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Questions and Answers
How many points is the midterm exam worth in total?
Which section of the midterm exam consists of short answers?
What is the maximum word count expected for each short answer response?
Which of the following topics is NOT listed as a potential question for the exam?
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What is the format in which students can prepare for the short answers?
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What is the primary ceremonial center of the Olmecs before La Venta?
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Which Sumerian goddess is associated with love and fertility?
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Who was the first king to create a territorial kingdom in Mesopotamia?
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Which ancient civilization is associated with the Eanna complex?
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What was the population of Eridu around 4000 BC?
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Which king is famous for a code of laws in Babylon?
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What type of structure is a ziggurat?
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Which period corresponds to the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt?
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What was the role of Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrianism?
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Which battle marked the first significant confrontation between Alexander the Great and Darius III?
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Who was the Athenian leader known for his influence during the golden age of Athens?
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In the historic periodization of ancient Greece, which period is defined as occurring around c. 1100-800?
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What was a primary characteristic of the region of Peloponnese in ancient Greece?
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Which pharaoh is known for building the largest pyramid at Giza?
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What significant change occurred during the reign of Akhenaten?
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What does the Rosetta Stone contain that was crucial for deciphering hieroglyphics?
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Which of the following was a major military leader of the New Kingdom?
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What was the primary role of satrapies in the Persian Empire?
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Which king is associated with the expansion of the Persian Empire to its largest extent?
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What characterizes henotheism as a religious system?
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What distinguishes Demotic writing from hieratic writing?
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Which principle of Confucianism is primarily associated with the concept of respect for family and ancestors?
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What is the core teaching of ahimsa in Indian philosophy?
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Which of the following is a key text associated with Daoism?
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In Indian social structure, which caste is primarily composed of merchants and artisans?
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Which term refers to the belief in the cycle of reincarnation in Indian religious thought?
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What does the concept of yin and yang signify in Chinese philosophy?
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Which form of Buddhism is often referred to as 'The Greater Vehicle'?
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Who is recognized as the mythical founder of Daoism?
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Study Notes
Ancient Civilizations
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Olmecs: Early Mesoamerican civilization (1200-450 BC) in parts of modern Mexico. Known for impressive ceremonial centers like San Lorenzo and La Venta (after 900 BC).
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Mesopotamia: Region located between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.
- Uruk: Early urban center (c. 2900 BC) with a population of 50,000.
- Eridu: Early urban center (c. 4000 BC) with a population of 4,000. A prominent temple dominated the city, possibly the Tower of Babel mentioned in the Old Testament.
- Epic of Gilgamesh: Sumerian epic story of a king searching for immortality.
- Inanna (Sumerian) / Ishtar (Akkadian): Mesopotamian goddess of love and fertility.
- An: Sumerian sky and creator god.
- Shamash: Sun god and god of justice.
- Eanna Complex: Temple complex dedicated to Inanna in Uruk. Construction took five years and employed 15,000 laborers for ten hours daily.
- Akkad: Urban center in northern Mesopotamia that became dominant around 2350 BC.
- Sargon: Akkadian king who established the first territorial kingdom in Mesopotamia.
- Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC): Babylonian king famous for his code and for creating a large empire centered on Babylon.
- Ziggurat: Sumerian temple.
- Amorite and Aramaic: Semitic languages spoken in northern Mesopotamia.
- Bala Taxation System: Advance budgeting system used by the city of Ur. Each province's contribution was calculated based on its agricultural potential.
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Hittites: People from Anatolia (modern Turkey) who mastered chariot warfare and sacked Babylon in 1595 BC.
- Suppiluliuma I (1344-1322): Founder and most successful Hittite ruler of the New Kingdom.
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Hurrians: Population group in northern Mesopotamia who established the state of Mittani. They emphasized horsemanship, likely contributing to its spread throughout the Near East.
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Nabuchadnezzar I (1125-1104): King of Babylon during the Isin Dynasty who took revenge on Elam. He sacked Elam's capital, Susa, and recovered the statue of Marduk that had been taken by the Elamites from Babylon in 1158.
Ancient Egypt
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Old Kingdom (c. 2600-2200), Middle Kingdom (c. 2000-1600) and New Kingdom (c. 1500-1050): Historic periodization of ancient Egypt.
- Imhotep: Architect who developed the pyramid as a monumental construction; later venerated almost as a god.
- Saqqara: Site of the first Egyptian pyramidal tombs.
- Khufu: Egyptian pharaoh known for his massive pyramid (480 feet high), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
- Khefren: Egyptian pharaoh who built one of the largest pyramids at Giza.
- Akhetaten: "Horizon of Aten," the new capital founded by Akhenaten. Part of the "Amarna Revolution," an attempt to introduce a monotheistic religion centered on the sun disc.
- Hatshepsut (1472-1457): Famous Egyptian queen who ruled as a pharaoh and was depicted with male attributes in visual media.
- Thebes, Abydos and Memphis: Important Egyptian cities.
- Hyksos: Warrior people from the Near East who conquered Lower Egypt in the 18th century BC.
- Ramses II (1279-1213): One of the most successful pharaohs and military leaders of the New Kingdom.
- Battle of Kadesh (1275): The first major battle involving the armies of great kings, pitting the Egyptians against the Hittites. Both claimed victory.
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Rosetta Stone: Tri-lingual inscription used by 19th-century scholars to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphic writing. It contained two types of signs:
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Logograms: Indicate a word through meaning.
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Phonograms: Indicate a word through sound).
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Hieroglyphic writing was used on inscriptions and monuments while hieratic (cursive hieroglyphic) was used in manuscripts.
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Demotic became the standard daily use writing in the 7th century BC.
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Coptic (alphabetic writing) developed in the Christian era and remained in use until the 12th century.
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Early Empires: Greece and Persia
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Assyrian Empire (c. 900-600): The first large empire of the East, conquering Mesopotamia and Egypt.
- Ashur: Main Assyrian god.
- Henotheism: Religious system between monotheism and polytheism, characterized by one dominant god (e.g., Assyrian religion).
- Ashurbanipal (668-628): One of the most successful Assyrian kings. The empire reached its largest extent and cultural flourishing during his reign.
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Medes: People of Iran who developed their own empire before Persia. They benefitted from the collapse of Assyria.
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Achaemenids: The first line of Persian kings.
- Cyrus the Great (559-529): Founder of the Persian Empire. He conquered the kingdom of Lydia in western Turkey.
- Cambyses: Persian king who conquered Egypt.
- Darius the Great (521-486): Persian king during the height of the Persian Empire. He expanded the empire to include the Indus River, uniting the earliest civilizations (India, Mesopotamia, and Egypt) for the first time.
- Satrapies: Persian administrative units ruled by satraps (e.g., Egypt).
- Susa: Ancient Persian capital.
- Persepolis: Persian ceremonial capital founded by Darius the Great and completed by Xerxes.
- Xerxes: Persian king who succeeded Darius.
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Zoroastrianism: Religion of ancient Persia that emphasized a dualistic universe with perpetual conflict between Good and Evil.
- Ahura Mazda: Zoroastrian supreme god, creator of the universe.
- Ahriman: Rival of Ahura Mazda.
Ancient Greece
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Dark Age (c. 1100-800), Archaic Period (c. 800-480), Classical Period (c. 480-323): Historic periodization of ancient Greece.
- Polis: Greek city.
- Acropolis: Fortified hilltop area in most Greek cities.
- Agora: Open space used as a market and for conducting business and meetings.
- Herodotus: Greek historian, "father of history" (5th century BC).
- Peloponnese: Region in southern Greece, dominated by Sparta.
- Helots: Native Peloponnesians enslaved by the Spartans.
- Attica: Region controlled by Athens.
- Solon: Early 6th-century reformer and lawmaker in Athens. He created the first democratic institutions, later followed by the reforms of Cleisthenes.
- Pericles: Athenian leader during Athens' golden age (5th century).
- Marathon (490): Battle between Athenians and Persians led by Darius.
- Thermophylae (480): Battle where the 300 Spartan royal bodyguard defeated the Persians led by Xerxes.
- Plataea (479): Battle between a Greek coalition led by Sparta and the Persians.
- Battle of Issus (333 BC): First major battle between Alexander the Great and the Persian king Darius III.
- Hellenistic world (c. 323-31 BC): The cultural legacy of Alexander – a world dominated by Greek culture but also by political fragmentation.
Ancient Rome
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Regal Rome (753-509), Republic (509-31), Early Empire (31 BC-284 AD), Late Empire (284-640), Byzantium (640-1453): Historic periodization of ancient Rome.
- Patricians: Roman upper class.
- Plebeians: Roman lower class.
- Consul: Highest magistrate.
- Toba: People of east Mongolia who established a strong state in northern China (5th century AD).
Culture and Religion in the East to 500 AD
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Kongzi (551-479) / Confucius: Founder of Confucianism.
- Analects: Collection of Confucian texts.
- Ren: Confucian principle translated as "humanness".
- Li: Confucian principle translated as "courtesy".
- Xiao: Confucian principle translated as "respect for family and ancestors".
- Mencius and Xunzi: Disciples of Confucius.
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Laozi (6th century BC): Mythical founder of Daoism.
- Daodejing: Short poetic volume written by Laozi that contains main Daoist principles.
- Yin and Yang: Chinese concept that embodies the belief in the unity of opposites.
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Rig Veda: The most important text of Vedic religion in India.
- Aryans: Light-skinned people speaking an Indo-European language.
- Dasas: Dark-skinned people living in central and southern India, speaking Dravidian languages.
- Jati: Indian group related by birth (caste).
- Varna: Traditional Indian social system (class).
- Samsara: Indian belief in reincarnation.
- Atman: Immortal essence (soul).
- Ahimsa: Indian concept of non-violence.
- Artha: Honest pursuit of economic well-being.
- Brahmin (priests and scholars), Kshatriya (warriors and officials), Vaishya (merchants, artisans and landowners) and Shudra (peasants and laborers): The four main divisions of the Indian caste system.
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Siddhartha Gautama (563-483) / The Buddha: Founder of Buddhism.
- Dharma: Indian religious doctrine.
- Mahayana Buddhism: "The Greater Vehicle," the more popular form of Buddhism.
- Hinayana Buddhism: "The Lesser Vehicle," a more demanding and austere version of Buddhism.
- Bodhisattvas: Spiritually developed people, Buddhist "saints", who delayed their entry into nirvana to help others achieve enlightenment.
- Nirvana: The ultimate goal of Buddhism. It represents personal salvation, escape from the cycle of reincarnation, and the attainment of a state of perpetual tranquility.
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Description
Test your knowledge on ancient civilizations like the Olmecs and Mesopotamia. Explore significant urban centers, deities, and notable historical texts such as the Epic of Gilgamesh. This quiz will cover various aspects of these early societies.
