Period 1 “Must Know” Questions
Sumeria, p. 17
1. Between which two rivers was Sumeria situated?
2. Why is the area named Mesopotamia?
3. What are the distinctive geographical features of Mesopotamia?
4. By which dates had people moved to the region? When did these people start building cities?
5. Describe the political aspects of Sumer: Who ruled? Why? Who was considered most important?
6. What kind of gods the Sumerians worship? How is it connected to the landscape?
7. What does division of labor mean? How does it make a society more economically effective?
8. What items were traded in Sumeria? How far did trade routes extend?
9. Describe the social structure: What were the social classes? How were women treated?
10. What were major inventions and technological advancements of Sumeria?
11. How did Sumer decline?
Babylonia, p. 21
1. What technology used allowed other peoples to conquer the lands in Mesopotamia?
2. Where were Babylonians originally from? What did they create?
3. Why was Hammurabi considered a powerful ruler? What defines his reign? What years did he reign?
4. What defined Babylonian social aspects?
5. Describe the political aspects of Babylon
The Phoenicians, p.22
1. Where did the Phoenicians live?
2. When was their society considered at its peak?
3. What are they most known for?
The Hebrews, p. 22
1. What are the descendants of Hebrews known as?
2. In what years did the Hebrews leave Mesopotamia to settle in Canaan?
3. What defines the Hebrews religion?
4. What happens to the Hebrews as time goes on? What is the Diaspora?
Ancient Egypt, p 23
1. Along which river was the Egyptian Civilization situated?
2. Which important plant had multiple uses to early Egyptians?
3. About when did Egyptians begin practicing agriculture and pastoralism?
4. What is desertification? How did Egyptians adjust to it?
5. Describe how the Nile impacted trade and transportation.
6. What geographical feature allowed the Egyptians to develop uninterrupted by invasion?
7. Describe the political structure of the Old Kingdom.
8. Why did building projects characterize the Middle Kingdom? What did these projects create?
9. What are the accomplishments of Ramses the Great?
10. Create a pyramid illustrating the class structure of Egypt.
11. What rights did women have in Egypt that they didn’t have elsewhere?
12. Were Egyptians polytheistic or monotheistic?
13. How did social class differences play a role in burial rituals?
14. What was the name of the Egyptian writing system? What notable books contain this writing?
15. What mathematic and scientific innovations were created and used by the Egyptians?
Nubia, Kush, and Axum, p. 28
1. What items did the Egyptians seek from Nubia?
2. List some areas of society in which Nubia showed Egyptian influence.
3. Who were trading partners with Kush? What items did Kush export?
4. What caused the fall of Kush?
5. What was a long-time cultural impact of Axum’s trade with Roman Empire?
Indus River Valley, p. 30
1. Which people are the first to settle in the Indian subcontinent?
2. What are the names of the two cities settled?
3. What does the archeological evidence tell you about each city?
4. Describe the environment of the Indus River Valley
5. What was the social structure?
6. What was the primary form of economic activity?
7. What is the difference between Aryans and Dravidians?
8. Describe the religion as a whole and define: Vedas, brahmin, dharma, karma, moksha, and the Upanishads
9. How is religion and social structure connected?
China’s First Civilization, p. 33
1. Which two rivers saw the development of civilization in China?
2. What geographical features allowed China to develop free from invasion?
3. Which crops were most important to early Chinese civilizations? Which animals?
4. Which family took control of China starting in 1750 B.C.E.?
5. What metal was most important in Shang China? How was it used?
6. What are oracle bones? How were they used?
7. Describe how the Shang practiced ancestor veneration.
8. What was the name of the writing system in Shang China?
9. What is the Mandate of Heaven? Why did the Zhou use this concept?
10. Describe the political structure of Zhou China. What caused the end of this system?
11. What new metal was developed during the late Zhou Dynasty? How was it used?
12. What historical process led to urbanization within China?
13. Describe the achievements of the Zhou Dynasty.
14. Why did the Zhou Dynasty end?
First American Civilizations, p. 37
1. What was the most important crop in the diet of early Americans? What other crops were common?
2. What were the beginning and ending dates for the Chavin? Where were they located?
3. What items were grown by the Chavin?
4. What domesticated animal was important to the Chavin? How was it used?
5. What are some of the accomplishments or innovations by the Chavin?
6. What caused the end of the Chavin?
7. What are some ways in which the Olmec impacted later civilizations?
8. When did the Olmec exist? Where were they located?
9. For what are the Olmec most known?
10. Describe some of the achievements of the Olmec.
The Pacific People, p. 39
1. When did the first people arrive to Oceania?
2. Who are the Austronesian-speaking people?
3. Who are aboriginals?
4. How did the Austronesian people migrate from one island to another?
5. What is the main difference between the aboriginals and Austronesians lifestyle?
6. Describe briefly what happened to Easter Island.