Name: Key

Benchmark Review

1)What geographic feature were the four main ancient civilizations located near?

Rivers

2)What separates pre-history from history?

Pre-history is before writing, history is after

3)What are two main things all civilizations have in common? (Hint: You’re looking at one.)

Writing, government, farming

4)Why was the first farmer probably a woman?

Women gathered food

5)What is Sumerian writing called?

Cuneiform

6)What kind of religion did most people practice in ancient times?

Polytheism

7)What is Egyptian writing known as?

Hieroglyphics

8)What does it look like?

Pictures

9)How were Egyptian pharaohs and Roman emperors similar to one another? (Two things.)

Both gods and kings

10)What were the pharaohs’ tombs called?

Pyramids

11)What river is located near Egypt?

Nile

12)What was the “gift of the Nile”?

Annual flooding leaving behind silt and nutrient-rich soil

13)What was the purpose of Hammurabi’s Code?

Have a well-known set of laws

14)Who did Hammurabi’s Code apply to?

Everyone in Babylon

15)Why was Hammurabi’s Code unfair by today’s standards?

It issued harsher punishments for poor people, lighter punishments for the rich; also extremely harsh

16)What made the Hebrews’ religion different from other ancient religions?

Monotheistic

17)What is polytheism?

Belief in multiple gods/goddesses

18)What were the set of rules the Hebrews followed?

Ten Commandments

19)Who was given the Ten Commandments?

Moses

20)What was special about Zoroastrianism? (Hint: A choice.)

Made religion a choice between good and evil

21)Where was the Sanskrit language used?

India

22)Who made the alphabet that we now use today?

Phoenicians

23)What job were the Phoenicians known for?

Sea traders/merchants

24)What group of people restarted Indian civilization after the fall of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro?

Indo-Aryans

25)What books did they bring with them?

Vedas

26)What is important about India’s Gupta Empire?

Classical India’s Golden Age

27)What are the two main rivers located in India?

Indus and Ganges

28)What is a Golden Age?

When culture (art, writing, poetry, etc.) is at a high point

29)What are the two major religions that developed in India?

Hinduism and Buddhism

30)What is Asoka remembered for doing?

Converting to Buddhism

31)How did Hinduism start?

Brahmins (priests) interpreted Vedic writings

32)What is the name of the holy books of Hinduism?

Vedas

33)Who are the Untouchables?

The lowest caste; people who are poor, homeless, diseased, handicapped, etc.

34)What is the name of the Hinduism class system?

Caste system

35)Who was the founder of Buddhism?

Siddhartha Gautama

36)What are the two sets of rules Buddhists try to follow?

Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path

37)Who do Buddhists worship?

No one; it is an atheistic religion

38)What river did ancient Chinese civilizations settle near?

Huang He or Yellow

39)What philosophy did the Zhou Dynasty use to rule?

Mandate of Heaven

40)What is the Mandate of Heaven?

Gods choose who will rule

41)How did the Qin Dynasty come to power?

United China, took over after the Zhou

42)What philosophy did the Qin Dynasty use to rule?

Legalism- very harsh

43)What was one accomplishment of the Qin Dynasty?

Built Great Wall of China, built roads, unified language, unified currency

44)What were some of the teachings of Confucius?

Proper relationships

45)What dynasty used Confucius’ teachings to govern?

Han civil service exams

46)What is a patriarchal society?

Ruled by men

47)In addition to China, where else did Confucianism become popular?

Japan, Cambodia, Vietnam

48)What was the purpose of the Greek Polis?

Protect farmers

49)What was the difference between Sparta and Athens?

Sparta- military based, Athens- democracy; refer to Greece foldable for further information

50)Which city-state treated women better?

Sparta

51)Why did that city-state treat women better?

They had babies (future warriors)

52)What was the name of the war between Sparta and Athens?

Peloponnesian War

53)How did the Roman Republic start?

The last Etruscan monarch was overthrown by the aristocrats

54)What was Spartacus?

Large Roman slave revolt

55)What is a republic?

Government where people elect politicians to make laws on their behalf

56)What type of democracy does the U.S. have today- direct or indirect?

Indirect (a Republic- “…and to the Republic for which it stands…”)

57)Who were Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle?

Greek philosophers

58)What was Alexander the Great’s biggest accomplishment?

Spreading Greek culture

59)Where did he spread Greek culture to?

The known world

60)What do we also call Greek culture?

Hellenism

61)What is the Greek word for city-state?

Polis

62)What type of religion did the classical Greeks practice?

Polytheism

63)What was the law code used in Rome called?

Twelve Tables

64)Who had to follow the rules of the Twelve Tables?

Everyone

65)What is important about Constantine?

Roman Emperor who converted to Christianity

66)Who helped spread Christianity?

Paul (and Constantine)

67)What religion did Jesus practice?

Judaism

68)What does religious tolerance mean?

Accepting of others’ beliefs, ex: not killing them for practicing another religion

69)What are some of the reasons for the collapse of the Roman Empire?

Poor leaders, diseases & natural disasters, bad economy, invasions, expensive government programs, grew too big too quickly

70)What religion replaced the Roman gods and goddesses?

Christianity

71)Whose death marks the end of the Roman Republic?

Julius Caesar

72)Who was the first Roman Emperor?

Augustus Caesar

73)What does PaxRomana mean?

Roman Peace

74)What was a popular sporting event in classical Rome?

Gladiators, chariot racing

75)What is different about America’s government and Greek or Roman government?

Women can vote