Test Bank for A History of World Societies, 12th Edition by Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks – All Chapters Complete | Latest Edition 2025!!!

Test Bank for A History of World Societies, 12th

Edition by Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks – All

Chapters Complete | Latest Edition




Page | 1
v v

, Chapter 01_Essay v




Answer each of the following questions with an essay. Be sure to include specific examples that support
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


your thesis and conclusions.
v v v v




1. What are some of the problems in using evidence from contemporary gatherer societies to study early
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


humans?
v




2. How did early Homo erectus spread out of East Africa into other parts of the world? Where did they
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


go, and how early did they reach those places?
v v v v v v v v v




3. What were the key features of Paleolithic food attainment and Paleolithic diets?
v v v v v v v v v v v




4. What are some of the theories about gender relationships in Paleolithic societies? What changed in
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


those relationships in the Neolithic period? What kinds of evidence are used in supporting or
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


arguing against these theories?
v v v v




5. What is the relationship between pastoralism, disease, and humans?
v v v v v v v v




6. How did material goods create, define, and perpetuate social hierarchies in Neolithic societies?
v v v v v v v v v v v v




Answer Key v




1. Answer would ideally include:
v v v




• Because the earliest humans did not leave behind written evidence, scientists have studied more
v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vrecent societies that lived by similar gathering means. However, most evidence about recent gatherer
v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vsocieties was written by external sources and thus includes their biases and expectations, such as the
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vinferiority of foraging as a lifestyle. Furthermore, few modern foragers or gatherers are truly isolated
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


from the influence of other agricultural or industrial cultures. Also, this approach assumes that gatherer
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v




Page | 2 v v

,societies are somehow static and remain unchanged over many centuries, which ignores the evidence of
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


how adaptable such societies really are.
v v v v v v




2. Answer would ideally include: v v v




• Homo erectus migrated out of East Africa into central Africa, and then into northern Africa. This
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vmigration took place 2 million years ago. As early as 1.8 million years ago, Homo erectus had spread
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vto Asia, reaching China and Java by 1.5 million years ago. These migrations took place over land,
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


valong coastline routes. Because sea levels were lower then, individuals could cross from the mainland
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vof China to Java on foot. Homo erectus also moved northward from Africa, into Spain by 800,000
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vyears ago and into Germany 500,000 years ago. In each of these places, they adapted hunting and
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vgathering techniques to the local environment.
v v v v v




3. Answer would ideally include: v v v




• The Paleolithic diet consisted of a combination of plants and animal protein. Paleolithic peoples
v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vforaged for their food, engaging in what we would consider a combination of hunting, scavenging, and
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vgathering. Most of what they ate were plants. Animal protein often came from scavenged foods like
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vinsects and shellfish rather than being hunted directly. It is unknown as to whether labor was divided
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vbetween genders, but in today's foraging societies, there is some division, with men engaging in
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


hunting large animals and women responsible for gathering plants and small animals. It took between
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vten and twenty hours per week to gather food, but this number varied depending on environmental
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vfactors and group decisions. Because Paleolithic peoples had to forage for their diet, they expended
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


venergy and, in general, avoided diseases common in sedentary societies. Life spans were kept in check
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vby accidents, injuries, and infections.
v v v v




4. Answer would ideally include: v v v




• Studies of more recent foraging societies suggest that women were valued for their labor, which
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vwas recognized as equal to the work of men. Both men and women foraged for food, and both
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vparticipated in hunting. Other scholars theorize that even in Paleolithic society one person may have
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vemerged as a leader, perhaps based on personal skill, and that this person was almost always a man. It
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vis more certain that by the Neolithic period, after the invention of plow agriculture, society became
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vmore hierarchical and men took on more of a public, elite status. Women were limited to the home or
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


enclosed spaces, and land inheritance favored men over women. Evidence for gender roles in the
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vNeolithic period comes from later written traditions.
v v v v v v




Page | 3 v v

, 5. Answer would ideally include: v v v




• Pastoralism is the herding and raising of livestock. It requires humans to live in close contact with
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vtheir herd animals, thus exposing humans to various animal-borne diseases, such as smallpox. Initially,
v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vexposure to diseases may have caused higher mortality rates in pastoralist societies, but over time,
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


v humans would have developed some resistance to them. Foragers were not exposed to these diseases
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vand thus did not develop any resistance to them. When a pastoralist society encountered a forager
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


society, this might have led the former to expose the latter to deadly pathogens.
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v




6. Answer would ideally include: v v v




• The possession of material goods—such as livestock, dwelling structures, plows, carts, and
v v v v v v v v v v v


vpots—indicated that some individuals had control over more labor. Labor was used to acquire material
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vgoods. The more material goods one had, the more labor one controlled. This indicated status; to
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


control labor was to have a higher status than others. Having material goods gave one the ability to
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vacquire yet more material goods and to continue to acquire status. Material goods, along with land,
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


vcould also constitute an inheritance, and thus perpetuate status into the next generation.
v v v v v v v v v v v v




Chapter 01_Matching v




Use the following to answer questions 1-15:
v v v v v v




Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v


the Definitions section.
v v v




Terms

a. pastoralism

b. Neanderthals

c. division of labor v v




d. animism

e. social hierarchies v




f. patriarchy

g. Paleolithic era v




h. Agricultural Revolution v




g. foraging

h. shamans

Page | 4 v v