Roman Empire are discussed. Here are some barrier types
Walls Banks Palisades Ditches
In Central Asia, local people have acquired the habit of naming most of the ruins of long linear barriers/walls "Kam Pirak." What does this name mean?
The old woman
Briefly identify and explain one key similarity between the rise of civilization in Mesopotamia and China/East Asia
Their locations in fertile RIVER VALLEYS, though.
During China's AD 220-600 Period of Division, significant wall building was carried out by the emperors of the Northern Wei and Northern Qi regional dynasties. Two key rulers of the Northern Qi were the father-and-son Wen and Yang. Briefly compare and contrast their wall-building efforts and ruling strategies.
This is covered in our assigned reading by Frye, on pages 134-136.
With specific reference to Roman imperial ideology, explain what was so revolutionary and unpopular about Hadrian's decision to begin establishing permanent borders/frontiers for the Roman Empire.
This opinion was unpopular because at this point Romans were convinced that they could rule the entire world. However, Hadrian made them realize that they must control what they have no, because it is impossible to rule over everything. The supposed divine prophecies included in Virgil's Aeneid say this and every good Roman knew that this was their destiny. In this context, Hadrian's decision was more than a slap in the face.
In southeastern Europe, a whole series of ancient walls are often named (probably incorrectly) after which of the following Roman emperors?
Trajan
Which of the following Roman emperors expanded its territory to the greatest area in Roman history?
Trajan
Which of the following Mesopotamian cities is the biblical patriarch Abraham said to be from?
Ur
Which Roman emperor from the period of the Crisis of the Third Century is said to have been captured by the Sassanid Persians, made to serve as a footstool so that the Sassanid ruler Shapur I could mount his horse, and later stuffed and put on display after his death?
Valerian
China's "Great" Walls are usually recognized as defending against nomadic raiders to the north and north-west of China but the Chinese also built hundreds of miles of defensive walls on their southern border. One particular threat were the highland Miao people. Which of the following modern countries were the Miao from?
Vietnam
Which of the following is the MODERN name for the Maine town that was called "Agamenticus" in 1624, renamed "Bristol" by 1638, and soon after that renamed "Gorgeana"?
York
Which of the following Chinese dynasties were the first to use paper money as a serious form of currency?
Yuan Dynasty
Around 40,000 children cross the US-Mexico border each day to attend schools in Texas, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Which of the following terms is used to refer to these children?
a. transfronterizos
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the Severan Dynasty?
every member of this dynasty was from North Africa and/or the Middle East
Shulgi, king of the Mesopotamian city-state of Ur around 2,000 BC, liked to boast and brag about himself. Here are some true statements
that he was the "god of manliness" that he was a master of every weapon AND every musical instrument that he had slain every lion in Mesopotamia that he was "a powerful man who enjoys using his thighs"
The Hsiung-nu, a nomadic nation of warriors from the steppe north of China, are more commonly known in English by which of the following names?
the Huns
Which of the following best describes the Neolithic Revolution?
the development of agriculture, leading to a range of changes in human behavior and social interactions
