Ancient River Valley Civilizations Review
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TRASH-KET-BALL ~ FALL 2012
What do archeologists call the preserved remains or
traces of animals, plants & other organisms from the
past?
Fossil.
What do we call a civilization whose rulers all come from the same
family?
Dynasty.
What do archeologists call ancient human-
made objects?
Artifacts.
Define Culture.
A group of people’s
WAY OF LIFE.
The Old Stone Age is also
known as the. .
Paleolithic Age.
The New Stone Age is also
known as the. .
Neolithic Age.
What is a nomad?
A person who travels from place to place in
search of food.
What is the name of the art called during the
Stone Age?
Cro- Magnon Art
Why is slash & burn farming so
effective?
The ashes fertilize the soil.
What was the impact of the Neolithic Revolution? Nomadic life was no longer
necessary.
People could SETTLE in one place!!!!
Instead of searching for food, people were producing food!!!
What are the 5 defining characteristics of a
civilization?
1.Advanced Cities 2.Specialized Workers 3.Complex Institutions
4.Record Keeping 5.Advanced Technology
What does the word “Mesopotamia” mean?
“The land b/w the rivers”
The people of Mesopotamia settled between which two
rivers?
The Tigris & Euphrates
What is a scribe?
A Sumerian record keeper.
What type of writing did the Mesopotamians
use?
Cunieform.
What structure was at the center of
every Mesopotamian city-state?
A Ziggurat.
What does the term “barter” mean?
Trade.
In Mesopotamia, this was known as a city that
functioned as an independent political unit.
City-State.
Define CULTURAL DIFFUSION!!!!
The spreading of ideas and goods from
culture to culture.
Define polytheism.
The belief in many gods!!
Define monotheism.
The belief in one god!!
Name two of the three environmental challenges
Mesopotamians faced.
1.Unpredictable flooding. 2.No natural barriers for protection.
3.No natural resources.
What was the main idea behind
Hammurabi’s Code? Retaliation.
“Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth”
How is the Nile River different from any other
river in the world?
It flows from South to North.
When does the Nile River flood?
Every July.
Did Egypt have any natural barriers? If so,
what were they? YES!!!!
Deserts on the east & west, mountains in the south & the
Mediterranean Sea in the north.
Define pharaoh.
God-king!!!
What is the relationship b/w the political authority &
religious authority in Ancient Egypt?
IT WAS THE SAME PERSON!!!
THE PHARAOH!!!!
What type of writing came from the Ancient
Egyptians?
Hieroglyphics
What did the Ancient Egyptians use for paper?
Papyrus
Define Subcontinent.
A large landmass that is part of a continent but is
considered either geographically independent.
What are the two most important rivers in
Ancient India?
The Indus River &
The Ganges River
What environmental challenge did the farmers of the Indus Valley face that
the Sumerians & Egyptians did not?
MONSOONS.
Who is responsible for uniting upper and lower
Egypt? AND what artifact proves this theory?
King Namar And his crown!
How were the planned cities of the Indus Valley
different from other early cities?
They were built on a grid with advanced
plumbing.
What were the three reasons for the disappearance of the
early Indus Valley civilizations?
Earthquakes Floods
Tired Soil
This person was the first emperor of the first Indian dynasty. This emperor gave up his
throne, converted to Jainism, and eventually starved to death while
fasting.
Chandragupta Maurya
What did the Jainist teach?
Nonviolence and respect for all life.
After a long, bloody war in which 100,000 soldiers and
even more civilians were killed, this emperor
became a Buddhist.
Ashoka
Asoka is responsible for spreading ____________ around the world.
Buddhism
This is the name of India’s second great empire, which
began in A.D. 320.
Gupta Empire
This emperor came to power peacefully (through marriage) in about A.D. 320 and was
called the Great King of Kings.
Chandra Gupta.
This is the type of society in which the eldest male is the head of the extended family.
Patriarchal
This is the type of society in which the eldest female is the head of the extended family.
Matriarchal
Hindu’s ultimate goal is called __________?
Buddhist ultimate goal is called__________?
Moksha and Nirvana
What was the only area the Persians were
unsuccessful at capturing?
Greece
What were the two major river systems in China that flowed to the west to the
Pacific Ocean?
The Huang He &
The Yangtze
This is the yellowish fertile soil deposited along the riverbanks.
Loess
• Two Rivers: –Huang He –Yangtze
• Plateau of Tibet • Gobi Desert • Mongolian
Plateau • Himalaya
Mountains
What are some of the environmental challenges that the ancient Chinese
faced? 1. Flooding of Huang He 2. Geographic isolation
3. Lack of natural barriers 4. Only 10% of China’s land is
suitable for farming.
What was the first Chinese dynasty to leave
written records?
The Shang
Explain why the Chinese writing system is so
unique.
It was universal.
This is the divine approval that a Chinese ruler must possess to maintain rule.
The Mandate of Heaven
This is the pattern of rise, decline, and
replacement of ruling families in China.
The Dynastic Cycle
This is the ethical system adopted by Shi Huangdi.
Legalism
Who is responsible for the construction of the Royal
Road?
King Darius
This is what the philosophy of Laozi came
to be called.
Daoism
From which city-state was
Hammurabi from?
Babylon.
What is the name of the triangular piece of land located at the mouth of the
Nile River?
Delta
Define Theocracy.
A government based on Religious authority!
What is the main purpose of a pyramid?
To serve as a tomb.
Hieroglyphics, Cuneiform &
Chinese are all based on what?
Pictograph’s.
Explain how the Dynastic Cycle and the
Mandate of Heaven impact each other.
The process in which a dynasty comes to power, reigns, and loses power is called the Dynastic Cycle which is all controlled by god (Mandate of Heaven).
What season brought the WET winds to
India?
Summer Monsoons.
What season brought the DRY winds to
India?
Winter Monsoons.
Persian religion was ____________, which viewed life as a struggle between
_______& _______.
Zoroastrianism
GOOD and EVIL
True or False: Confucianism is a
religion.
False. It is an ethical system.
Confucius said that __________________ could change a
commoner into a gentleman.
Education.
Which Emperor is responsible for having
the Great Wall of China built?
Shi Huangdi.
