chapter 1-4
The dominant palace-state in Minoan Crete was a polity with as many as ___________ inhabitants in the sprawling palace and a few villages outside. a. 12,000. b. 120,000. c. 1,000,000. d. 1500.
a. 12,000.
The Bhagavad Gita advocates: a. Doing one's duty in accordance with one's place in society. b. Challenging the arrangement of the "varnas" and smash the barriers between them. c. Marrying across class lines in order to promote moksha, or release from the karmic cycle. d. Daily bathing in the Indus River to remove internal impurities.
a. Doing one's duty in accordance with one's place in society.
In Australian Aboriginal culture, the shaman did all of the following except: a. Forbade other members of the clan to cast spells. b. Was enabled to read other people's minds, by drawing on the tribe's sacred traditions. c. Claimed to heal illnesses. d. Constructed the imaginary reality of the tribe's origins and roots.
a. Forbade other members of the clan to cast spells.
The art of Greek _________ is mostly known to us from small sculptures, masks, drinking vessels, and jewelry found in the tombs of royal warriors. a. Mycenae. b. Knossos. c. Çatal Hüyük. d. Gaza.
a. Mycenae.
The period from ca. 9600 to 4500 BCE when stone tools were adapted to the requirements of agriculture, through the making of sickles and spades, was the _________. a. Neolithic. b. Paleolithic. c. Mesolithic. d. Utilitarian.
a. Neolithic.
The Shang dynasty was characterized by growing rates of social ______________, as groups became more hierarchically arranged. a. Stratification. b. Egalitarianism. c. Cohesion. d. Dissension.
a. Stratification.
The historical and philosophical concept of the "Mandate of Heaven" arose from the recorded practices of: a. The Zhou Dynasty b. The Xia Dynasty c. The Shang Dynasty d. The Sage Kings
a. The Zhou Dynasty
The term "formalism" is used to describe: a. The belief that only the pure and proper forms of rituals were effective. b. The belief that the formulas for rituals were always effective, as long as the speaker was sincere. c. The belief that the Brahmans were responsible for training the other varnas in the best forms. d. The notion that wearing proper robes and headgear was necessary to perform rituals effectively.
a. The belief that only the pure and proper forms of rituals were effective.
Harappan writing is most likely to have been: a. A sophisticated religious system advocating concepts of karma. b. A shorthand script used principally by merchants. c. An extended battle narrative between the "dasas" and the Aryans. d. A translation of the Epic of Gilgamesh, carried by traders from Mesopotamia.
b. A shorthand script used principally by merchants.
The final wave of Israelite deportations under the Neo-Babylonians was known as the _______, or "gola". a. Babylonian Chronicles b. Babylonian Captivity c. Babylonian Talmud d. The Great Jewish Revolt
b. Babylonian Captivity
The idea of kama, as encapsulated in the later Kama Sutra, included the _________________ a wide variety of sexual pleasures by men and women. a. Ascetic renunciation of. b. Enjoyment of. c. Dangers inherent to. d. Public demonstration of.
b. Enjoyment of.
In the Indo-European language system, the German word "Vater," "father," is related to the _____________ word "pitar". a. Latin. b. Sanskrit. c. Persian. d. Akkadian.
b. Sanskrit.
The Shujing acclaims Yu, the last sage King, as: a. the founder of Taoism. b. the tamer of the Yellow River. c. the tamer of the Mongol hordes. d. the tamer of the Harappans.
b. the tamer of the Yellow River.
Foraging remained the dominant mode of subsistence among Australia's Aboriginal people, largely because: a. Large marsupials continued to propagate and diversify their ranks, especially after 16,000 years ago. b. Raiding parties from other parts of Southeast Asia continuously destroyed the crops the Aboriginals had planted in undefended fields. c. Australia possessed only two types of grain and lacked the rich concentrations of grain found in the Fertile Crescent of Western Asia. d. It permitted a division of labor by gender that satisfied the goals of both the men and the women in the group.
c. Australia possessed only two types of grain and lacked the rich concentrations of grain found in the Fertile Crescent of Western Asia.
Around 1200 BCE, the so-called ____________ led to the decline and dissolution of the Near Eastern empires. a. Iron Age Collapse. b. Battle of Qadesh. c. Bronze Age Collapse. d. Trojan War.
c. Bronze Age Collapse.
Scholars believe the migration of Homo sapiens into central and western Europe occurred along the _______________ around 35,000 years ago. a. Pyrenees mountains between modern France and Spain. b. Baltic Sea coast. c. Danube River Valley. d. English Channel coast.
c. Danube River Valley.
A system of government in which most or all of the people elect representatives and in some cases decide on important issues themselves, is called a: a. Theocracy b. Republic c. Democracy d. Oligarchy
c. Democracy
The most esteemed elders among the Australian Aboriginals possessed a deep knowledge of the tribe's past in the _______________. a. Temple dedicated to the principal god. b. Form of a holy book. c. Dreamtime. d. Pastime.
c. Dreamtime.
Rock art and cave art in Europe: a. Very often depict human hunters tracking prey. b. Generally depict fanciful figures, such as a bison with a human head, or an owl with a human body. c. Often depict animals such as reindeer, horses, cattle, mammoths, etc. d. Show clearly that human intellectual ability and symbolic thinking has evolved rapidly in the past 10,000 years.
c. Often depict animals such as reindeer, horses, cattle, mammoths, etc.
The Erlitou excavation, dated to perhaps 2000 BCE, reveals a walled city containing what is believed to be the foundation of China's first ______________. a. Teahouse. b. Temple. c. Palace. d. Jade factory.
c. Palace.
Chinese characters became the first written language for speakers of all of the following except: a. Vietnamese. b. Korean. c. Persian. d. Japanese.
c. Persian.
A rock formation inside a cave, discovered in Botswana in 2006, was carved and shaped into the head of a(n) ____________ some 77,000 years ago. a. Lion. b. Woman. c. Python. d. Elephant.
c. Python.
The use of hieroglyphic writing, developed in Egypt around 3500-3200 BCE, was limited to ____________. a. Bureaucratic documents. b. Peace treaties with powers like the Hittites. c. Royal inscriptions. d. Incantations in honor of Horus.
c. Royal inscriptions.
Religious symbols found in Harappan archeological evidence indicate: a. That the "swastika" only appeared in Buddhist-influenced cultures. b. A clearly-delineated cosmological system among them. c. That they may have believed in a life after death. d. That there was a renegade fertility cult outside the scope of the official religion.
c. That they may have believed in a life after death.
The authors of the textbook believe that the principal reason for the slow pace of deep history was: a. Because collecting vegetal foods, fishing, and hunting are not safe or dependable ways of securing nourishment. b. The fact that foragers had more leisure time than farmers. c. The conscious effort of foragers to limit population growth and group size. d. Because all humans retreated southward during the last Ice Age.
c. The conscious effort of foragers to limit population growth and group size.
After the disappearance of Harappan cities, the re-urbanization of northern India was in large part supported by: a. Aryan use of slave labor. b. The coordinated effort to desalinate the Indus River. c. The cultivation of rice. d. Indra's commands in the Rig-Veda.
c. The cultivation of rice.
Movement between castes could be possible in the specific case of: a. A reassignment by the maharajah's council. b. A change of occupation. c. The transmigration of souls. d. The inability of a caste to perpetuate itself biologically.
c. The transmigration of souls.
Harappan seals have been found at __________. a. Jericho in the Levant. b. The Hittite capital Hatusa. c. Ur in Mesopotamia. d. The Pyramids in Giza.
c. Ur in Mesopotamia.
Mesopotamian scribes wrote in ____________ (from the Latin, meaning "wedge-shaped") script on clay tablets using signs denoting objects and sounds from the spoken language. a. Hieroglyphics. b. Hieratic. c. Alphabets. d. Cuneiform.
d. Cuneiform.
Australopiths were prehuman species that existed before those classed under the _________ Homo. a. Phylum. b. Taxon. c. Species. d. Genus.
d. Genus.
Homo floresiensis, commonly called "hobbits" a. Seem too primitive to have developed water-going capability. b. All died out before 12,000 years ago. c. Could not have evolved from Homo erectus, judging from their brain size. d. Had brains no larger than chimpanzees or australopiths, but evidently were capable of building rafts and functional tools.
d. Had brains no larger than chimpanzees or australopiths, but evidently were capable of building rafts and functional tools.
The Zhou Dynasty provided the backdrop for one of China's most enduring historical and philosophical concepts: the _______ of Heaven. a. Too Much. b. Pursuit. c. Abandonment. d. Mandate.
d. Mandate.
The principal deity in Shang religion was known as: a. shi b. Wu Ding c. jing d. Shangdi
d. Shangdi
Forager clans and tribes had to retreat southward and adapt to the harsh environmental conditions when ____________. a. Neanderthal hunting parties infringed on the forests controlled by Homo sapiens groups. b. The climate suddenly began to warm and the polar icecaps began to melt. c. Ash from a volcanic eruption dimmed the rays of the sun and dinosaurs began to die. d. The Ice Age hit their dwelling places.
d. The Ice Age hit their dwelling places.
The Shang dynasty was responsible for importing which of the following military technological advances into China? a. The cannon b. Gunpowder c. Land mines d. The chariot
d. The chariot
The earliest Aryan religious text, the Rig-Veda, refers to a short, dark-skinned people whom the Aryans contemptuously called "dasas," or _______________. a. Untouchables. b. Soul-less ones. c. Demons. d. The others.
d. The others.
All of the following are true of the practice, understanding, or goals of yoga EXCEPT that: a. The practice is based on the belief that mastery of the body allows one to leave the restrictions of the material world. b. The body is constantly changing, and the practice of yoga allows one to go beyond the physical to that which is unchanging. c. The discipline of postures, breathing, and meditation help the practitioner to go beyond the limitations of the material world. d. Through intense practice and discipline, one can move the body to a state of unchanging grace.
d. Through intense practice and discipline, one can move the body to a state of unchanging grace.
The first farmers from the Fertile Crescent settled in Mesopotamia, establishing the _________ culture of villages (6000-4000 BCE). a. Phoenician b. Assyrian c. Philistine d. Ubaid
d. Ubaid
Shang characters found on oracle bones: a. are composed of roughly 26 distinct symbols. b. are considered to be the most advanced examples of Chinese writing. c. have no relation whatsoever to modern Chinese characters. d. are considered to be the earliest known examples of Chinese writing.
d. are considered to be the earliest known examples of Chinese writing.
The system of state relations in which less powerful states directly or implicitly agree to defer to the lead of the most powerful state is called: a. republicanism b. feudalism c. filial piety d. hegemony
d. hegemony
A pictorial representation of a rhinoceros, variously dated between 59,000 and 23,000 years ago, may suggest: a. The worship of animals of this sort across wide portions of southwestern Africa. b. An imaginative leap among prehistoric artists, who could create an animal that had not yet appeared, at least in its present form. c. The influence of cross-continental trade, since an identical image appears in the Bradshaw paintings found in Australia. d. Early humans' ability to create symbols that signify something other than the materials from which they were made.
d. Early humans' ability to create symbols that signify something other than the materials from which they were made.
Hatshepsut was a strong-willed woman who became "king" (the title of "queen" did not exist) over __________ in ca. 1479 BCE. a. Babylon. b. Phoenicia. c. Crete. d. Egypt.
d. Egypt.
Medical documents from ___________ diagnosed headache as "half-head", which the Greeks translated as "hemi-krania", from which our word "migraine" is derived. a. Mesopotamia. b. Peleset. c. Minoan Crete. d. Egypt.
d. Egypt.
In the 1930s and 1940s, Nazi ideologues appropriated the term "Aryan" for use in defining German ____________. a. Language. b. Belief in dharma. c. Concepts about the oneness of God. d. Ethnicity.
d. Ethnicity.
The following is NOT evidence of the development of abstract thought among Homo sapiens: a. Jewelry b. Grave sites c. Paintings or drawings in caves and on rocks d. Evidence that the same butchery sites were used by successive generations.
d. Evidence that the same butchery sites were used by successive generations.
One of the earliest compilations of ancient Chinese writings available, the Shujing or Book of History, is an important documentary source of information regarding China's: a. First three emperors. b. Construction of the Great Wall. c. Adoption of Buddhism. d. First three dynasties.
d. First three dynasties.
The discovery and analysis of _________________ suggests the reasons for the abandonment of the northern European and Russian plains for 15,000 years. a. Glaciers containing the remains of humans who were swept away in a sudden ice flow. b. Gigantic wooly mammoth remains, which had the effect of terrifying humans into leaving the area. c. Malaria-infected mosquitoes, embedded within samples of amber in the Baltic Sea region. d. Human bone remnants, which show signs of malnutrition and disease as a result of the Ice Age's onset.
d. Human bone remnants, which show signs of malnutrition and disease as a result of the Ice Age's onset.
The chariot was possibly introduced to Shang China through interaction with _____________ around 1300-1200 BCE. a. Mesopotamians. b. Egyptians. c. Harappans d. Indo-Europeans.
d. Indo-Europeans.
Lady Ji of the state of Lu was praised for her ability to ______________. a. Lead an army, although disguised as a man. b. Contract suitable marriages on behalf of her extended family. c. Control her husband's finances and direct his foreign policy. d. Instruct her son in the arts of government.
d. Instruct her son in the arts of government.
Which of the following is not a characteristic of Banpo Village, located on the outskirts of Xi'an? a. It is perhaps the most studied of Neolithic sites across China. b. It was a "painted pottery" culture that flourished from 5000 to 3500 BCE. c. Its inhabitants produced implements such as axes, chisels, and knives. d. It was surrounded by a wall, as protection against its neighbors.
d. It was surrounded by a wall, as protection against its neighbors.
The Nile usually begins to swell in _________ and recedes during ____________. a. February and March. b. December and March. c. May and November. d. July and October.
d. July and October.
As a god on earth, the Egyptian king upheld the divine order of justice and peace for all, a principle called ___________. a. Xi'an. b. Sargon. c. En. d. Ma'at.
d. Ma'at.
The Bhagavad Gita is the sixth book of the ______________, and it has been called the "Indian gospel". a. Rig-Veda. b. Upanishads. c. Code of Manu. d. Mahabharata.
d. Mahabharata.
In the Enuma Elish, __________ slaughters his mother Tiamat and splits her body into two halves, which become the heaven and the earth. a. Atum. b. Zeus. c. Ahriman. d. Marduk.
d. Marduk.
According to a study published in 2014, the skeletal remains of "Naia", found in an underwater cave in the Yucatán Peninsula, give strong evidence for the notion that: a. Water once covered the entirety of modern Mexico and humans had adapted to these conditions. b. Early Amerindian cultures practiced human sacrifice. c. Cro-Magnon peoples had emigrated to the Americas carried by favorable winds across the Atlantic Ocean. d. Members from one single, genetically uniform population populated the Americas from at least 16,000 years ago.
d. Members from one single, genetically uniform population populated the Americas from at least 16,000 years ago.
The ___________ of the subcontinent have, historically, been its main avenues of trade, migration, and, frequently, invasion. a. Monsoon winds. b. Surrounding seas. c. Major rivers. d. Mountain passes.
d. Mountain passes.
The Code of Manu advises that, "regarding this as the highest dharma of all four classes, husbands ... _______________." a. Must ensure that their wives are being faithful. b. Must marry a woman over 25 years old. c. Must ignore the advice of his father in the selection of a wife. d. Must strive to protect their wives.
d. Must strive to protect their wives.
During the middle of the second millennium BCE, the ______ culture arose in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean. a. Peleset b. Archaic c. Israelite d. Mycenaean
d. Mycenaean
The vast land mass called "Sahul", comprised of ______, began moving about 100 million years ago. a. South Africa, Madagascar, and the Comoros. b. Egypt, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Arabian Peninsula. c. Japan, Korea, and Sakhalin Island. d. New Guinea, Australia, and Tasmania.
d. New Guinea, Australia, and Tasmania.
A set of 15,000-year-old engravings on the floor of the La Marche Cave shows realistic sketches of __________. a. Rhinoceroses. b. Whales. c. Only young men, who were presumably hunters. d. Old and young men and women.
d. Old and young men and women.
In post-Dark Age Greece, a city with surrounding villages formed a city-state, or _____________. a. Thalassocracy. b. Palace-system. c. Ziggurat. d. Polis.
d. Polis.
Although undeciphered at this point, documents written in Linear A probably contain: a. Stories of King Minos and Theseus. b. Preparations for the "Sea People's" invasion of Egypt. c. Consideration of adopting the Phoenicians' alphabetic system. d. Records of the materials gathered into the Minoan palaces' storage spaces.
d. Records of the materials gathered into the Minoan palaces' storage spaces.
The question of when the "Hobbits" of Flores Island died out is complicated, given ____________. a. The exact and well-documented timeline for the first appearance of humans in the vicinity. b. The consecration of their burial sites as a burial ground recognized and maintained by devout Muslims. c. The failure to discover the remains of more than one individual. d. Rumors to the effect that small people were seen on the island at the time of the Portuguese conquest in the 16 century.
d. Rumors to the effect that small people were seen on the island at the time of the Portuguese conquest in the 16 century.
__________ received seed, animals, and tools from landowners in exchange for up to two-thirds of their harvest. a. Nomads. b. Lugals. c. Pharaohs. d. Sharecroppers.
d. Sharecroppers.
Communal rooms and wall paintings of animals at Çatal Hüyük document: a. The meeting space of the Hittite council. b. The frequency of communal meals composed solely of bull meat. c. The abandonment of sites once the Assyrians invaded. d. That animistic religious belief was still in force, even if no longer in a cave.
d. That animistic religious belief was still in force, even if no longer in a cave.
The first agricultural settlements appeared in ____________, a swampy depression off the Nile southwest of modern Cairo, around 5200 BCE. a. Giza. b. Memphis. c. Eridu. d. The Fayyum.
d. The Fayyum.
The discovery of obsidian at a prehistoric site probably indicates: a. A recent volcanic eruption at the site. b. A bout of sudden and violent lightning strikes in the vicinity. c. Experimentation by early humans in the art of channeling fire. d. The existence of trade networks, providing material mined as far as 200 miles away.
d. The existence of trade networks, providing material mined as far as 200 miles away.
Tundra is a landscape in which the top soil unfreezes during the summer and supports ____________. a. The rapid development of rain forests. b. The replenishment of nitrogen, which aided the work of early farmers. c. The re-emergence of ponds and swamps. d. The growth of small shrubs, mosses, and lichens.
d. The growth of small shrubs, mosses, and lichens.
All of the following are characteristic of the monsoon winds of the South Asian subcontinent EXCEPT: a. The monsoon winds make rainfall seasonally predictable, although even minor variations in timing can cause disasters such as floods and famine. b. During the wet cycle, the winds from Africa, flowing from southwest to northeast, cause heavy rainfall. c. During the dry cycle, the winds reverse and bring hot, dry air from Central Asia, and the subcontinent becomes arid. d. The heaviest rainfall generally occurs in the north and in the plain of Sind, leaving much of the south comparatively arid year round.
d. The heaviest rainfall generally occurs in the north and in the plain of Sind, leaving much of the south comparatively arid year round.
Archeological and anthropological analysis of the Harappan economy indicates all of the following EXCEPT: a. They may have been the first people to cultivate cotton for use in clothing. b. Their diet staples included wheat, barley, peas, melons, figs, and sesame. c. Cattle appear to have been the most important domestic animals. d. They seem never to have domesticated and bred dogs.
d. They seem never to have domesticated and bred dogs.
The refined techniques of "glottochronology" are currently ______________. a. Tracing the movement of metal-working technology across time and space. b. Tracing mitochondrial DNA elements through various communities. c. Tracing textual transmission and translation of documents across cultures. d. Tracing language change over time and space.
d. Tracing language change over time and space.
The land area occupied by the Harappans: a. Included only the city of Harappa and a circular area about 500 meters wide. b. Was much smaller than Egypt's Old Kingdom or Sargon's Mesopotamia. c. Shows no signs of having participated in any trading networks. d. Was the largest cultural area of the third millennium BCE.
d. Was the largest cultural area of the third millennium BCE.
In the (perhaps idealized) _____________, individual families would work one of eight plots, while a common plot would provide rent and taxes to the landowner. a. Big-rat system. b. Pieces-of-eight system. c. Feudal system. d. Well-field system.
d. Well-field system.
Homo erectus a. Made simple tools, but did not yet walk upright. b. Could not leave the tropics because they had not mastered the arts of making fire or tanning leather. c. Typically possessed a brain that was larger than those of modern humans. d. Were fully stable on their feet, lived on the ground, could travel rather easily, and had mastered the use of fire.
d. Were fully stable on their feet, lived on the ground, could travel rather easily, and had mastered the use of fire.
A category of "excluded" castes—the so-called untouchables—was added, comprising people ______________. a. Who had betrayed the will of their parents. b. Who had married into the Harappan culture. c. Who had been wounded in battle. d. Whose occupations were considered ritually unclean.
d. Whose occupations were considered ritually unclean.
___________ was the capital city of 13 Chinese regimes during its long history, and is the site of a sprawling tomb complex packed with life-sized terracotta soldiers. a. Hangzhou. b. Wucheng. c. Beijing. d. Xi'an.
d. Xi'an.
China's first bronze ritual vessels and the world's earliest lacquered wood items attest the ______________ leaders' religious and social roles. a. Shang. b. Lu. c. Zhou. d. Xia.
d. Xia.
The Spring and Autumn Chronicles depict a world in which repeated attempts are made to create a stable political and social order among the 15 major ___________ states. a. Xia. b. Shang. c. Yangshao. d. Zhou.
d. Zhou.
Among the best-known ancient texts on the applied science of medicine is: a. the Kouros b. the Göbekli Tepe c. the Enuma Elish d. the Kahun
d. the Kahun
The Bronze Age collapse was probably triggered by: a. the collapse of Egypt's Old Kingdom. b. the rise of the Hittite empire. c. the unsustainability of chariot warfare. d. the invasions by Sea People.
d. the invasions by Sea People.
"Foraging", sometimes called "hunting and gathering", was the dominant pattern of human history for the longest period, several hundred thousand years, but it is also: a. Thought to have accelerated soil erosion and led to the extinction of animals who relied on pasturage land. b. The most spottily documented, forcing a reliance on comparative evidence provided by anthropologists for recent centuries. c. The period during which hominins made the greatest strides toward perfecting the design and efficacy of their tools. d. The period during which women began to emerge as the dominant figures in clan society, due to their power of giving birth.
b. The most spottily documented, forcing a reliance on comparative evidence provided by anthropologists for recent centuries.
Throughout the long history of imperial China, the emperor retained the title of ___________, "son of heaven." a. Tiananmen. b. Tianzi. c. Pu Ying. d. Beijing.
b. Tianzi.
The major cities of Harappan society seem to have declined and been abandoned over the course of about ______________. a. Fifty years. b. Two centuries. c. A millennium. d. Five centuries.
b. Two centuries.
The earliest Mesopotamian city-state was: a. Ur b. Uruk c. Lagash d. Nippur
b. Uruk
The term "Hinduism": a. Was an Indo-European word used to describe Harappan religious rites. b. Was derived from the Persian word hindu, taken from the Sanskrit word sindhu, or "rivers." c. Was derived from the term Harappans used to describe the duties of priests. d. Came into use after the Indo-European invasion to describe the religious practices of the conquered Harappan societies.
b. Was derived from the Persian word hindu, taken from the Sanskrit word sindhu, or "rivers."
The Iron Age started around: a. 1500-1200 BCE. b. 4000-2000 BCE. c. 700-500 BCE. d. 6000-4000 BCE.
a. 1500-1200 BCE.
A civil war in and partition of the state of Jin in _____________ marked the formal opening of the Warring States period. a. 403 BCE. b. 221 BCE. c. 722 BCE. d. 1766 BCE.
a. 403 BCE.
Mehrgarh culture has been dated to about _____________, making it perhaps the oldest on the Indian subcontinent. a. 6000 BCE. b. 16,000 BCE. c. 600 BCE. d. 60,000 BCE.
a. 6000 BCE.
The following are indications that Harappan society included merchants and/or traders, EXCEPT: a. A large number of items that seem to have been imported from Egypt. b. Evidence in Mesopotamian records from about 2300 BCE. c. Harappan seals found at Ur in Mesopotamia. d. Elaborate port facilities.
a. A large number of items that seem to have been imported from Egypt.
The development of jewelry was a critical step in societal development, as it indicated the existence of: a. Abstract, symbolic thinking. b. High status females within the group. c. Rising sea levels, which transported seashells from far distances. d. An early attempt to record the number of items a person owned.
a. Abstract, symbolic thinking.
The first unified territorial state or kingdom in Mesopotamia was: a. Akkadia b. Babylonia c. Elam d. Persia
a. Akkadia
Sargon's grandson Naram-Sin added the Zagros Mountains and Syria to the ____________ kingdom and claimed to be the "king of the four (world) shores," considering his state an open-ended kingdom stretching in all four directions. a. Akkadian. b. Egyptian. c. Babylonian. d. Hittite.
a. Akkadian.
Another result of the Ice Age was: a. An enhanced ability to migrate because areas formerly separated by seas became accessible over ice. b. A great increase in the number of large animals because they could take refuge in areas too cold for humans. c. A reduction in the genetic variations between various human societies because they were no longer isolated. d. A dramatic increase in the total population of humans over the globe, due to improved techniques for hunting large animals.
a. An enhanced ability to migrate because areas formerly separated by seas became accessible over ice.
Forager societies: a. Are also known as "hunting and gathering" societies. b. Had a short life span because of the uncertainty of being able to find sufficient food. c. Generally lived in caves because they did not generally possess the skills to build other types of shelter. d. Were completely self-contained, never acquiring resources through trade or barter.
a. Are also known as "hunting and gathering" societies.
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, the two major cities of Harappan culture,: a. Are laid out according to a meticulously planned grid. b. Were built on high plateaus, simplifying both defense and water drainage. c. Show a cultural variation much greater than the cities of Old Kingdom Egypt. d. Were deficient in sanitary provisions, such as drains and gutters.
a. Are laid out according to a meticulously planned grid.
_________ scribes laid the foundations for geometry and astronomy by devising the system of 60 degrees for arcs, angles, and time—all still in use today. a. Babylonian. b. Hittite. c. Israelite. d. Egyptian.
a. Babylonian.
_____________ became a key evolutionary advantage to hominins, since walking on two feet freed the arms to do something else. a. Bipedalism. b. Bifurcation. c. Ambidextrousness. d. Bimetalism.
a. Bipedalism.
In Athens, the poorest class still possessed the right to participate in the ekklesia, or _______: a. Citizen assembly. b. Free theatrical performances. c. Annual festival in honor of Athena. d. Official naval training program.
a. Citizen assembly.
Around 4300 BCE, some mountain people in the Mesopotamian region had mastered the crafts of mining and smelting ____________, launching what scholars call the "Chalcolithic" Age. a. Copper. b. Iron. c. Golden. d. Bronze.
a. Copper.
Levallois is a stone technique where workers first shaped a hard rock into a ____________. a. Cylinder or cone. b. Serpent or dragon. c. Triangle-shaped hand axe. d. "Clovis" point.
a. Cylinder or cone.
By about 600 BCE, the largest northern Indian states, particularly Magadha and Kosala: a. Developed ideologies of kingship based on a common religious understanding. b. Realized that they had extended beyond the practical limits of their ability to govern and maintain administrative control of additional societies. c. Had nearly destroyed each other by constant warfare. d. Realized that prosperity can only be achieved through peaceful interaction.
a. Developed ideologies of kingship based on a common religious understanding.
One of the most important concepts in the Vedas was that of dharma, which refers to: a. Diligently fulfilling required duties in accordance with one's place in society. b. One's duty to pursue peace at any cost. c. The importance of sexual purity and asceticism. d. The obligation to act in accordance with one's own conscience, regardless of social standing.
a. Diligently fulfilling required duties in accordance with one's place in society.
The practices of certain schools of yoga, meaning ______________, were based on the belief that mastery of the body allowed one to escape the restrictions of the material world. a. Discipline. b. Stretching. c. Submission. d. Rebirth.
a. Discipline.
Archeological remains of Harappan culture were first identified: a. During work on an extension of the East India Railway. b. In a bazaar in northern India, being sold as paperweights. c. As a base for construction of a large bridge across the Ravi River. d. In Buddhist temples where they were being protected as ancient religious symbols.
a. During work on an extension of the East India Railway.
The following chronological order is correct to the best of our knowledge: a. End of last Ice Age; Beginnings of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent; First evidence of rice cultivation in the Yangzi Valley. b. Lapita cultural complex in western Pacific; First evidence of rice cultivation in the Yangzi Valley; Beginnings of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent. c. End of last Ice Age; Homo sapiens emerges in East Africa; First evidence of rice cultivation in the Yangzi Valley. d. Beginnings of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent; City-states appear in Greece and Ionia; Flourishing of Harappan culture in the Indus River valley.
a. End of last Ice Age; Beginnings of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent; First evidence of rice cultivation in the Yangzi Valley.
A recent analysis of five Homo erectus remains found in a cave in Georgia (in the Caucasus) in 2005 suggests that this line of humans: a. Had crossed into Beringia and interacted with other hominins already living there. b. Was perhaps of non-African origin. c. Were sewing together fiber clothes as early as 1.8 million years ago. d. Became extinct as the result of a sudden Ice Age.
b. Was perhaps of non-African origin.
The Vedas: a. Can be trusted by historians and archeologists because they were accounts of events which were written as they occurred. b. Were written down after 600 BCE, but grew from an oral tradition composed between about 1400 and 900 BCE. c. Represent the authors' best efforts to convey accurate information to future generations rather than being in any way allegorical or mythological. d. Were lost for centuries, but discovered and translated by archeologist Sir Arthur Murphy in 1925.
b. Were written down after 600 BCE, but grew from an oral tradition composed between about 1400 and 900 BCE.
Urban dwellers took the decisive steps of transition from animism to polytheism in the period 3500-2500 BCE when what factors came to the fore? a. Disease suddenly made Mesopotamian cattle extinct, and bull gods disappeared. b. Writing developed and kings ruled cities. c. The Bronze Age collapse called the existence of animal gods into doubt. d. The Israelites' Ten Commandments were widely publicized in the Levant.
b. Writing developed and kings ruled cities.
The ____________ River gets its name as the result of the loess—a light, dry, mineral-rich soil deposited by strong winds—that it picks up as it flows. a. Pearl. b. Yellow. c. Yangtze. d. Red.
b. Yellow.
In the "well-field system" of land division: a. each square li is approximately one square mile b. each square li consists of 900 mou c. each mou is approximately half an acre d. each square li was divided into a grid of five plots
b. each square li consists of 900 mou
Mesopotamian "assemblies", called puhrum in Sumerian, were: a. gatherings of sharecroppers b. gatherings of influential elders c. gatherings of nomads d. gatherings of deities
b. gatherings of influential elders
Hammurabi was best known for: a. composing the Dead Sea Scrolls b. his codification of Babylonian law c. his tolerant nature d. designing the Ark of the Covenant
b. his codification of Babylonian law
The relative speed of the dispersion of H. erectus groups and their adaptation to new environments after leaving Africa are indicated by: a. Fossils found in Java and stone tools in India dating to 1.8 - 1.6 million years ago. b. Fossilized footprints that have been discovered in China's Gobi Desert. c. Prehistoric sailing vessels that have been recovered from the Indian Ocean. d. Mitochondrial DNA found among people living in the Volga River basin in Russia.
a. Fossils found in Java and stone tools in India dating to 1.8 - 1.6 million years ago.
Sir John Marshall considered it an "all-important matter" to compare the art of Indus Valley with that of the _________. a. Greeks. b. Aryans. c. Zhou Chinese. d. British.
a. Greeks.
By shrewd diplomacy and careful use of military power, Qi became the first "senior" or ba state in a system of ____________ in which the lesser Zhou states deferred to the ba state as the protector of the Zhou system. a. Hegemony. b. Fascism. c. Feudalism. d. Confederacy.
a. Hegemony.
The earliest Aryan migrants may have introduced the ________ to northern India, which became useful for drawing wagons and in battle chariots. a. Horse. b. Bull. c. Elephant. d. Donkey.
a. Horse.
Which of the following is not a characteristic of a Mesopotamian city-state? a. It practices ethnic segregation. b. A number of its inhabitants are not farmers. c. It is ruled by a dominant landowner-priest, assisted by a personal entourage of armed men. d. It contains more than 5,000 inhabitants.
a. It practices ethnic segregation.
As hunters, the Neanderthals were not well adapted to ______________. a. Open grasslands and steppes. b. Thick forests that hampered their use of bows and arrows. c. Wetlands bordering on lakes and rivers. d. Warming climates.
a. Open grasslands and steppes.
The larger streets of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro are ___________. a. Paved with brick and remarkably straight. b. Curvy and prone to flooding. c. Lacking gutters and drains to allow for drainage. d. Made of packed earth and apparently for short-term settlement.
a. Paved with brick and remarkably straight.
The following was not one of the idealized rulers known as the Sage Kings: a. Pu-Yi b. Shun c. Yao d. Yu
a. Pu-Yi
The history of humans from the time of Clovis and the Fertile Crescent to the present: a. Represents a mere 0.02 percent of the time from Ardi to the present. b. Represents about 20 percent of that from the first Homo sapiens to the present. c. Clearly illustrates the steps needed for human societies to develop. d. Indicates that all human societies adapt and evolve at the same pace.
a. Represents a mere 0.02 percent of the time from Ardi to the present.
According to Chinese legend, the Yellow Emperor's rule was followed by that of the three ___________ kings, who set the example for strong moral leadership and passed power to the land's most worthy men. a. Sage. b. Brother. c. Warrior. d. Jade.
a. Sage.
"Kennewick man": a. Seems to have shared many characteristics with the Ainu of Japan. b. Was very short and small-boned. c. Was remarkably free of injuries or other health problems. d. Seems to have died after being trapped in an avalanche.
a. Seems to have shared many characteristics with the Ainu of Japan.
Among the earliest recorded writings on religious themes is: a. the Aeneid b. the Epic of Gilgamesh c. the Iliad d. the Odyssey
b. the Epic of Gilgamesh
Of all the innovations commonly associated with Chinese culture, the following is perhaps the one with the longest-lasting impact: a. paper b. writing system c. gunpowder d. compass
b. writing system
Shang and early Zhou ritual vessels themselves, with their richly stylized ________ motifs—fanciful abstract reliefs of real and mythical animals incorporated into the design—are utterly unlike anything outside of east Asia. a. Taotie. b. Shangdi. c. Huangdi. d. Longshan.
a. Taotie.
Why was the analysis of human remains found in a Portuguese cave in 1999 so intriguing? a. The child resulted from a "mixture" of Neanderthal genetic material with that from a Homo sapiens. b. It proved that Homo sapiens had murdered at least one Neanderthal person, apparently by stabbing him with a spear. c. It proved that the brain of a Neanderthal was, indeed, smaller than that of contemporary Homo sapiens. d. The Neanderthal skeleton was taller and better proportioned than that of any contemporaneous Homo sapiens.
a. The child resulted from a "mixture" of Neanderthal genetic material with that from a Homo sapiens.
The signs of a decline in the major cities of Harappa include: a. The construction of structures of inferior quality over earlier buildings. b. A sharp rise in migration from outlying towns and villages to the large cities, as they were probably seeking protection from invaders. c. The construction of many large dams, apparently in an attempt to control the tributaries of the Indus. d. The complete disappearance of all Harappan villages and towns by 2000 BCE.
a. The construction of structures of inferior quality over earlier buildings.
Which of the following might represent evidence that the Aryans were agents of technological transmission? a. Their introduction of chariots to the Xia and Shang societies of China. b. The introduction of the horse to South Asia. c. The diffusion of iron. d. Maps and detailed information about Chinese and Persian society in the Rig-Veda.
a. Their introduction of chariots to the Xia and Shang societies of China.
The presence of bronze mirrors in the tomb of Fu Hao suggests that ____________. a. There was an international trade in these items. b. Domestic manufacture of bronze had reached a high level of sophistication. c. The wives of the emperor were obsessed with their appearance. d. Looters did not consider them valuable.
a. There was an international trade in these items.
The first place in Mesopotamia to fit the definition of a city was ____________, founded around 4300 BCE. a. Uruk. b. Qadesh. c. Memphis. d. Susa.
a. Uruk.
In traditional Australian Aboriginal society, as described in the nineteenth century, most marriages: a. Were monogamous. b. Were polygamous. c. Were only recognized between members of the same clan. d. Limited to men who were successful traders.
a. Were monogamous.
The Natufians: a. Were semi-sedentary foragers. b. Abandoned the bodies of their dead to wild animals. c. Flourished during the Neolithic Age. d. Were renowned for their pottery.
a. Were semi-sedentary foragers.
By the sixth century BCE maharajas: a. Wielded power that was seen as both secular and divine. b. Were forced to subordinate to the priests of the Vedic tradition. c. Forbade the ritual sacrifice of horses. d. Yielded power to republics like the Vajjian Confederacy.
a. Wielded power that was seen as both secular and divine.
The original term "jati", or "caste," means: a. "To be burned." b. "To be rejected." c. "To be born into." d. "To be a beggar."
c. "To be born into."
An expeditionary force led by king Wu Ding in the late 13 century BCE numbered more than ____________ men. a. 1500. b. 150,000. c. 13,000. d. 1,300,000.
c. 13,000.
The Plain of Sind is the site of some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded on earth—nearly _____________ degrees Fahrenheit. a. 110. b. 150. c. 130. d. 120.
c. 130.
The Rig-Veda is currently believed to have been composed between about ________ and ________. a. 2400-1900 BCE. b. 240 BCE. c. 1400-900 BCE. d. 800-600 BCE.
c. 1400-900 BCE.
Rice grains found near the coastal reaches of the Yangzi River have been dated to ___________. a. 17,000 BCE. b. 750 BCE. c. 7000 BCE. d. 70 BCE.
c. 7000 BCE.
Study of the mitochondrial DNA of present day Native Americans points to _________. a. The impossibility of their being related to East Asians who crossed the Beringia land bridge around 25,000 years ago. b. The incompleteness of the human genome, at least at present. c. A gap of roughly 10,000 years between the emergence of their genome in Siberia, and its transfer to the Americas. d. The imprint of a bacterial infection that was acquired when one individual sailed across the Pacific to the vicinity of modern-day Seattle.
c. A gap of roughly 10,000 years between the emergence of their genome in Siberia, and its transfer to the Americas.
The following was not a major Phoenician city-state: a. Byblos b. Sidon c. Amarna d. Tyre
c. Amarna
A dozen or so dispersed families of H. sapiens would come together around a campfire, forming a clan, _______________. a. Which elected a priest to represent them to the gods. b. Which courted sexual partners from outside the group. c. Among which sexual partners were chosen. d. Among which a form of barter in Acheulian tools was established.
c. Among which sexual partners were chosen.
Mesopotamian towns administered themselves through local ____________, in Sumerian called "puhrum". a. Collectivized farms. b. Aristocratic councils. c. Assemblies. d. Oracular priestesses.
c. Assemblies.
Migrations to the Americas a. Appear to have ended when the ice bridge melted about 20,000 years ago. b. Appear to have continued from about 80,000 years ago until almost 600 years ago. c. Did not result in a uniform Native American population until after 9,000 years ago. d. Led do remarkable uniformity in language from modern-day Canada to the southernmost tip of Chile.
c. Did not result in a uniform Native American population until after 9,000 years ago.
A society calling themselves "Aryans": a. Conquered northern India in a series of ferocious battles beginning around 1200 BCE. b. Attacked the subcontinent by sea and swept up along the coastlines before pushing toward the Indian interior. c. Entered South Asia through the Khyber Pass and spread across Punjab over a 300 year period, with evidence of some battles, but longer periods of peaceful migration. d. Captured all of the major Harappan cities and either killed or enslaved the native population.
c. Entered South Asia through the Khyber Pass and spread across Punjab over a 300 year period, with evidence of some battles, but longer periods of peaceful migration.
The capital city at Erligang was characteristic of the: a. late Xia or early Shang period b. late Shang or early Zhou period c. late Zhou period d. early Xia period
a. late Xia or early Shang period
"Proto-Indo-Europeans": a. migrated from Central Asia to the Middle East and Europe. b. were terrified by the horses that had been domesticated by Mesopotamians. c. were primarily foragers. d. migrated to Indonesia and the remainder of Southeast Asia.
a. migrated from Central Asia to the Middle East and Europe.
Ancient Chinese writing consisted of two basic types of characters: a. pictographs and ideographs b. mimeographs and hectographs c. pictographs and hectographs d. ideographs and mimeographs
a. pictographs and ideographs
Wanguo is the Chinese term describing its mythical period down through the end of the third millennium BCE as the land of: a. ten thousand states. b. milk and honey. c. five thousand kings. d. a unified monarchy.
a. ten thousand states.
By the late Zhou period, the hierarchy of patriarchy and the growing influence of notions of ____________--felt among members of a family headed by a father—were becoming established. a. Generation gap. b. Euthanasia. c. Filial piety. d. Uxoriousness.
c. Filial piety.
At its height, the city of Harappa: a. Functioned without defensive walls. b. Was split into three zones. c. Had a population of over 40,000. d. Welcomed refugees from the Sea Peoples.
c. Had a population of over 40,000.
Written Chinese characters became increasingly stylized and moved away from ___________ or pictographic languages. a. Hieratic. b. Alphabetic. c. Hieroglyphic. d. Magical.
c. Hieroglyphic.
New discoveries of human settlements from across the Americas are creating a scholarly consensus that: ________________. a. The Beringia ice bridge was a vibrant exchange of people and materials, and many people crossed it multiple times. b. The DNA evidence indicates multiple points of origins for Amerindians, from Africa to Asia to the Middle East. c. Humans arrived in the Americas as early as 16,000 - 14,000 years ago. d. Human migrants were unable to travel from Central America to South America because the isthmus of Panama had not yet been formed.
c. Humans arrived in the Americas as early as 16,000 - 14,000 years ago.
The ascetic path enjoined full or partial renunciation of the material world, on the basis that it was: a. Overcrowded and full of disease. b. Determined and overregulated. c. Impermanent and an impediment to a deeper understanding of reality. d. Too colorful and lively for a slow-thinking person.
c. Impermanent and an impediment to a deeper understanding of reality.
The discovery in 2003 of the fossils of Homo floresiensis, living as recently as 12,000 years ago on the island of Flores in _______________, seemed to contradict much of what was known about human evolution. a. The Philippines. b. The Azores. c. Indonesia. d. Polynesia.
c. Indonesia.
Nearly a quarter of the verses of the Rig-Veda celebrate the exploits of the god __________, who is portrayed as the embodiment of the Aryan heroic ideal. a. Krishna. b. Arjuna. c. Indra. d. Agni.
c. Indra.
Harappan urban decline has been attributed to all of the following factors except: a. Earthquakes. b. Increased flooding. c. Internal revolt. d. Extended drought.
c. Internal revolt.
The cultural artifacts of early humans include all of the following except: a. Rock drawings. b. Jewelry. c. Irrigation canals. d. Geometrical figures cut into stone.
c. Irrigation canals.
All of these statements about the Rig-Veda are true EXCEPT: a. It appears to be the oldest of the Vedas, dating to an oral tradition passed down from priest to priest until after 1400 CE. b. It contains more than a thousand verses. c. It maintains that the Aryans descended from a matriarchal society somewhere near the Black Sea. d. It depicts a society broken down into four social divisions or varnas: priests, warriors, merchants, and commoners.
c. It maintains that the Aryans descended from a matriarchal society somewhere near the Black Sea.
Depending on the circumstances, the Mesopotamian city assemblies sometimes chose their leaders from self-made figures called a "great man" or __________. a. En. b. Pharaoh. c. Lugal. d. Puhrum.
c. Lugal.
Which of the following is not a characteristic of an empire? a. Large in size b. Multiethnic c. Monoglot d. Multireligious
c. Monoglot
Recent historical climate research has established that between the end of the Ice Age (around 11,500 BCE) and 4000 BCE, _____________ extended farther west than they do today. a. Desert-like conditions. b. Plunging winter temperatures. c. Monsoon rain patterns. d. Mistral wind patterns.
c. Monsoon rain patterns.
The transition from foraging to farming was completed during the: a. Paleolithic Age. b. Mesolithic Age. c. Neolithic Age. d. Chalcolithic Age.
c. Neolithic Age.
After ____________, the Longshan and other late Neolithic cultures were at a point where a transition to a society marked by large towns and even small cities was becoming discernable. a. 5000 BCE. b. 2000 BCE. c. 4000 BCE. d. 200 BCE.
b. 2000 BCE.
The final wave of Israelite deportations, under the Neo-Babylonians in __________, became the infamous "Babylonian Captivity" mourned by prophets in the Hebrew Bible. a. 1297-1282 BCE. b. 597-582 BCE. c. 297-282 BCE. d. 897-882 BCE.
b. 597-582 BCE.
The burial site of Fu Hao, the most prominent of the _____ wives of Wu Ding, was discovered in 1975, together with the sacrificial skeletons of 16 people and six dogs. a. 33. b. 64. c. 4. d. 8003.
b. 64.
It took until about ___________ in the Middle East before farmers had bred the large-grained wheat and barley of today. a. 12,000 BCE. b. 7000 BCE. c. 1500 BCE. d. 4300 BCE.
b. 7000 BCE.
Early humans were able to expand their dietary resources to include a greater variety of food sources, such as meat from animal carcasses: a. Because they moved to different areas. b. After technological breakthroughs. c. Because they had developed the ability to think in abstract terms. d. Because their legs were long.
b. After technological breakthroughs.
Early in his reign (1353-1336 BCE), ____________ changed his name to "Akhenaten," meaning "devoted adherent to Aten." a. Khufu. b. Amenhotep IV. c. Narmer. d. Tutenkhamen.
b. Amenhotep IV.
The Vedas were composed: a. During the year 1003 BCE. b. Between 1400 and 800 BCE. c. By the Harappan priesthood some time during 1700-1300 BCE. d. By Indo-Europeans sometime after 400 BCE.
b. Between 1400 and 800 BCE.
The most important physical ability in the transition from hominin to human was: a. The ability to climb trees to avoid predators. b. Bipedalism, which allowed them to function effectively in both forest and savanna. c. The ability to use knuckle-walking to move through forests quickly. d. The combination of physical strength and speed.
b. Bipedalism, which allowed them to function effectively in both forest and savanna.
Hominins were forerunners of humans after genetically splitting from ___________ around 7 million years ago: a. Gorillas. b. Chimpanzees. c. Orangutans. d. Squirrel monkeys.
b. Chimpanzees.
_______ states, which were dependent on or partially controlled by more powerful ones, were useful in Shang foreign relations. a. Warring. b. Client. c. Conquered. d. Ghost.
b. Client.
The mitochondrial DNA of a young girl's teeth, found in the Yucatán peninsula and dating to 13,000-12,000 years ago, is: a. Completely unique in the genetic record and cannot be connected, at this point, to any other ethnic group. b. Closely related to that of the groups of Siberian Homo sapiens who migrated to Beringia during the Ice Age. c. Impossible to reconstruct, given the limitations of modern genetic science. d. Compelling evidence of a mixed Neanderthal and Homo sapiens heritage.
b. Closely related to that of the groups of Siberian Homo sapiens who migrated to Beringia during the Ice Age.
Humans mastered the control of fire, possibly 1.5 - 1.4 million years ago, apparently by: a. Striking their Oldowan tools together to create sparks. b. Collecting it from lightning-caused wildfires. c. Channeling sunlight through obsidian tools. d. Stealing the technology from Cro-Magnon communities already in their midst.
b. Collecting it from lightning-caused wildfires.
Most historians would agree that geography is a ____________ factor, among many others, in determining how a civilization develops. a. Destined. b. Conditional. c. Temporary. d. Sufficient.
b. Conditional.
The most extensive distinctive culture found south of the Yangzi River basin in central China is: a. Erlitou b. Dapenkeng c. Yin d. Hangzhou
b. Dapenkeng
In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna's charioteer, actually the god Krishna in disguise, reminds him of the need to fulfill his duty according to _____________ ("that which is firm"). a. Vedanta. b. Dharma. c. Samsara. d. Atman.
b. Dharma.
Scholars speculate that Akhenaten's religious revolution may have been designed to achieve all of the following goals except: a. Undermining the political power of the priests of Amun-Re. b. Easing the transition of power to his wife Nefertiti and son Tutenkhamen. c. Opening up Egyptian religion to participation by non-royal people. d. Solidifying his own power by replacing polytheism.
b. Easing the transition of power to his wife Nefertiti and son Tutenkhamen.
Mesopotamia is "the land between the rivers" __________. a. Nile and Tigris. b. Euphrates and Tigris. c. Jordan and Euphrates. d. Oxus and Jaxartes.
b. Euphrates and Tigris.
The Zhou system of decentralized government called "fengjian" can be compared with European _______________, in which rule is held by landowners who owe obligations of loyalty and military service to their superiors. a. Shogun. b. Feudalism. c. Communism. d. Capitalism.
b. Feudalism.
As in other religious traditions, there was a movement in the Zhou period to go beyond the invocation of gods through proper sacrifice and divination rituals, or _____________, in order to seek insight into the forces that control the universe. a. Asceticism. b. Formalism. c. Yoga. d. Unitarianism.
b. Formalism.
The Book of History or Classic of Documents, the Shujing, provides information concerning China's first three dynasties, which include all of these except: a. Xia. b. Han. c. Shang. d. Zhou.
b. Han.
"Venus" figurines: a. All depicted obese female forms with exaggerated sexual characteristics. b. Have been unearthed all over western and central Europe. c. Were sometimes tiny, but many were so large it is difficult to imagine them being transported from campsite to campsite. d. Were, according to inscriptions found on them, designed for use in religious ceremonies.
b. Have been unearthed all over western and central Europe.
Around 6500 BCE, farmers in the Fertile Crescent domesticated all of the following animals except: a. Donkeys. b. Horses. c. Cattle. d. Pigs.
b. Horses.
Even in its archaic form, the Chinese writing system contained two basic types of characters, one of which was _____________, or pictures representing ideas. a. Pictographs. b. Ideographs. c. Alphabetic letters. d. Cuneiform.
b. Ideographs.
As in Gangetic India, ________ weapons, tool, and farm implements were instrumental in opening up new lands for cultivation and multiplying the deadliness of warfare. a. Bronze. b. Iron. c. Gold. d. Jade.
b. Iron.
An important pattern in the history of both northern India and Mesopotamia is: a. A long history of political unity and conquest of neighboring societies. b. Ghettoization of conquered peoples, prohibiting cultural or biological assimilation. c. Regular rhythms of migration and invasion. d. Accurate accounts and records that tell us much about their religion and philosophy.
c. Regular rhythms of migration and invasion.
Walking on two feet, humans were able to venture out of the African ____________, i.e. broken forests with interspersed bush and grasslands. a. Tundra. b. Jungle. c. Savanna. d. Mesa.
c. Savanna.
Members of the _________ class, drawn from the lower aristocracy and wealthier commoners, would become some of China's most famous thinkers, starting with Confucius. a. Jia. b. Wang. c. Shi. d. Lu.
c. Shi.
In the poem "Cypress Boat," from the Book of Songs, a woman laments __________. a. A broken engagement. b. The death of a child . c. Societal expectations of her marriage. d. Her father's disapproval of her fiancé.
c. Societal expectations of her marriage.
Indra was a swashbuckling warrior with a taste for ________, an intoxicating drink used in religious ritual. a. Karma. b. Ghee . c. Soma. d. Dharma.
c. Soma.
The "Levant" encompasses the modern countries of: a. Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. b. Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia. c. Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Palestine. d. Turkey, Georgia, and Ukraine.
c. Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Palestine.
All of the following statements about the Bhagavad Gita are true EXCEPT: a. It is one of the 18 books of the Mahabharata. b. The protagonist, a warrior named Arjuna, is conflicted about going into battle against friends and family members. c. The god Krishna leads the warrior Arjuna to the realization that the human duty to support and protect one's family outweighs all other considerations. d. It maintains that humans are required to put aside their personal reservations and fulfill their duty whether or not it appeals to them.
c. The god Krishna leads the warrior Arjuna to the realization that the human duty to support and protect one's family outweighs all other considerations.
Symbolic thinking among Homo sapiens: a. Is evident only in European caves and hidden places. b. Is visible in art which shows evidence of the ability to conceptualize images by thinking abstractly. c. Seems to have been absent from human societies until about 10,000 years ago d. Clearly conveys the creators' intention in rendering paintings and clay sculptures.
b. Is visible in art which shows evidence of the ability to conceptualize images by thinking abstractly.
Which of the following does not describe hieroglyphic writing? a. It was developed around 3500-3200 BCE. b. It was used exclusively for bureaucratic documents. c. It was limited to use in royal inscriptions. d. It used pictures to symbolize objects and syllables.
b. It was used exclusively for bureaucratic documents.
The following was not a characteristic of the Shang Dynasty: a. Its social and political organization was kinship-based. b. Its rulers were idealized as sages. c. It emphasized military power and efficiency of command. d. Local leaders were employed by the ruling families as regional officials.
b. Its rulers were idealized as sages.
In the monsoon system, winds carry moisture northeast over the Indian Ocean from ________ through _________. a. November / February. b. June / October. c. April / August. d. September / December.
b. June / October.
In addition to founding numerous ports and outposts around the Mediterranean, the Phoenicians acquired world-historical importance through their introduction of the ____________. a. Hybridization of barley seeds. b. Letter alphabet. c. Technology of smelting bronze. d. Religious concept of monotheism.
b. Letter alphabet.
The Code of Hammurabi calls for extreme punishments according to the principle of _________ ("an eye for an eye"). a. Lex dura. b. Lex talionis. c. Lex agraria. d. Lex Julia.
b. Lex talionis.
Up to this point, the fossil record suggests that: ______________. a. Neanderthals and Homo sapiens were constantly battling over available resources. b. Neanderthals and Homo sapiens coexisted, perhaps for a period of several thousand years. c. Neanderthals and Homo sapiens joined forces against bands of australopiths when they invaded eastern Europe. d. Neanderthals were better adapted to hunting their prey on expansive grasslands than Homo sapiens, who died off after the Ice Age set in.
b. Neanderthals and Homo sapiens coexisted, perhaps for a period of several thousand years.
Aboriginal society remained "stateless", in the sense of possessing no administrative institutions, largely because: a. The shamans recognized no presence of "state" in their tribe's Dreamtime. b. No agriculture meant that there was no agricultural surplus available to promote trade and a further stratification of society. c. Elders in positions of authority were trained in the effective wielding of weapons, and the general populace willingly surrendered power to them, rendering an enforcement mechanism unnecessary. d. Rapidly moving glaciers had destroyed their governmental buildings, and it was thought unwise to rebuild them and drawn down the gods' anger.
b. No agriculture meant that there was no agricultural surplus available to promote trade and a further stratification of society.
Sixteen large states, or mahajanapadas, dominated ___________ India in the period 800-600 BCE. a. Southern. b. Northern. c. Northwestern. d. Southeastern.
b. Northern.
All of the following tool styles or cultures were named for locations in modern France except: a. Acheulian. b. Oldowan. c. Cro-Magnon. d. Levallois.
b. Oldowan.
Indian religions use a host of ____________ images, or lingams, in shrines, rituals, and festivals to symbolize male forces. a. Fire. b. Phallic. c. Bull. d. Elephant.
b. Phallic.
Even today, the written character for "family" or "household" is represented by a character depicting a _______________. a. Woman in a kitchen. b. Pig under a roof. c. Child in a cradle. d. Fire in a hearth.
b. Pig under a roof.
The Ice Age in the Americas: a. Made it easier for humans to migrate westward from Alaska. b. Probably prevented southward migration over land until a pathway was cleared across the area of modern Alberta. c. Prevented migration over water or by rafts, canoes, or boats because of the ice. d. Resulted in the inhabitants of the Americas having remarkably similar languages and mitochondrial DNA.
b. Probably prevented southward migration over land until a pathway was cleared across the area of modern Alberta.
The Mahabharata: a. Is the world's longest poem, only slightly shorter than the Christian New Testament. b. Provides guidance to those struggling with conflicting civil, social, and religious duties. c. Was not intended as a source of religious doctrine. d. Was designed primarily to give comfort to the "forest dwellers," those who had removed themselves from society in order to devote themselves to meditation.
b. Provides guidance to those struggling with conflicting civil, social, and religious duties.
The suitability of the southern regions of China for __________ cultivation, as with the Gangetic societies of India, resulted in rapid growth and high population. a. Wheat. b. Rice. c. Tea. d. Barley.
b. Rice.
By 600 BCE, a male householder of the upper class was expected to: a. Rule the entire extended family, with no restrictions on his behavior. b. See that all people present — including children, married daughters, the elderly and sick, guests and servants — were fed before he and his wife ate. c. Force his wife to commit ritual suicide should he even have a suspicion that she has committed any act of sexual infidelity. d. Make sure that no sexually explicit materials entered the household.
b. See that all people present — including children, married daughters, the elderly and sick, guests and servants — were fed before he and his wife ate.
Bronze casting techniques prevalent in China originated in: a. Western Asia b. Southeast Asia c. Egypt d. Japan
b. Southeast Asia
Despite the many things that are known about Harappan culture, virtually nothing is known of its: a. Sophisticated urban planning . b. System of social organization. c. Standardized weights and measures. d. Attention to cleanliness and comfort.
b. System of social organization.
The decline of the Zhou Dynasty was described in: a. The Book of the Dead b. The Spring and Autumn Chronicles c. The Shujing d. The Book of Odes (Shijing)
b. The Spring and Autumn Chronicles
All of the following were results of the last Ice Age EXCEPT: a. Northern zones of Eurasia were often covered with gigantic ice sheets. b. The area from southern France to Mongolia changed to frozen tundra in winter and semiarid steppe in summer. c. The increase in the size of African rain forests encouraged a temporary return to vegetarianism. d. The deserts of the Sahara, Kalahari, and the interior of Australia expanded.
c. The increase in the size of African rain forests encouraged a temporary return to vegetarianism.
Some of the world's highest annual rainfall totals—over 100 inches—are regularly recorded in: a. Baluchistan. b. The Indus Valley. c. The mountains extending from Bangladesh through Assam. d. The Deccan Valley.
c. The mountains extending from Bangladesh through Assam.
The extensive nature of Harappan trade is indicated by all of the following except: a. Mesopotamian records of the material available from Harappan merchants. b. The presence of copper and semiprecious stones, shell, and timber. c. The records that have been deciphered from Harappan symbols. d. The presence of Harappan figurines along a broad front of nomadic routes.
c. The records that have been deciphered from Harappan symbols.
The Arthashastra gives advice concerning a. The selection of a wife and the proper ritual to be carried out in marriage. b. The higher law of putting aside personal reservations in battle, especially with relatives. c. The timing of war with one's neighbors, weighing whether they are weak or strong. d. The process of clarifying ghee for rituals.
c. The timing of war with one's neighbors, weighing whether they are weak or strong.
Client States are: a. states that are independent from more powerful ones b. states that are constantly at war with more powerful ones c. states that are dependent on or partially controlled by more powerful ones d. states that seek to compete with more powerful ones
c. states that are dependent on or partially controlled by more powerful ones
Horses were first domesticated in: a. Egypt. b. the Atlas Mountains of North Africa. c. the Ural Mountains of Central Asia. d. Mesopotamia.
c. the Ural Mountains of Central Asia.
The oldest specimen of H. sapiens discovered so far is a fossil discovered in Ethiopia in 1967 and dated to _______________. a. 12,000 years ago. b. 1.8 million years ago. c. 35,000 years ago. d. 195,000 years ago.
d. 195,000 years ago.
Cuneiform writing was developed around: a. 1200 BCE. b. 5000 BCE. c. 2000 BCE. d. 3450 BCE.
d. 3450 BCE.
The central character in the Epic of Gilgamesh is: a. A pharaoh who escapes death by becoming the living embodiment of Horus. b. A high priestess who wonders why the goddess of love has abandoned her. c. A hero who introduces fire to humans and is punished by the gods for doing so. d. A king in early Sumer who carries out heroic deeds but fails to escape death.
d. A king in early Sumer who carries out heroic deeds but fails to escape death.
Krishna advises Arjuna to: a. Attack the weak, seek allies against the strong, and bide one's time with equals. b. Prepare for a transmigration of souls in the near future. c. Create guilds among his people that can furnish necessary products and promote trade. d. Abandon his attachment to the result of a battle—whatever it may be.
d. Abandon his attachment to the result of a battle—whatever it may be.
In a(n) ___________, people, at a minimum, are engaged in farming cereal grains on rain-fed or irrigated fields and breeding sheep and cattle. a. Polis, or city-state, society. b. Capitalist society. c. Industrial society. d. Agrarian society.
d. Agrarian society.
Every evolutionary step had to build successively on every preceding one so that, ______________, fully evolved modern humans could emerge in Africa about 100,000 years ago. a. Quickly and efficiently. b. Inexorably and smoothly. c. Emotionally and reluctantly. d. Anatomically and intellectually.
d. Anatomically and intellectually.
The discovery of skulls from the Natufian culture in the Jordan and upper Euphrates valleys suggests the existence of: a. Cannibalism. b. Cremation burial practices. c. A new glacial age beginning in 9500 BCE. d. Ancestor worship.
d. Ancestor worship.
The perimeter of the _________ settlement is surrounded by a defensive ditch, with 40 homes arranged around a rectangular central structure believed to be a clan meeting house. a. Xi'an. b. Dapenkeng. c. Longshan. d. Banpo.
d. Banpo.
Adaptations to the new conditions seem to have included all of the following EXCEPT: a. The domestication of dogs. b. A spurt of technical innovation, leading to innovations likes boomerangs, better fishhooks, and bird traps. c. Expanded trade networks to exchange goods across ecological zones. d. Better nutrition and health because of the improved hunting techniques.
d. Better nutrition and health because of the improved hunting techniques.
The Shijing, or ____________, covers a wide range of material, from observations on rural life to protests and cleverly veiled satire. a. Spring and Autumn Chronicles. b. Oracle Bones. c. Book of History. d. Book of Odes / Songs.
d. Book of Odes / Songs.
The written characters for "sun" and "moon" placed together came to mean "__________." a. Planets. b. Hot. c. Time. d. Bright.
d. Bright.
The oldest fossilized bones of early humans have been found in: a. Korea and Japan. b. Spain and France. c. Iceland and Greenland. d. China and Siberia.
d. China and Siberia.
The __________ called "ghee" occupied a prominent place in the Aryans' religious symbolism. a. Pureed mango. b. Burnished metal. c. Oracle bones. d. Clarified butter.
d. Clarified butter.
In the Upanishads, the individual self ("atman") was ultimately to become identified with the brahman, or ___________. a. Absence of reality. b. World of the dead. c. Perpetual banquet. d. Cosmic essence.
d. Cosmic essence.
The Harappans may have been the first people to raise cotton for use in clothing, as is suggested by the recovery of __________ at Mohenjo-Daro. a. Richly decorated and painted trousers. b. Official reports concerning the factories under the control of their kings. c. British commentaries from the 1850s. d. Cotton seeds and small patches of cloth and fishing line.
d. Cotton seeds and small patches of cloth and fishing line.
The ________________ on Shang chariots permitted easy storage and repair. a. Short reins. b. Single-occupancy carriage. c. Adaptable yoke (for cows). d. Detachable wheels held by linchpins.
d. Detachable wheels held by linchpins.
The principal Shang deity, ____________, presided over the spirit world, governed both natural and human affairs, and was assisted by the major ancestors of the dynastic line. a. Xi or Shangxi. b. Deng or Shangdeng. c. Wu or Wushang. d. Di or Shangdi.
d. Di or Shangdi.
Chinese rulers have always been alert to the possibility that a ______________ change could be signaled by portents or natural disasters. a. Climate. b. Intellectual. c. Ideological. d. Dynastic.
d. Dynastic.
The Indo-Europeans migrated into northern India during the period: a. 2500-2200 BCE b. 1500-1200 BCE c. 2100-1800 BCE d. 1000-800 BCE
b. 1500-1200 BCE
While earlier codifications of Sumerian precepts list around 40 laws, those of Hammurabi number __________. a. 12. b. 282. c. 840. d. 480.
b. 282.
Hittite kings ruled in their capital Hatusa with a panku, or a(n): a. Iron fist, literally. b. Majority vote of the citizens, taken for every major decision. c. Assembly of their principal administrators, recruited from the aristocracy. d. Edict from the chief priests representing the Hittites' ancestors.
c. Assembly of their principal administrators, recruited from the aristocracy.
Gender was an aspect of social organization in early foraging societies in what respect? a. These societies were clearly patriarchal because of the importance of males in hunting for meat and defending the tribe. b. These societies were clearly matriarchal, as shown by their peaceful social organization and veneration of Earth Goddesses. c. There is evidence of some division of labor between males and females, but not enough evidence to formulate any dependable global opinions about dominance. d. Paleolithic pictures and symbols clearly show the gendered power structure of pre-agrarian societies.
c. There is evidence of some division of labor between males and females, but not enough evidence to formulate any dependable global opinions about dominance.
The straight legs of the hominins called "Ardis" (4.5 - 4.3 million years ago) enabled them to: a. Steady themselves with one hand on a branch and reach for fruit with the other. b. Kick away predators from the base of the trees in which they lived. c. Walk upright in the savanna for extended periods. d. Use their feet while carving Acheulian tools.
c. Walk upright in the savanna for extended periods.
All of the following were factors in the Neolithic revolution in the Fertile Crescent except: a. The long east-west climatic zones of Eurasia. b. Animals like sheep, goats, and cattle were found over wide areas and easy to trade. c. Wide expanses of swampy areas facilitated rice production. d. Experimentation with local grains and leaf plants helped humans develop more reliable and better-yielding crops.
c. Wide expanses of swampy areas facilitated rice production.
Historians who insist on a rigid separation between "prehistory" and "history" may be forgetting that: _____________. a. The scientific instruments used by anthropologists have a high failure rate in the field. b. Archaeologists developed the parameters of field surveys long before "history" existed as a literary form. c. Written records can be highly unreliable documents, subject to manipulation before, during, and after their original production. d. Written records have survived from 2 million years ago, but the languages in which they were composed are, at least today, untranslatable.
c. Written records can be highly unreliable documents, subject to manipulation before, during, and after their original production.
Which of the following was the first dynasty in China's recorded history? a. Shang b. Zhou c. Xia d. Ming
c. Xia
The ancient Chinese written language: a. was rejected as a means of presentation by non-Chinese speakers. b. had a very loose association with court ceremonial functions. c. enjoyed a kind of spiritual dimension usually lacking in other world languages. d. required only a short time to master, given the small number of characters.
c. enjoyed a kind of spiritual dimension usually lacking in other world languages.
The Zhou system of decentralized government, in which rule was conducted by landowners who owed loyalty and military service to their superiors and protection to those under them, was called fengjian, meaning: a. imperialism b. republicanism c. feudalism d. Confucianism
c. feudalism
Nomads were known for their: a. sedentary nature. b. cultivation of crops. c. herding of domesticated animals. d. wealthy lifestyle.
c. herding of domesticated animals.
The concept of tian or "Heaven" which had, by the end of the Zhou era, become the guiding force in nearly every major Chinese religious and philosophical tradition: a. represented a turning point toward a less abstract and a more personalized approach to religion. b. was of minor importance in the evolution of religious thought in China. c. represented a turning point toward a more abstract and universal approach to religion. d. had its origins in the Xia era.
c. represented a turning point toward a more abstract and universal approach to religion.
The most far-reaching agricultural innovation in the area south of the North China Plain was the development of: a. barley b. millet c. rice d. corn
c. rice
Which of the following ranks devised by Zhou rulers for governing their territories referred to commoners? a. hou b. shi c. shuren d. qing
c. shuren