CLEP WESTERN CIVILIZATION 1
Questions and Answers
1.The Fertile Crescent
Answer An area of river valleys in the Near East where conditions are
optimum for crop production.
2.The Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age)
Answer The age in which humans lived as nomads in small communities,
hunting and gathering fruits for food and using fire and crude stone
implements.
3.The Neolithic Age (New Stone Age)
Answer The age in which stone tools were refined, animals were
domesticated, and agriculture was developed as people transitioned
from a nomadic to a more settled way of life.
4.The Bronze Age
Answer The age in which cities were developed, and tools were in-
creasingly made out of metal alloys rather than stone. Irrigation and
writing began to be developed during this time.
5.Sumer (Mesopotamia)
Answer The area within the Tigris-Euphrates river valley.
,6.Akkadians
Answer A semi-nomadic people, who spoke a Semitic language.
Migrated from the deserts west of Mesopotamia and settled in the
Tigris-Euphrates valley during the 4th millennium B.C.E.
7.King Sargon
Answer An Akkadian king (2371-2316 B.C.E., approximate) who led the
Akkadians in conquering Sumerian city-states. Established an empire
that unified Mesopotamia and reached beyond it into the Iranian
plateau and as far west as Lebanon. His dynasty ruled Akkad and
Sumer for about 200 years.
8.The Third Dynasty of Ur
Answer Around 2100 B.C.E., the Sumerian city of Ur rose up in revolt
against the Akkadian rule. The attained control of Mesopotamia and
ruled for about 100 years.
9.Amorites
Answer Re-unified Mesopotamia, and established their capital at
Babylon, on the Euphrates. The Amorites (Old Babylonian Dynasty)
ruled for about 300 years, from around 1900-1600 B.C.E.
10.Hammurabi
Answer (1792-1750 B.C.E., approximate) The greatest king of the Old
,Babylonian Dynasty. Famous for his law code. Claimed to be a
representative of the gods.
11.Hammurabi's Code
Answer A law code that attempted to stabilize the hierarchical so- ciety.
Presented like a pyramid the slaves at the bottom, freemen such as
peasants and merchants next, warrior aristocracy and priesthood, and
the king at the top. Known for, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a
tooth." Dealt with legislation regarding the family, ownership of land,
and commercial transactions.
12.Hittites
Answer From Anatolia (Asia Minor). Attacked the Old Babylonian
Empire around 1600 B.C.E. and plundered them.
13.Kassites
Answer From the region that is now Iran. Attacked the Old Babylonian
Empire around 1600 B.C.E. and established themselves as rulers for 300
years.
14.Hurrians
Answer Established the kingdom of Mitanni in the upper Tigris-
Euphrates valley around 1500 B.C.E. which lasted for 100 years, until
they were conquered by the Hittites.
, 15.Cuneiform
Answer The earliest form of writing, made by wedge-shaped marks
im- pressed on clay tables using a stylus. Initially pictographs
(representing objects), but later included ideograms (representing
ideas). Began around 3000 B.C.E.
16.Ziggurats
Answer Multi-level, pyramid-like constructions by the people
of Mesopotamia. Demonstrate practical engineering skills.
17.Gilgamesh
Answer A Sumerian epic poem inscribed around 2000 B.C.E. on twelve
cuneiform tablets. Describes the quest of the hero Gilgamesh, king of
Uruk, in search of immortality. Includes an account of a great flood.
18.Enuma Elish
Answer A Sumerian epic poem describing the story of creation.
19.The Egyptian Archaic Period
Answer The first two dynasties of Egypt governed from about 3100-
2700 B.C.E. Unified the Nile Valley. Under centralized government, the
economy was carefully planned and agriculture was efficient.
20.The Old Kingdom
Questions and Answers
1.The Fertile Crescent
Answer An area of river valleys in the Near East where conditions are
optimum for crop production.
2.The Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age)
Answer The age in which humans lived as nomads in small communities,
hunting and gathering fruits for food and using fire and crude stone
implements.
3.The Neolithic Age (New Stone Age)
Answer The age in which stone tools were refined, animals were
domesticated, and agriculture was developed as people transitioned
from a nomadic to a more settled way of life.
4.The Bronze Age
Answer The age in which cities were developed, and tools were in-
creasingly made out of metal alloys rather than stone. Irrigation and
writing began to be developed during this time.
5.Sumer (Mesopotamia)
Answer The area within the Tigris-Euphrates river valley.
,6.Akkadians
Answer A semi-nomadic people, who spoke a Semitic language.
Migrated from the deserts west of Mesopotamia and settled in the
Tigris-Euphrates valley during the 4th millennium B.C.E.
7.King Sargon
Answer An Akkadian king (2371-2316 B.C.E., approximate) who led the
Akkadians in conquering Sumerian city-states. Established an empire
that unified Mesopotamia and reached beyond it into the Iranian
plateau and as far west as Lebanon. His dynasty ruled Akkad and
Sumer for about 200 years.
8.The Third Dynasty of Ur
Answer Around 2100 B.C.E., the Sumerian city of Ur rose up in revolt
against the Akkadian rule. The attained control of Mesopotamia and
ruled for about 100 years.
9.Amorites
Answer Re-unified Mesopotamia, and established their capital at
Babylon, on the Euphrates. The Amorites (Old Babylonian Dynasty)
ruled for about 300 years, from around 1900-1600 B.C.E.
10.Hammurabi
Answer (1792-1750 B.C.E., approximate) The greatest king of the Old
,Babylonian Dynasty. Famous for his law code. Claimed to be a
representative of the gods.
11.Hammurabi's Code
Answer A law code that attempted to stabilize the hierarchical so- ciety.
Presented like a pyramid the slaves at the bottom, freemen such as
peasants and merchants next, warrior aristocracy and priesthood, and
the king at the top. Known for, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a
tooth." Dealt with legislation regarding the family, ownership of land,
and commercial transactions.
12.Hittites
Answer From Anatolia (Asia Minor). Attacked the Old Babylonian
Empire around 1600 B.C.E. and plundered them.
13.Kassites
Answer From the region that is now Iran. Attacked the Old Babylonian
Empire around 1600 B.C.E. and established themselves as rulers for 300
years.
14.Hurrians
Answer Established the kingdom of Mitanni in the upper Tigris-
Euphrates valley around 1500 B.C.E. which lasted for 100 years, until
they were conquered by the Hittites.
, 15.Cuneiform
Answer The earliest form of writing, made by wedge-shaped marks
im- pressed on clay tables using a stylus. Initially pictographs
(representing objects), but later included ideograms (representing
ideas). Began around 3000 B.C.E.
16.Ziggurats
Answer Multi-level, pyramid-like constructions by the people
of Mesopotamia. Demonstrate practical engineering skills.
17.Gilgamesh
Answer A Sumerian epic poem inscribed around 2000 B.C.E. on twelve
cuneiform tablets. Describes the quest of the hero Gilgamesh, king of
Uruk, in search of immortality. Includes an account of a great flood.
18.Enuma Elish
Answer A Sumerian epic poem describing the story of creation.
19.The Egyptian Archaic Period
Answer The first two dynasties of Egypt governed from about 3100-
2700 B.C.E. Unified the Nile Valley. Under centralized government, the
economy was carefully planned and agriculture was efficient.
20.The Old Kingdom
