Humanities 100 MIDTERM Exam with
Correct Answers| 2025 LATEST UPDATED!!
What is the neolithic prehistory?
Around 1600 BCE (Before common era)
development: human life in villages and river valleys,
agriculture: was the way of life
material culture: pottery, oracle bones in china, and the genesis of shamanism (manchu)
What are oracle bones?
animal bones from ancient china
relates to shamanism: which is the understanding of the spirit realm and predicting future events
made from the shoulders of an ox or the lower side of a tortoises shell.
The inscriptions are some of the earliest forms of writing
The exact usage is unknown, one theory is that prayers/spells were written on them, then placed in
fire/cracks. People also believed that the inscriptions on the bones can be to indicate early ceremonies.
What is the early kingdoms period? 1600 BCE -600 CE
Development: Chinese character writing system
religions: confucian and daoist philosophy
organized: tribes/clans into central kingdoms with organized government
giant tombs (tumulus) build to honor kings and royal families
Which east asian country has the most tumulus?
What is the largest tumulus in the world?
South Korea
largest: In Japan, of emporer Nintoku. Japanese tombs are called kofun, all have a keyhole shape
What is the silk road era? (200-1000 CE)
Silk Road: overland and maritime route linking East Asia with Central Asia, India, Middle East, and
Mediterranean cultures for transmission of goods, technology, and ideas.
Establishment of capital cities as centers of empire, culture, and economic prosperity.
,Buddhism spread from India into China through Central Asia along Silk Road.
Literary Chinese used as lingua franca (universal language) of East Asia: language of government,
Buddhist religion, international politics.
What is the mongol empire period? 1100 - 1400 CE
Lead by Genghis Khan, Mongol Empire dominates all of Asia, including East Asia.
The Yuan Dynasty (Mongol) in China unifies nation as first successful foreign invaders.
Mongols control Korean kingdom as client-state.
Attempt to invade Japan but failed: causes downfall of Japan's military government and starts centuries
of civil war.
Massive political impact on East Asian history.
what is the great urban mercantile cultures? 1000 - 1912 CE
Unprecedented growth of economy in urban areas of the three regions of East Asia.
Economic: innovations of paper money/coinage and banking technology and manufacturing merchant
guilds state monopolies economic markets shipping and ports all over East Asia canals in China
What is the grand canal in china?
Longest artificial waterway in world.
Links the Yellow River with the Yangtze River, connecting North and South China.
Oldest sections of the canal were constructed during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 CE).
Dynasties in 1271-1633 did major restoration work and rebuilding, altering route to capital of Beijing.
Built by conscripted labor.
Main purpose: transporting grain from Southern China to military and political centers in North China.
Total length: 1,776 km (1,104 mi).
What is the era of imperialism? 1600-1949 CE
Massive influx of imperialism by Europe (british, french, germans, russians, americans) in china
Results in the 2 opium wars and boxer rebellion
Quig dynasty humiliated
Sparks chinese nationalism to reform country and become strong again
Catholic portuguese missionaries in the koreas and japan
Japan initial shuts out westerners
After us threatens military action in 1868, japan modernizes and starts its own imperial actions against
korea and china
Korea isolates itself but is annexed by Japan
Japan becomes dominate political power in area and builds massive empire in short time
China enters Civil War between Nationalists (backed by the US) and Communists
Japan invades China and Communists successful in defeating them
US and Japan fight Pacific War and US occupies Japan.
, Why is the term, "carving up china" used in relation to the era of imperialism?
"Carving up china" this is what european and japanese leaders did to china. Countries wanted to
colonize because they wanted to exploit china's goods.
Current east asia (post ww2) 1945-present
1949: Communists defeat Nationalist for control of China, Nationalist retreat to Taiwan and take control
of island
1952: US Occupation of Japan ends
1950-1953: Korean War- Korea is divided into North and South. South Korea is a military dictatorship
backed by the US.
1964: Tokyo Olympics- First Olympics held in Asia, announced Japan as international economic and
political power after WWII.
1972: President Nixon visits China, normalizes relations.
1987: South Korea becomes democratic government, starts economic rise.
Present day: East Asia critical political, military, economic, and cultural area of world.
What is the first or earliest dynasty in China?
Shang Dynasty (the oldest)
Developed around the yellow river, a stratified clan society (born into a social class and stay there:
landowners, peasants, slaves of other ethnic classes), not yet a centralized government
-religion: ancestor worship: Keeping dead ancestors pleased was critical (if they were unhappy, it was
the result of negative events such as crop failure)
-Believed they existed all around even in material objects
-Ritual was necessary
-Oracle bones: shoulder blades of animals, that have the earlier example of chinese writing, was used in
government ceremonies and put into fires to figure out the future from the cracks
What is culture?
learned behavioral characteristics of a group of people.
What are traditions?
the parts of culture that are passed down from generation to generation that become adapted over
time.
Examples: Japanese tea ceremonies, chinese opera, korean food culture, utilized by nation/states
governments to construct national identities
What is identity?
set strategies developed to communicate who a group of people are in relation to OTHER/DIFFERENT
groups.
what is eclectic?
selecting the best of various doctrines, methods in creating culture and traditions.
Correct Answers| 2025 LATEST UPDATED!!
What is the neolithic prehistory?
Around 1600 BCE (Before common era)
development: human life in villages and river valleys,
agriculture: was the way of life
material culture: pottery, oracle bones in china, and the genesis of shamanism (manchu)
What are oracle bones?
animal bones from ancient china
relates to shamanism: which is the understanding of the spirit realm and predicting future events
made from the shoulders of an ox or the lower side of a tortoises shell.
The inscriptions are some of the earliest forms of writing
The exact usage is unknown, one theory is that prayers/spells were written on them, then placed in
fire/cracks. People also believed that the inscriptions on the bones can be to indicate early ceremonies.
What is the early kingdoms period? 1600 BCE -600 CE
Development: Chinese character writing system
religions: confucian and daoist philosophy
organized: tribes/clans into central kingdoms with organized government
giant tombs (tumulus) build to honor kings and royal families
Which east asian country has the most tumulus?
What is the largest tumulus in the world?
South Korea
largest: In Japan, of emporer Nintoku. Japanese tombs are called kofun, all have a keyhole shape
What is the silk road era? (200-1000 CE)
Silk Road: overland and maritime route linking East Asia with Central Asia, India, Middle East, and
Mediterranean cultures for transmission of goods, technology, and ideas.
Establishment of capital cities as centers of empire, culture, and economic prosperity.
,Buddhism spread from India into China through Central Asia along Silk Road.
Literary Chinese used as lingua franca (universal language) of East Asia: language of government,
Buddhist religion, international politics.
What is the mongol empire period? 1100 - 1400 CE
Lead by Genghis Khan, Mongol Empire dominates all of Asia, including East Asia.
The Yuan Dynasty (Mongol) in China unifies nation as first successful foreign invaders.
Mongols control Korean kingdom as client-state.
Attempt to invade Japan but failed: causes downfall of Japan's military government and starts centuries
of civil war.
Massive political impact on East Asian history.
what is the great urban mercantile cultures? 1000 - 1912 CE
Unprecedented growth of economy in urban areas of the three regions of East Asia.
Economic: innovations of paper money/coinage and banking technology and manufacturing merchant
guilds state monopolies economic markets shipping and ports all over East Asia canals in China
What is the grand canal in china?
Longest artificial waterway in world.
Links the Yellow River with the Yangtze River, connecting North and South China.
Oldest sections of the canal were constructed during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 CE).
Dynasties in 1271-1633 did major restoration work and rebuilding, altering route to capital of Beijing.
Built by conscripted labor.
Main purpose: transporting grain from Southern China to military and political centers in North China.
Total length: 1,776 km (1,104 mi).
What is the era of imperialism? 1600-1949 CE
Massive influx of imperialism by Europe (british, french, germans, russians, americans) in china
Results in the 2 opium wars and boxer rebellion
Quig dynasty humiliated
Sparks chinese nationalism to reform country and become strong again
Catholic portuguese missionaries in the koreas and japan
Japan initial shuts out westerners
After us threatens military action in 1868, japan modernizes and starts its own imperial actions against
korea and china
Korea isolates itself but is annexed by Japan
Japan becomes dominate political power in area and builds massive empire in short time
China enters Civil War between Nationalists (backed by the US) and Communists
Japan invades China and Communists successful in defeating them
US and Japan fight Pacific War and US occupies Japan.
, Why is the term, "carving up china" used in relation to the era of imperialism?
"Carving up china" this is what european and japanese leaders did to china. Countries wanted to
colonize because they wanted to exploit china's goods.
Current east asia (post ww2) 1945-present
1949: Communists defeat Nationalist for control of China, Nationalist retreat to Taiwan and take control
of island
1952: US Occupation of Japan ends
1950-1953: Korean War- Korea is divided into North and South. South Korea is a military dictatorship
backed by the US.
1964: Tokyo Olympics- First Olympics held in Asia, announced Japan as international economic and
political power after WWII.
1972: President Nixon visits China, normalizes relations.
1987: South Korea becomes democratic government, starts economic rise.
Present day: East Asia critical political, military, economic, and cultural area of world.
What is the first or earliest dynasty in China?
Shang Dynasty (the oldest)
Developed around the yellow river, a stratified clan society (born into a social class and stay there:
landowners, peasants, slaves of other ethnic classes), not yet a centralized government
-religion: ancestor worship: Keeping dead ancestors pleased was critical (if they were unhappy, it was
the result of negative events such as crop failure)
-Believed they existed all around even in material objects
-Ritual was necessary
-Oracle bones: shoulder blades of animals, that have the earlier example of chinese writing, was used in
government ceremonies and put into fires to figure out the future from the cracks
What is culture?
learned behavioral characteristics of a group of people.
What are traditions?
the parts of culture that are passed down from generation to generation that become adapted over
time.
Examples: Japanese tea ceremonies, chinese opera, korean food culture, utilized by nation/states
governments to construct national identities
What is identity?
set strategies developed to communicate who a group of people are in relation to OTHER/DIFFERENT
groups.
what is eclectic?
selecting the best of various doctrines, methods in creating culture and traditions.
