Download File - Ms. Abernathy`s World History Class

Name __________________________
Chapter 2 – Early River Valley Civilizations
SECTION 1
1. Describe the area known as the Fertile Crescent.
2. _____________ means “the land between the rivers” which lies between which two rivers?
3. What environmental challenges did the people of Mesopotamia face and how did they overcome these
environmental challenges?
4. The first civilization to develop in Mesopotamia around 3500B.C. was called __________.
5. Define city-state and describe the function and workings of city-states.
6. What is cultural diffusion?
7. How did the Sumerians view their gods? What religious beliefs did they have?
8. What was life like in Sumerian society?
9. How are Sumerian social classes different from those in the U.S. today?
10. List what 5 achievements and inventions of the Sumerians:
11. Who created the first empire in Mesopotamia around 2300B.C?
12. His people were called the _________________. However, by 2000 B.C. the area of Mesopotamia was
taken over by the ______________ of western Syrian.
13. The Amorite Empire was centered at __________________ on the Euphrates River and its greatest
leader was ____________________.
14. What is the historical significance of Hammurabi’s law code?
15. What areas of life did Hammurabi’s code cover?
16. Explain the influence of Sumer on later civilizations.
17. What is polytheism?
SECTION 2
1. Discuss the location and geography of the Egyptian civilization.
2. A Greek historian named Herodotus once said, “Egypt is a gift of the Nile.” Explain what he meant.
3. List as many “gifts” as you can that was given to the Egyptians by the Nile River.
4. What environmental challenges did the Egyptians face?
5. Discuss Lower and Upper Egypt.
6. How did Egypt become one?
7. Compare the similarities and differences between the rulers of Sumer and the rulers of Egypt.
8. Explain why Egypt’s early government, during the Old Kingdom, was considered to be a theocracy.
What is a theocracy?
9. Pyramids:
a. Why did the Egyptians build pyramids?
b. What was the name of the first pyramid?
c. What was the name of the largest pyramid?
d. Give some facts about the largest pyramid.
10. How did the Egyptian belief in the afterlife compare to that of the Sumerians?
11. What evidence can you give that supports the Egyptian belief in the afterlife?
12. Describe the mummification process.
13. How might Egyptian knowledge of mummification have contributed to the knowledge of medicine?
14. Compare the rights of Sumerian women to the rights of Egyptian women.
15. What system if writing did the Egyptians use and how were we able to decipher the language?
16. How were cuneiform and hieroglyphic writing similar and different?
17. List five achievements or great accomplishments of Egyptians:
18. Discuss the end of the Old Kingdom and the beginnings of the Middle Kingdom.
19. Who invaded and conquered the Middle Kingdom?
SECTION 3
1. Discuss the location and geography of the Indus Valley civilizations.
2. What environmental challenges did they face?
3. Why do historians know very little about the Indus Valley peoples?
4. What were the major cities of the Indus Valley called?
5. Discuss the city planning of the Indus Valley civilizations.
6. What information have historians inferred about Harappan culture?
7. Who did the Harrpans trade with?
8. What connections exist between the religion of the Harrapans and the religion in present day India?
9. What reasons are suggested for the disappearance of the Indus River valley civilizations?
SECTION 4
1. Discuss the geography and location of China’s early civilizations.
2. What environmental challenges did China face?
3. What early hominid has been discovered in China?
4. What is the legend of China’s first dynasty?
5. What Chinese dynasty left the first written records?
6. Describe the early cities of China.
7. Discuss Chinese culture:
a. family –
b. social classes –
c. religion –
d. writing –
8. How does the concept of the Mandate of Heaven work?
9. How might the Mandate of heaven affect how a king ruled?
10. How did the Zhou dynasty justify overpowering the Shang?
11. How is the dynastic cycle connected to the Mandate of heaven?
12. How did the Zhou control its dynasty?
13. List five accomplishments of early Chinese:
14. Discuss the end of the Zhou and the period of the Warring States in China.
15. What is feudalism?