MWH Reading Notes 1 Name:_______________________ The First Civilizations and Empires

Chapter 1 (p. 16)

1. How are scientists able to calculate the age of an historical artifact?

2. Describe Hominids.

3. Name two types of Homo Sapiens.

4. Describe Neanderthals.

5. The Old Stone Age is also known as

6. Describe how people survived in the Old Stone Age

7. What is a nomad?

8. When did the most recent Ice Age occur?

9. What did scholars find in Lascaux and Altmira?

10. Why are these findings important?

11. What big revolutionary change occurred during the Neolithic Revolution?

12. What is systematic agriculture?

13. Name two large Neolithic farming villages. What was so special about these villages?

14. List the regions that began to flourish with civilizations during the Bronze and Iron Ages.

15. What six elements are common components in defining a civilization?

Chapter 2 (p. 34)

1. Where is the Fertile Crescent located?

2. Why is Mesopotamia so fertile (great for farming)?

3. What three major areas make up Mesopotamia?

4. Who were the creators of the first Mesopotamian civilization?

5. What is a theocracy?

6. Who were the creators of the first empire in world history? 7. An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth is representative of which law code?

8. What does it mean when Mesopotamian society is Patriarchal?

9. Where is Lower Egypt located? 10. What is the miracle of the Nile?

11. List the three major periods that historians have divided Egyptian History into. 12. Egyptian Pharaohs exercised absolute power. What is absolute power mean?

13. What was the main function for the Egyptian pyramids?

14. During the height of The Middle Kingdom, Egypt began a period of expansion. Which region did they conquer?

15. How did the Middle Kingdom come to an end?

16. Who was the first woman to become pharaoh?

17. Eventually Egypt became a province of which empire?

18. When did hieroglyphics emerge as a form of writing?

19. Who are pastoral nomads?

20. Who are the Hittites? Where is the Hittite Empire located?

21. After the downfall of the Hittites and the Egyptians, Who began to prosper?

22. What is the Phoenician culture best known for?

23. Who lived to the south of the Phoenicians?

24. Why did the Israelites migrate to Egypt?

25. The capital of Israel became known as _______________ . 26. In 722 B.C. who overran the Kingdom of Israel?

27. What monotheistic religion arose out of Israel? 28. Where was the Assyrian Empire located?

29. What was so special about the Assyrian army?

30. Who established the Persian Empire?

31. How did the Persian Empire fall?

32. What religion dominated the Persian Empire?