CHAPTER 9 The Early Middle Ages
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. The “Middle Ages” in Western Europe includes which of the following time periods?
a. the beginning of the Early Christian period through the 13th or 14th centuries
b. the end of the Roman Empire through the Byzantine period
c. the beginning of Byzantine period through the end of the Roman Empire
d. A.D. 300–A.D. 1600
Answer: a
2. The new religion that entered Europe in the 8th century was
a. Buddhism.
b. Hinduism.
c. Islam.
d. Judaism.
Answer: c
3. Which of the following cultures influenced Islamic art?
a. Byzantine
b. Archaic Greek
c. Early Christian
d. both the Byzantine and Early Christian
Answer: d
4. The Christian recovery of Moorish strongholds was called the
a. Reformation.
b. Rebellion.
c. Revolution.
d. Reconquest.
e. Renaissance.
Answer: d
5. Which is true?
a. Muhammad was born in Mecca in 622.
b. Muhammad claimed to be the son of Allah.
c. The Hijra marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
d. Muslims are required to pray six times a day.
Answer: c
6. The hadj refers to
a. the Islamic calendar.
b. a pilgrimage.
c. a leader.
d. a mosque.
Answer: b
7. Jihad is a
a. religious sentence.
b. priest.
c. holy book.
d. holy war against sin, in oneself and in the world.
Answer: d
8. Muslims must pray
a. in a mosque.
b. facing west.
c. facing Mecca.
d. facing a qibla.
Answer: c
9. Which is NOT a tenet of Islam?
a. daily prayer
b. fasting during Ramadan
c. the only God is Allah
d. Muhammad is the son of God
e. almsgiving
Answer: d
10. Which is NOT true of the Dome of the Rock?
a. It is centrally planned.
b. It is the site of Muhammad’s ascent to heaven.
c. It is the site of the Sacrifice of Isaac.
d. It is the site of Solomon’s Temple.
e. It is the site of Christ’s ascension.
Answer: e
11. The Dome of the Rock is in
a. Jerusalem.
b. Mecca.
c. Córdoba.
d. Damascus.
Answer: a
12. Which is NOT an architectural feature of the mosque?
a. a sahn
b. a qibla
c. an imam
d. a mihrab
e. a minbar
Answer: c
13. A mihrab is
a. a niche in a qibla wall.
b. an entryway to a mosque.
c. a ceiling mosaic.
d. an official calligraphic document.
Answer: a
14. Islamic artists use
a. calligraphy.
b. mosaics.
c. weaving.
d. All these answers are correct.
Answer: d
15. The largest 9th-century mosque was located in
a. Samarra.
b. Córdoba.
c. Granada.
d. Jerusalem.
e. Iran.
Answer: a
16. The first Muslim ruler of Spain was
a. Caliph Abd al-Malik.
b. Sultan Suleyman.
c. Sinan the Great.
d. Caliph al-Mutawakkil.
e. Abd ar-Rahman I.
Answer: e
17. “Architect in the Abode of Felicity” refers to
a. Suleyman.
b. Sinan the Great.
c. Justinian.
d. Muhammad.
Answer: b
18. Which is NOT true of the Luftullah Mosque?
a. It is in Iran.
b. It is covered with floral and calligraphic tiles.
c. It was built in the 16th century.
d. There are no human figures on its exterior surface.
e. Its predominate color on the exterior is blue.
Answer: c
19. The purse cover from Sutton Hoo is an example of
a. Islamic tracery.
b. Viking iconography.
c. Anglo-Saxon metalwork.
d. a Neolithic artifact.
Answer: c
20. Which of the following is NOT a feature of the Sutton Hoo purse cover?
a. cloisonné‚ enamel
b. red garnets
c. symmetry
d. Scythian influence
e. Islamic influence
Answer: e
21. The Vikings inhabited
a. Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.
b. Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden.
c. Lapland, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden.
d. Lapland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
Answer: a
22. Which is NOT true of the Vikings?
a. They wrote sagas.
b. They were pagans.
c. They were ferocious warriors.
d. They were ship-builders.
e. They became Christians in the 8th century.
Answer: e
23. A rich 6th-century ship burial was found at
a. Centula.
b. Lindisfarne.
c. Sutton Hoo.
d. Iona.
Answer: c
24. The opening scene of Beowulf describes
a. the defeat of the monster Grendel.
b. the death of Beowulf.
c. the arrival of Scyld Scefing in Denmark.
d. the birth of Beowulf.
e. the arrival of Beowulf in Scandinavia.
Answer: c
25. The tree where the Norse gods held daily council was called
a. Ymir.
b. Yggdrasil.
c. Utgard.
d. Norn.
Answer: b
26. Which is true?
a. Snorri Sturlson wrote Saemund’s Edda in Scaldic.
b. Saemund wrote The Edda in the 13th century.
c. Harald Bluetooth wrote The Edda on a rune stone.
d. Harald Fairhair is the main subject of Saemund’s Edda.
Answer: a
27. Which is NOT a member of the Norse pantheon?
a. Baldr
b. Heimdall
c. Ymir
d. Elves
e. Vanir
Answer: c
28. The role of the Valkyries was
a. to slay the enemies of the gods.
b. to select dead warriors for entry to Valhalla.
c. to seduce the enemies of the gods.
d. to destroy the enemies of the Vikings.
Answer: b
29. Which is NOT true of Harald Bluetooth’s rune stone?
a. It is at Jelling.
b. It was raised in the 10th century.
c. It has interlace designs.
d. It celebrates Harald’s conversion.
e. It is Norwegian.
Answer: e
30. Hibernia means
a. Scandinavia in Italian.
b. Ireland in Latin.
c. Germany in Anglo-Saxon.
d. Scotland in Latin.
Answer: b
31. Illuminated manuscripts were
a. made in scriptoria by scribes.
b. made of encaustic on vellum.
c. made of pigments mixed with water and egg yolk.
d. written in Gaelic in Irish monasteries.
Answer: a
32. The Irish monks are most famous for their
a. sculptures.
b. splendid dwellings.
c. manuscript decoration.
d. elaborate reliquaries.
Answer: c
33. The Book of Kells is
a. a 7th-century manuscript.
b. the text of the Acts of Paul.
c. from the late 8th or early 9th century.
d. a text of Saemund’s Edda.
Answer: c
34. Celtic stone crosses have
a. the figure of the crucified Christ.
b. Viking runes.
c. cross bars of equal length.
d. a circle intersecting the cross arms.
Answer: d
35. Which is NOT a feature of Hiberno-Saxon manuscripts?
a. Latin text
b. interlace
c. stylization
d. naturalism
e. monstrous details
Answer: d
36. Charlemagne was crowned Roman Emperor
a. in the year 800.
b. at Aachen, in Germany.
c. because he defeated the pope in Rome.
d. at Aix-la-Chapelle on December 25.
Answer: a
37. Charlemagne’s court scribe was
a. Odo of Metz.
b. Godescalc.
c. Hildegarde.
d. Charles Martel.
Answer: b
38. Charlemagne revived an interest in the classical world in
a. the 6th century.
b. the 9th century.
c. his seat at Aachen.
d. his seat at Aachen in the 9th century.
Answer: d
39. Charlemagne’s Chapel at Aachen is based on the church of
a. Old St. Peter’s.
b. San Vitale.
c. Hagia Sophia.
d. Santa Costanza.
Answer: b
40. The Book of Revelation
a. was written by John the Baptist on Patmos.
b. is the last book of the Old Testament.
c. was written by John the Divine on Patmos.
d. is the last book of the New Testament.
e. both was written by John the Divine on Patmos and is the last book of the New
Testament.
Answer: e
41. The Coronation Gospels are ________ than the Godescalc Gospels.
a. more naturalistic
b. more iconic
c. more Byzantine
d. more stylized
e. less naturalistic
Answer: a
42. The images in the Utrecht Psalter differ from those in the Vienna Genesis because
a. they have more variety of color.
b. they illustrate the Gospels.
c. they illustrate the Pentateuch.
d. they are metaphorical rather than narrative.
e. they are straightforward narratives.
Answer: d
43. The monastery of Saint Gall
a. dates to the early 9th century and was in Switzerland.
b. was in southern France.
c. followed the Rule of St. Benedict.
d. both followed the Rule of St. Benedict, and dates to the early 9th century and was in
Switzerland.
e. both was in southern France and followed the Rule of St. Benedict.
Answer: d
44. The basilica for the Monastery of St. Gall showed its early Christian pedigree through its
a. transept.
b. choir before the altar.
c. towers.
d. All these answers are correct.
Answer: d
45. St. Michael’s at Hildesheim was
a. Carolingian.
b. Ottonian.
c. a monastery.
d. a palace chapel.
Answer: b
Key Works
Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, late 7th century
Page from the Kairouan manuscript of the Koran, written in Kufic, Tunisia, 9th–10th centuries
Illuminated tugra of Sultan Suleyman, c. 1555–1560
Great Mosque, Samarra (Iraq), 847–852
Arches of the Great Mosque, Córdoba, begun 786–787
Mihrāb bay, the Great Mosque, Córdoba, c. 961–966
Dome in front of the mihrāb, the Great Mosque, Córdoba, c. 961–966
Sinan the Great, Mosque of Suleyman I, Istanbul, Turkey, begun 1550
Courtyard (sahn) of the Mosque of Suleyman I, Istanbul
Interior of the Mosque of Suleyman I
The Luftullah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran, 1602–1616
Sutton Hoo purse cover, East Anglia, England, c. 630
Animal headpost, Oseberg, Norway, 800–850
Lion-head finial, Kul Oba, Russia
Axe, from Mammen, Jutland, Denmark, Late Viking, c. 950–975
The Rök stone, Östergötland, Sweden, early 9th century
Warrior Entering Valhalla, Tjangvide, Gotland, Sweden, 8th–9th century
Harald Bluetooth’s rune stone, Jelling, Denmark, c. 965
Celtic cross, Ahenny, Tipperary, Ireland, late 8th century
Lion Symbol of Saint John, from the Book of Durrow, c. 650–700
Tunc Crucifixerant XPI, from the Book of Kells, late 8th or early 9th century
Odo of Metz, Charlemagne’s palace chapel, Aachen, 792–805
Court school of Charlemagne, Christ Blessing, from the Godescalc Gospels, 781–783
Saint John, from the Coronation Gospels, late 8th century
Four Evangelists, from a Carolingian Gospel book, palace chapel school, Aachen, early
9th century
Christ in Majesty, Vivian Bible frontispiece, c. 845–846
Reims school, illustration to Psalm 88, from the Utrecht Psalter, c. 825–850
Reconstruction model of the monastery of Saint Gall, Switzerland, c. 820
Restored abbey church of Saint Michael’s, Hildesheim, c. 1001–1031
Restored interior of Saint Michael’s, looking west, Hildesheim
Bronze doors, Saint Michael’s, Hildesheim, completed 1015
Adam and Eve Reproached by God, detail of the bronze doors of Saint Michael’s
Saint Luke, from the Gospel book of Otto III, c. 1000
Christ Enthroned with Saints and Emperor Otto I, Milan or Richenau, Ottonian, 962–973
Maps, Diagrams, and Projections
The expansion of Islam, 622–c. 750
Plan of the Great Mosque, Samarra, 847–852
Plan of the Great Mosque, Córdoba, Spain, originally built 786–787
Map of northern Europe in the Middle Ages
Map of Holy Roman Empire under Charlemagne, 814
Plan (restored) of Charlemagne’s palace chapel, Aachen
Reconstruction drawing of Charlemagne’s palace chapel, Aachen
Plan of the monastery of Saint Gall, Switzerland, c. 820
Reconstruction model of the monastery of Saint Gall, Switzerland, c. 820
Section and plan of Saint Michael’s, Hildesheim
Key Terms
arabesque
calligraphy
cloisonné
enamel
gilding
imam
iwan
Kufic script
interlace
manuscript
mihrāb
minbar
mosque
picture stone
polychrome
qibla
refectory
rune stone
sahn
scriptorium
westwork
Window on the World
Mesoamerica and the Andes
(1500 B.C.–A.D. 1500)
Key Works
Seated Jaguar, San Lorenzo, Veracruz, Mexico, Olmec, Early Preclassic, 1200–900 B.C.
Colossal head, from San Lorenzo, Veracruz, Mexico, Olmec, c. 1000 B.C.
View of Teotihuacán, c. 350–650
Detail of heads from the façade of the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, Teotihuacán, before 300 A.D.
Detail of a warrior in Teotihuacán costume, from the side of stele 31, Tikal, Guatemala, Maya
The Leiden Plate
Maya Lord, Tabasco, Mexico, 6th century
Tatiana Proskouriakoff, reconstruction drawing of the site of Copán, Honduras, Maya, Late
Classic
Ball court, Copán, Honduras, Maya, Late Classic, c. 800
Monkey-man scribal god, Copán, Honduras, Maya, Late Classic, c. 600–900
Temple I, Tikal, Guatemala, Maya, before A.D. 800
Reconstruction of mural painting, Bonampak, Chiapas, Mexico, Maya, Classic, c. 790
View of Chichén Itzá showing the Caracol with the Temple of the Warriors and the Castillo in
the distance, c. 800–1000
Chacmool, Chichén Itzá, Mexico
Coyolxauhqui, Goddess of the Moon, Templo Mayor, Tenochtitlán, Mexico, 15th century
Eagle Warrior, Templo Mayor, Tenochtitlán, Mexico, 15th century
Roll-out drawing of the Lanzón, from the Old Temple at Chavín de Huántar, Late Initial,
c. 900–500 B.C.
Textile with “impersonator” figures, Paracus, Peru, Early Intermediate, c. 100–200
Vessel depicting composite fish, feline, and human figure, Nazca, Peru, c. 50–200
Moche portrait vessel of ruler, Peru, 400–500
Earspool, from the Tomb of the Warrior Priest, Sipán, c. 300
Gateway of the Sun, Tiwanaku, Bolivia, 500–700
Detail of a Wari tunic, from Peru, 600–1000
Machu Picchu, Inka culture, near Cuzco, Peru, 15th–16th centuries
Maps, Diagrams, and Projections
Map of Mesoamerica in relation to North and South America
Map of Mesoamerica
Plan of Teotihuacán, c. 350–650
Diagrams of talud-tablero platform
Reconstruction drawing of the site of Copán, Honduras, Maya, Late Classic
Plan of site of Chichén Itzá, Mexico
Map of central Andes
Chavín de Huántar, Late Initial period, c. 900–500 B.C.
Key Terms
roof comb
talud-tablero