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Key Concept: 1.1. Big Geography and the Peopling of the Earth Theme: Interaction Between Humans and the Environment
Skill: Historical Interpretation
Title: Approximate Dates of pre-historic nomadic movements
1) The map above supports an argument that Homo sapiens:
(A) evolved independently in each region of the world in different time periods.
(B) could have engaged in agricultural production 12,000 years ago.
(C) invented technologies that allowed them to survive ocean crossings 11,000 years ago.
(D) emerged in Africa & migrated out approximately 100,000 years ago.
2) Which of the following describes a major effect of the Bantu migrations?
(A) The spread of Islam across sub-Saharan Africa
(B) The diffusion of iron metallurgy in sub-Saharan Africa
(C) The introduction of banana cultivation in East Africa
(D) The success of hunter-foraging in sub-Saharan Africa
3) Which of the following best explains why myths are useful to historians?
(A) Myths clarify how ancient technology worked.
(B) Myths analyze how great heroes created the first societies.
(C) Myths provide insights into the values and traditions of their societies.
(D) Myths give detailed plans showing how ancient leaders achieved power.
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4) The map above shows possibilities for the spread of which of the following?
(A) Agriculture
(B) Christianity
(C) Iron-working technology
(D) Plague along a trade network
Key Concept: 1.2.II.C and 1.3.II.B
Theme: Development & Interaction of Cultures Skill: interpretation/contextualization
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Some historians have argued that significant social inequalities emerged only after the adoption of agriculture
made it possible for some individuals to accumulate great amounts of surplus wealth.
5) Which of the following most directly undermines the above statement?
(A) In the few hunting-gathering societies that remain today, men and women often share in decision
making concerning the entire group.
(B) Rulers of ancient river valley civilizations, such as Egyptian pharaohs or Mesopotamian kings, often
claimed descent from (or affinity with) the gods.
(C) Archaeological evidence from many later Neolithic settlements in the Fertile Crescent has revealed
increasing variations among the size of houses.
(D) Some pre-agricultural archaeological sites across the world have yielded evidence of significant
disparities in the amount and quality of objects placed in individual graves.
Map of Chavin de Huantar (ancient-wisdom.co.uk)
6) Which conclusion is NOT supported by the map
shown at left?
(A) Chavin de Huantar was a planned city
(B) Chavin de Huantar was a ceremonial center
(C) Chavin de Huantar was a matriarchal society
(D) Chavin de Huantar had a source of freshwater
(KC 1.3.I, 1.3.III.A, Development and Interaction of Cultures)
“…Ever since the origin of agriculture, Neolithic peoples have been steadily expanding at the expense of the
hunters. Today the latter are often found in unattractive environments, in lands which are of no use to their
neighbors and which pose difficult and dramatic problems of survival…In order to understand (early) hunters better
it may be more profitable to consider the few hunters in rich environments, since it is likely that these people will
be more representative of the ecological conditions under which man evolved than are the dramatic and unusual
cases that illustrate extreme environmental pressure”.
Man the Hunter edited by Richard B. Lee, I DeVore, and Jill Nash (1968)
7) A logical conclusion of the argument above regarding the study of early hunters might be:
(A) It is important to study hunters in their rich environments today so we can compare them to the
Neolithic peoples of yesterday.
(B) It is important to study hunters in the difficult environments they live in now, so we can see how they
survived.
(C) It is important to study hunters in the richer environments so we can understand their persistence and
success of the human adaptation process.
(D) It is important to study the Neolithic people and their adaptation process rather than the hunters as few
of them exist today.
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8) The image at left is an example of:
(A) Early urban planning of sewer
systems
(B) A religious symbol for the city
(C) An administrative institution to
demonstrate legal authority
(D) Monumental architecture to
demonstrate power
KC 1.3.III, T: State building, Expansion and Conflict; S: Historical interpretation, contextualization
9) Based on archaeological evidence from early Indian history, historians believe that:
(A) Harappa and Mohenjo-daro served as economic and political centers.
(B) the Harappan world was one of constant civil war leading to the destruction of the city.
(C) the Chinese were a constant influence and may have helped Harrapa develop its writing.
(D) there was little true culture in India before the arrival of the Indo-Europeans.
10) One of the biggest reasons for the decline of the Harappan society was likely:
(A) a devastating plague.
(B) ecological degradation.
(C) a Chinese invasion.
(D) a Mesopotamian invasion.
11) In Hinduism the highest goal of the individual soul was to:
(A) follow the Four Noble Truths.
(B) escape the cycle of birth and rebirth and enter into permanent union with Brahman.
(C) enter into permanent union with Indra and thus escape the cycle of permanent rebirth.
(D) fulfill the individual’s special destiny as spelled out in the process of predestination.
“Now as a man is like this or like that, according as he acts and according as
he behaves, so will he be: a man of good acts will become good, a man of bad acts, bad.”
12) This passage from the Upanishads explains what Hindu concept?
(A) dharma
(B) samsara
(C) varna
(D) karma
13) The Mandate of Heaven did all of the following EXCEPT:
(A) Helped control the populace of China.
(B) Explained the rise and fall of Chinese dynasties.
(C) Positioned China as a theocracy ruled by priests.
(D) Allowed the ruler to serve as a link between the heavens and the earth.
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14) The “Period of the Warring States” refers to the
(A) early war between China and India.
(B) conquest of later Shang emperors by the rising Zhou military forces.
(C) chaotic last centuries of the Zhou dynasty.
(D) period of disunity before Xia unification.
15) The shedding of blood was critical to Mayan culture because:
(A) the Mayans constantly fought the Olmecs and they believed the gods would only reward them with
victory if they slaughtered their enemies.
(B) the bloodletting rituals were associated with rain and agriculture upon which the Mayan culture was
based.
(C) the Mayans needed to control their population so it did not outstrip the resources of their farmlands.
(D) the Mayans inherited the tradition from the Olmecs who were bloodthirsty nomads from the north.
16) All Mesoamerican societies used calendars derived ultimately from the
(A) Maya.
(B) Mochica.
(C) Olmecs.
(D) Aztecs.
17) Which of the following mathematical concepts, essential for positional notation and the manipulation of large
numbers, was invented by Maya mathematicians?
(A) infinity
(B) zero
(C) long division
(D) exponential notation
18) The two object pictured above could be used as evidence that:
(A) both civilizations fostered a blood-thirsty belief in appealing to the gods.
(B) both civilizations were highly developed and sophisticated.
(C) Mayan architecture was superior to that of the Olmec.
(D) both civilizations were helped by ancient aliens in their development.
19) Which statement correctly describes the relationship between the aboriginal peoples of Australia and New
Guinea?
(A) The aboriginal peoples of Australia maintained hunting and gathering societies, while in New Guinea
they turned to agriculture.
(B) The two fought a centuries-long civil war which resulted in the dominance of the Australian aborigines.
(C) The aboriginal peoples of New Guinea maintained hunting and gathering societies, while in Australia
they turned to agriculture.
(D) The aboriginal peoples of Australia learned their written language from New Guinea.
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20) What aspect best describes the means by which Austronesian-speaking peoples spread their influence?
(A) Their use of horses and chariots allowed them to conquer neighboring societies.
(B) Their use of canoes equipped with outriggers allowed distant travel and communication.
(C) Their extensive travels to trade with Mesopotamia and Harrapa led to exchange of ideas.
(D) Their migration from central Asia into the Indian subcontinent led to development of varna.
21) Most early civilizations before 600 B.C.E. shared which of the following characteristics?
(A) Animal herds and portable houses.
(B) Large standing armies and elected governments.
(C) Urban centers, growing populations, and writing systems.
(D) Caravan trade, underground cities, and large ships.
22) The actions of laborers, artisans and merchants in the images above were possible in Ancient Egypt because:
(A) Pastoralism and agriculture led to more reliable and abundant food supplies, which increased the
population.
(B) Elite groups in agrarian societies accumulated wealth, which led to the creation of social hierarchies.
(C) Agricultural communities had to work cooperatively to clear land and create public work projects.
(D) Surpluses of food and other goods led to specialization of labor, including new classes of artisans
KC 1.2.2.B; T:5; S: 3 & 4
23) The Mesopotamian law code is well known and famous. Why didn’t Egypt have a similar code of law?
(A) It was left to the people to determine the code of morality.
(B) The wealthy merchant class controlled the legal system.
(C) The common law system based on precedent was used.
(D) The king as a god on earth was the source of all law.
KC: 1.3.III.D, T: Sate Building, Expansion and Conflict; S: Comparison
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The wall paintings at Catal Huyuk reveal persons, both male and female, wearing the skins of leopards,
while bones, dishes of grains and legumes and depictions of horned wild bulls were found in shrines
across the ruins. There seemed to be more plump femaile deities than male and many females received
elaborate burials in the shrine rooms. Obsidian, bronze and copper tools, weapons and ornaments were
found not only in abundance in Catal Huyuk, but also in smaller amounts in areas surrounding the town.
24) Based on the evidence above, which of the followign conclusions CANNOT be logically made about the early
town of Catal Huyuk?
(A) It seems possible that tehre was a goddess cult adminstered by women
(B) Catal Huyuk produced their own agricultural crops
(C) The city had a strong centralized political structure
(D) Hunting was important to the people of the area
KC: 1.2, T: Creation expansion and interaction of economic systems and cultures, S: Crafting historical arguments from
evidence
25) Some have asserted that women may have been the first farmers. Which of the following would be the best
evidence that this may have been the case?
(A) As those primarily responsible for gathering, women would have known the most about seeds, plants
and their growth processes.
(B) The women gatherers had much more free-time than the men hunters, who were almost always
working. Women would have been the only ones to have time enough to develop the new techniques.
(C) Men exclusively hunted which left them with no time to develop settled agricutlture.
(D) In most subsequent agricultural societies (like the river-valley civilizations), women did the majority of
the farming.
“If that woman has not kept herself chaste, but enters another man’s house, they shall convict that
woman and cast her into the water”.
“If a son strikes a father, they shall cut off his forehand”
26) The statements above likely came from what source?
(A) The Bible
(B) Egyptian law as decreed by the Pharaoh
(C) Hammurabi’s Law Code
(D) The Zoroastrian Avesta
“For the sake of the preservation of this entire creation, Purusha, the exceedingly resplendent one, assigned
separate duties to the classes which had sprung from his mouth, arms, thighs, and feet.”
Code of Manu, circa 300 BCE
27) The passage above most reflects which of the following cultural traditions?
(A) The concept of caste in the Vedic religions of India
(B) The theocratic basis for government in Mesopotamia.
(C) Judaic principles codified in the Torah.
(D) Zarathustra’s preaching on “good thoughts.”
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28) Unlike Sumer and Egypt, the Indus Valley, or Harappan, civilization:
(A) became a geographic center for a unified, continuous culture lasting millennia.
(B) is particularly difficult to study because its writing has not been deciphered.
(C) was secure from nomadic incursions and invasions.
(D) never developed a military social class.
29) One common effect of the process of agricultural settlements developing into civilizations was
(A) the rulers came to be seen as gods.
(B) the religions became more centered on spirits and nature.
(C) the people generally didn’t have to work as hard as nomads did.
(D) the status of women fell.
30) “[It] is a many-faceted religion, but the goal is Moksha and a liberation of samsara. Through devotion, prayer,
karma and an adherence to jati, this can be achieved.”
(A) Judaism
(B) Animism
(C) Zoroastrianism
(D) Hinduism
31) This religion is generally considered to be the world’s first monotheistic faith. Moses handed down
the Ten Commandments and YWWH (Yaweh or Jehovah) is worshipped. The Torah is the first five
books of the Tanakh. This religion is called:
(A) Animism
(B) Judaism
(C) Zoroastrianism
(D) Hinduism
32) The Indian caste system served to an extent as a a political institution by:
(A) enforcing rules about social behavior
(B) unifying the subcontinent under a single government
(C) creating widespread interst in constiutional issues
(D) promoting a belief in individual rights
33) Jewish monotheism:
(A) was spread actively by Jewish missionaries throughout the Middle East.
(B) emphasized the power and abstraction of a single omnipotent God.
(C) included worship of various lesser gods and goddesses.
(D) influenced no other religions.
“I who have sent my heart on watching over the soul, in union with Good thought, and as knowing
the rewards of Mazda Ahura for our works, will, while I have power and strength, teach men to
seek after Right. I have become an alien in a foreign land.”
34) Which religion does this quote best reflect?
(A) Zoroastrianism
(B) Judaism
(C) Animism
(D) Hinduism
35) Which of the following technological innovations most contributed to the military success of empires in Egypt,
Anatolia, and Mesopotamia in the period 1500 – 1000 BCE?
(A) City walls and castles
(B) Chariots and compound bows
(C) Catapults and crossbows
(D) Canals and warships
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“Our bodies are known to end, but the embodied self is enduring, indestructible, and immeasurable;
therefore, Arjuna, fight the battle! He who thinks this self a killer and he who thinks it killed, both fail to
understand; it does not kill, nor is it killed. It is not born, it does not die; having been, it will never not be;
unborn, enduring, constant, and primordial, it is not killed when the body is killed. Arjuna, when a man
knows the self to be indestructible, enduring, unborn, unchanging, how does he kill or cause anyone to
kill? Death is certain for anyone born, and birth is certain for the dead; since the cycle is inevitable, you
have no cause to grieve! Be intent on action, not on the fruits of action; avoid attraction to the fruits and
attachment to inaction! Perform actions, firm in discipline, relinquishing attachment; be impartial to
failure and success - this equanimity is called discipline." – Bhagavad – Gita
36) What is the main message of the passage?
(A) One must do one’s duty without emotion because the cycle of reincarnation affects all.
(B) A warrior should be both brave, well-armed, and pious.
(C) Everyone dies so grieving at funerals is considered sacrilegious.
(D) The body is the most important thing in all of creation and must be persevered above all else.
37) Which one of the following reasons is often cited by historians as the cause of the Agricultural Revolution?
(KC1.1)
(A) People migrated to regions that could finally support agriculture.
(B) A cooling period around 6000 B.C.E. allowed people to settle in one place year round.
(C) Climate change drove people to abandon foraging in favor agriculture.
(D) Major river valleys stopped flooding allowing people to settle along their banks.
“53. If any one be too lazy to keep his dam in proper condition, and does not so keep it; if then the
dam break and all the fields be flooded, then shall he in whose dam the break occurred be sold for
money, and the money shall replace the corn which he has caused to be ruined…
253. If any one agree with another to tend his field, give him seed, entrust a yoke of oxen to him, and
bind him to cultivate the field, if he steal the corn or plants, and take them for himself, his hands
shall be hewn off.”
– Code of Hammurabi (c.1800 BCE)
38) What can you infer about Mesopotamian civilization based on the passage above?
(A) Agricultural activity was a strong focus of society.
(B) Mesopotamians were a very warlike people.
(C) Legal codes disregarded the value of private property.
(D) A concern for observing religious traditions.
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Young fellow, how conceited you are!....You are a person fit for writing….But though I spend the day
telling you “Write,” it seems like a plague to you….See for yourself with your own eye. The occupations
lie before you…. The washerman’s day is going up, going down….The maker of pots is smeared with
soil….The cobbler mingles with vats. His odor is penetrating…. The outworker who is in the fields, his is
the toughest of all the jobs….If you have any sense, be a scribe….
—text from Egypt’s Middle Kingdom (2066-1650 BCE)
39) The above passage highlights which typical feature of the First Civilizations? (KC1.3)
(A) The development of a complex division of labor.
(B) Cruelty by elites against their subjects.
(C) The necessity of writing to reflect the will of the ruler.
(D) The rise of patriarchy within the sphere of work.
A
Mesopotamia, c. 2100 BCE
B
Giza, c. 2500 BCE
40) Which statement below best compares the purposes of the structures above?
(A) While both structures were constructed as tombs for kings, structure A served the purpose of
astronomical study.
(B) Both structures were built by kings to project political power. But structure A was mainly used as a
religious temple, while B served as tombs for kings.
(C) Both structures were built to serve as a religious temple, but structure A was constructed without any
connection to political leaders.
(D) While structure A served as a tomb for kings, the primary purpose of structure B was to promote the
scientific study of the stars.
Be sure to complete the last part of the exam by
identifying the correct centers of complex societies.
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B
E
D
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