Ancient River Civilizations Review
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Questions and Answers

What geographic factor do Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, and China all have in common?

Settled on rivers

The 'land between the rivers' is called?

Mesopotamia

What are the two rivers of Mesopotamia?

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

What is the writing system for Egypt?

<p>Hieroglyphics</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the writing system of Sumeria?

<p>Cuneiform</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the river system in Egypt?

<p>Nile River</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the river system in India?

<p>Indus River</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the river system in the Shang Dynasty?

<p>Huang He or Yellow River</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a theocracy?

<p>A system of government in which local lords governed their own lands but owed militia service and other kinds of support to the ruler</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is polytheism?

<p>The belief in many gods</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is considered to be the first written law code?

<p>Hammurabi's Code</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who is Sargon I and why is he important?

<p>United Mesopotamia into the first empire</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a ziggurat?

<p>A pyramid-shaped temple built by the Sumerians</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a city-state?

<p>Political unit consisting of a city and its surrounding land</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did the Sumerians view the afterlife?

<p>Believed it was a bad place</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did Egyptians view the afterlife?

<p>Believed in life after death and it was good - also thought that you could bring your possessions with you</p> Signup and view all the answers

What were some scientific innovations from Mesopotamia?

<p>Wagon wheel, sundial, bronze, plow, basic algebra, geometry</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the Rosetta Stone and why is it important?

<p>A rock discovered in 1801 that deciphered hieroglyphics</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a delta?

<p>Triangular area of marshland formed by deposits of silt at the mouth of some rivers</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a vizier?

<p>Chief minister who supervised the business of government in Egypt</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who is Ramses II and why is he important?

<p>Egyptian Pharaoh who signed the first peace treaty</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who is Hatshepsut and why is she important?

<p>Egyptian Queen who extensively built Egypt and made its empire grow to its largest height</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who is King Menes and why is he important?

<p>Egyptian King or Pharaoh who conquered and united Upper and Lower Egypt as one Empire</p> Signup and view all the answers

What were some scientific innovations from Egypt?

<p>Astronomy for the calendar, number system for taxes, mathematics and geometry for surveying, and engineering for pyramid construction</p> Signup and view all the answers

What evidence suggests that the Indus Valley cities had a well-organized government?

<p>Well planned cities, Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were well planned with sanitation, a grid system and plumbing</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the two capital cities of the Indus Valley Civilization?

<p>Mohenjo-Daro</p> Signup and view all the answers

What were some innovations from the Indus River Civilization?

<p>Well planned cities, grid system, underground sewer system</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the Mandate of Heaven?

<p>Made it possible for Chinese rulers’ ability to remain in power only as long as they were just and effective</p> Signup and view all the answers

How is the Mandate of Heaven related to the Dynastic Cycle?

<p>Every dynasty goes through a culture cycle. A new ruler unites China, founds a new dynasty, and gains the Mandate of Heaven. When the ruler loses the Mandate, a new cycle begins.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the first two official dynasties of China?

<p>Shang and Zhou</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are oracle bones?

<p>Bones of small animals and tortoise shells used by Shang Kings to talk with their ancestors and predict the future</p> Signup and view all the answers

Explain feudalism.

<p>A system of government in which local lords governed their own lands but owed militia service and other kinds of support to the ruler</p> Signup and view all the answers

What were some innovations from China?

<p>Bronze, Calendar, Silk-Making</p> Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Geographic Factors

  • Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, and China all established settlements along rivers, which provided water and fertile land.

Mesopotamia

  • Known as the "land between the rivers," referring to its location between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
  • The writing system used in Sumeria is called cuneiform.

Major Rivers

  • The Nile River is the primary river system of Egypt, crucial for agriculture and transportation.
  • The Indus River serves as the major river system in India, supporting early civilization development.
  • The Huang He, or Yellow River, is significant in the context of the Shang Dynasty's rise.

Governance and Religion

  • Theocracy describes a governance system where local lords manage their territories while supporting a central ruler.
  • Polytheism is the prevalent belief system in these civilizations, emphasizing the worship of multiple gods.
  • Hammurabi's Code is recognized as the first written law code, establishing justice and legal standards in Babylon.
  • Sargon I united Mesopotamia, creating the first known empire.

Architectural and Cultural Developments

  • Ziggurats are pyramid-shaped temples constructed by the Sumerians for religious purposes.
  • A city-state is a political entity that includes a city and its surrounding territory.

Afterlife Beliefs

  • Sumerians viewed the afterlife negatively, perceiving it as a bleak existence.
  • In contrast, Egyptians believed in a positive afterlife, allowing individuals to carry their possessions into the next world.

Scientific Innovations

  • Mesopotamian innovations include the wagon wheel, sundial, bronze metallurgy, plow, and advancements in algebra and geometry.
  • Egyptians contributed to scientific knowledge with developments in astronomy, taxation methods, mathematics, and engineering for pyramid construction.

Historical Artifacts

  • The Rosetta Stone, discovered in 1801, was crucial for deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Ecology and Geography

  • Deltas are triangular areas of marshland formed by sediment deposits at river mouths, which support rich biodiversity.

Government Officials

  • A vizier in ancient Egypt served as the chief minister, overseeing government functions.

Notable Pharaohs

  • Ramses II was an influential Egyptian Pharaoh known for signing the first recorded peace treaty.
  • Hatshepsut, a powerful queen, expanded Egypt's empire to its greatest extent through extensive building projects.
  • King Menes is credited with uniting Upper and Lower Egypt, establishing a unified empire.

Indus Valley Civilization

  • Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro exemplify well-organized governance in the Indus Valley, characterized by planned cities with advanced sanitation systems.
  • Innovations of the Indus River Civilization include urban planning, a grid layout, and underground sewers.

Chinese Dynastic System

  • The Mandate of Heaven is the philosophical foundation for a ruler's legitimacy in governance, contingent upon fairness and effectiveness.
  • The Dynastic Cycle describes how dynasties rise and fall, with each new dynasty securing the Mandate of Heaven until it loses legitimacy.
  • The Shang and Zhou dynasties are the first two officially recorded dynasties in Chinese history.

Divination Tools

  • Oracle bones, from small animals and tortoise shells, were used by Shang kings for ancestral communication and divination.

Feudalism

  • Feudalism is a governance model where local lords maintain control over their lands while providing military and other support to a central authority.

Chinese Innovations

  • Notable Chinese innovations include developments in bronze metallurgy, the calendar system, and silk production.

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Test your knowledge of Ancient River Civilizations through flashcards. This quiz covers key geographic and cultural aspects of civilizations such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, and China. Perfect for students reviewing major concepts related to these historic societies.

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