Chapter 1 “The First Civilizations”
Test Study Guide
Write the definitions of the following terms.
Fossils- traces of plants and animals buried in rocks
Pre-history- before written accounts of what happened on the past
Artifacts- weapon, tool, or other item made by humans
Rivers- important to early civilizations for drinking, trade, fertile land (Tigris &
Euphrates)
Iraq- modern country that was once part of Mesopotamia
Irrigation- methods of controlling water
Mesopotamia- earliest known civilization
Fertile crescent- area of the ancient world where agriculture flourished
Assayria- one of the world’s first empires; showed great military strength
Historians- people who study and write about the past
Nebuchadnezzar- Chaldean king
Babylon- largest and richest Chaldean city
Empire- group of territories of nations under a single ruler or government
Archaeologists- people who hunt for buried evidence
Nineveh- capital of Assyria
Caravans- groups of traveling merchants
Artisans-skilled craftspeople
Civilization- complex society
Characteristics of a civilization- cities, social classes, writing system, religion, art,
government
Specialization- development of different kinds of jobs
Epic of Gilgamesh- world’s oldest known story
Ziggurat- grand temple dedicated to a god
Answer
How did Paleolithic man adapt to his environment?
- used animals for clothing
- created new kinds of shelter
- used fire for light, heat, cooking and smoking animal meat
How did river valley locations help the first civilizations?
- provided fertile land
- provided water for irrigation
- good framing conditions made it easy to feed a large number of people
Describe the Assyrian army.
- ferocious warriors
- first to use iron weapons
- innovative
- strategic
- set fire to the lands of the people they captured