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End of Year Assessment: Study Guide
Geography: Many ancient civilizations were built near rivers, to take
advantage of their resources. They could also serve as connectors, while
other geographic features, such as mountains and deserts divided
civilizations and served as protective barriers.
Mesopotamia: Inventions like the plow, wheel, sail, written language,
and laws helped to make it “the cradle of civilization”. Hammurabi’s
Code was a system of laws designed to unify society by establishing rules
for everyone with harsh punishments to discourage violence.
Egypt: Considered “the gift of the Nile” because the resources of the Nile
River helped Egyptian society develop. Egyptians believed that the
pharaoh was actually a god on earth, giving him extensive power over the
people. The social structure of Egypt was hierarchical. Pharaohs were
followed by government officials, soldiers, scribes, merchants, artisans,
farmers, and slaves in order of importance.
China: The Four Treasures symbolized the Chinese emphasis on writing.
The Three Teachings (Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism) reflected the
emphasis on a balanced life. Legalism and Confucianism place a great
emphasis on country and family. Confucians, in particular, believed
family honor came above everything else.
India: Hinduism is the Indian religion in which one is born into a caste
system (their social class) and lives a good life (karma) so they may be
reincarnated in their next life. Both Hindus and Buddhists believe this.
India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh were greatly influenced by the Gupta,
Mughal, and British Empires.
Greece: Democracy is invented by the Greeks as a way to govern their
empire. They were polytheistic, believing in many gods. Their stories
were told in myths, known as mythology. They placed an emphasis on
physical fitness (“a sound mind in a sound body”). Sparta was a very
militaristic society, while Athens was more democratic and artistic.
Rome: Romans believed in many of the same gods as the Greeks, until
Christianity begins to spread throughout Europe during the Roman
Empire. Romans used a big, strong army and their ability to build to
create a big empire.
Islam: Muslims (followers of Islam) were monotheistic like Christians
and Jews. This similar belief did not prevent conflicts such as the
Crusades (Muslims vs. Christians), Shiite vs. Sunni Muslims (Muslims vs.
Muslims), or the ongoing Arab vs. Israeli (Muslims vs. Jews) conflict.
Africa: Ancient Africa consisted on many kingdoms, such as Ghana,
Mali, Songhai, Kush and Great Zimbabwe. They became wealthy empires
because of their location near rivers and trade routes. They traded a lot of
gold, salt, and ivory for goods from Europe and Asia.
Mesoamerica: Toltecs, Mayans, Olmecs, and Aztecs were all civilizations
from Central America. Aztecs believed that the sun would not rise unless
humans were sacrificed to the sun god. This led them to conquer many
lands in search of prisoners for sacrifice. Incas were excellent builders
and maintained control of a large empire, much like the Romans.