Deck 2: Mesopotamia

Question 1

Which one of the following is considered the main contribution of the Akkadian Empire?

A)Sumerian culture was spread throughout the Middle East.
B)Cuneiform was developed.
C)it outlasted other ancient empires.
D)it first manufactured bronze.
E)the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers were finally tamed.

Answer 1

Sumerian culture was spread throughout the Middle East.

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT an occupation associated with the Sumerian society?

A)clerk.
B)masonry.
C)shopkeeper.
D)jewelry making.
E)mining.

Answer 2

mining.

Question 3

What was the Mesopotamian concept of time?

A)static.
B)in flux.
C)tangible.
D)elusive.
E)cyclic.

Answer 3

cyclic.

Question 4

What was the primary purpose of the ziggurat?

A)religious.
B)economic.
C)political.
D)ceremonial.
E)artistic.

Question 5

Which of the following would best describe early Mesopotamia?

A)More people lived in the towns than in the rural areas.
B)Most urban jobs could be obtained with little or no educational background.
C)While many people were directly or indirectly involved in food production, one of the most important tasks was to obtain a fresh supply of water on a daily basis.
D)Slaves were found in al parts of the Sumerian lands.
E)Although livestock was plentiful and vegetables could be easily grown, Mesopotamians had to import their grains.

Question 6

What options in society were available to women under the rule of Hammurabi and his code of law?

A)could divorce.
B)could enter into a contract.
C)could gain custody of her children.
D)could own property.
E)All of the options are correct.

Question 7

Which of these statements is the least applicable to the Sumerians?

A)They were the builders of the first large cities.
B)They brought Mesopotamia under united rulers as early as 3000 B.C.E.
C)They developed a sophisticated writing system.
D)Basic geometry is said to stem from them.
E)They probably pioneered the use of the wheel for transportation.

Question 8

Which of the following applies to the Mesopotamian civilization of Sumeria?

A)saw few technological advancements.
B)was racked by strife and warfare.
C)was incredibly peaceful.
D)had no clear political leaders.
E)had few problems with water.

Question 9

The Sumerians' commerce was based mostly on which of the following?

A)metals.
B)religion.
C)ceramics.
D)foodstuffs.
E)silk.

Question 10

What was one of the indispensable tasks associated with Sumerian women and children?

A)following the orders of male family members.
B)tilling the crops.
C)maintaining a supply of fresh water.
D)gathering nuts and berries.
E)keeping the homes clean and dry.

Question 11

Which of the following is true of early civilizations?

A)They rarely had trade networks.
B)Agriculture is the only component needed for a civilization.
C)Civilizations had a combination of elements including government and social structure.
D)They did not include any rural areas but were based solely in large cities.
E)None of the options are correct.

Question 12

Which of the following best explains Sumerian religion?

A)The influence of multiple religions through trade.
B)The destructive nature of warfare and a need to explain death.
C)The overwhelming peace and ability among the people to contemplate religion.
D)The lack of control the people had over the environment, especially when the environment was so important for food production.
E)All of the options are correct.

Question 13

Which of the following would be most descriptive of Sumerian religion?

A)Their many gods were all male.
B)All gods were free of human characteristics.
C)Sumerian gods existed within a human imposed hierarchy.
D)Sumerian gods existed without intervening at all in human lives.
E)Sumerian religion has been described as paternalistic.

Question 14

What characteristics are associated with the Levantine Corridor?

A)It had high water tables.
B)Geographically located in parts of modern-day Turkey, Israel, and Syria.
C)It is the location of one of the earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia.
D)All of the options are correct.
E)None of the options are correct.

Question 15

What term do historians use to refer to the early hunter gatherers of the Near and Middle East who switched to agriculture at the end of the last Ice Age?

A)Sumerians
B)Amorites
C)Natufians
D)Assyrians
E)Hittites

Question 16

Sumerian accomplishments were many and substantial, but perhaps the most enduring and important is the development of which of the following?

A)ziggurats.
B)a law code.
C)writing.
D)mathematics.
E)a calendar.

Question 17

Which of the following statements would most accurately apply to Hammurabi's Code?

A)it was the first code of law ever drafted.
B)it did not deal extensively with family and social matters.
C)punishment depended upon the violator's rank in society.
D)it attempted to outlaw slavery.
E)it dealt exclusively with business matters.

Question 18

What was cuneiform?

A)a pictorial script from which all writing derives.
B)a written language corresponding to oral language.
C)an alphabet.
D)a script written in wedge-shaped characters.
E)the written language of the Egyptians.

Question 19

In which part of the world were the earliest towns and cities located?

A)Southwest Asia.
B)East Africa.
C)Northern Europe.
D)North America.
E)South America.

Question 20

Which of the following was the first urban civilization?

A)Sumerians.
B)Hittites.
C)Natufians.
D)Egyptians.
E)Amorites.

Question 21

The rulers of Mesopotamia used which form of government to rule their kingdoms and empires?

A)a democracy.
B)a theocracy and monarchy.
C)complete anarchy.
D)an oligarchy.
E)a republic.

Question 22

____________________ unified Mesopotamia and founded the Akkadian Empire.

Question 23

Ziggurats, which were stepped pyramids found in Mesopotamia, served the religious function of ____________________.

Question 24

The best known and a biblical example of a ziggurat might be the ____________________.

Question 25

____________________ was the worst of all offenses between a husband and wife in Sumer.

Question 26

Numerically, the largest portion of the Sumerian population would be found in which class?

A)nobility.
B)freemen.
C)slaves.
D)priests.
E)Both C and D.

Question 27

The Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians were Semitic civilizations. What does Semitic refer to?

A)the Holocaust.
B)a language family.
C)a religion.
D)a region in Southwest Asia.
E)None of the options are correct.

Question 28

What was the main purpose for marriage in Sumerian society?

A)family.
B)sex.
C)economic prosperity.
D)social mobility.
E)religious mandate.

Question 29

Which factors listed below helped lead to the decline of ancient Mesopotamia?

A)environmental degradation.
B)population growth that outpaced agricultural production.
C)the lack of any clear leadership in Babylon.
D)Both B and C.
E)Both A and B.

Question 30

Some of the original accomplishments that are credited to the early Mesopotamian civilizations include ____________________.

Question 31

Of the accomplishments listed below, which one did the Sumerians fail to achieve?

A)a solid social structure.
B)a thriving economy.
C)a rigid government with a clear law code.
D)a unified political system over all of Mesopotamia.
E)It achieved all of the options.

Question 32

After a succession of civilizations ruled over Mesopotamia, which group was the most enduring and ultimate victor?

A)Amorites.
B)Hittites.
C)New Babylonians.
D)Assyrians.
E)Persians.

Question 33

The Indo-European Hittites are credited with being the first to do which of the following?

A)develop writing.
B)write down their religious beliefs.
C)use gold as currency.
D)smelt iron.
E)sail across the Persian Gulf.

Question 34

The Sumerians' religion, like most other ancient civilizations,  believed in ____________________, which comes from the Greek language and means "many gods".

Question 35

What was the most common classification of slave in Mesopotamia in ancient times?

A)criminals.
B)debtors.
C)women.
D)children.
E)Africans.

Question 36

____________________ is the first epic in world literature.

Question 37

The Sumerian language, as set down in written, wedge-shaped character form, is known as ____________________.

Question 38

Mesopotamia is a Greek term for "Land between the Rivers."  The two major rivers associated with Mesopotamia are the ____________________ and ____________________ rivers.

Question 39

Smaller settlements grew into cities that were centers for ____________________, all of which was aided and recorded by early writing systems.

Question 40

Sexual relations in Sumeria were characterized most by which of the following?

A)it was for procreation only.
B)it was merely a necessary sin.
C)there was a double standard regarding sex and adultery for men and women.
D)Sumerians never discussed the issue.
E)None of the options are correct.

Question 41

Term for identification: Theocracy

Question 42

Term for identification: Sumerians

Question 43

Term for identification: Amorites

Question 44

Term for identification: Patriarchy

Question 45

Describe Sumerian cultural achievements, including religion, writing, literature, and mathematics.

Question 46

Term for identification: Phonetic language

Question 47

Term for identification: Akkad

Question 48

Term for identification: Epic of Gilgamesh

Question 49

Describe the Sumerian decline in the larger context of Mesopotamia.

Question 50

Term for identification: Fertile crescent

Question 51

Describe the evolution of writing.

Question 52

What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a written code of law such as the one developed by Hammurabi?

Question 53

As civilizations grew and societies became more sophisticated, what sorts of specialized labor would be necessary to sustain the population and earn a living?

Question 54

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the early Sumerian civilization.

Question 55

Term for identification: Babylon

Question 56

Term for identification: Polytheism