Study Guide: HIST 3840, Ancient History (Exam 1, Spring 2012)
Study chapters 1-7 in the textbook (Ralph W. Mathiesen, Ancient
Mediterranean Civilizations) and the assigned internet readings (see
syllabus), as well as your lecture notes.
You may bring in a 3x5 index card to the exam. You may write/type
whatever you want using both sides of the card, but cannot bring
magnifying glasses or other extraordinary aids to read minuscule
writing. I will initial your card before the exam starts and will pick up
your card with the exam. Please bring at least one blue examination
booklet in which to write the exam (available at the Bookstore).
General tips:
• Be sure to review all material (textbook, internet readings, class
notes).
• Start with the big picture, then begin to narrow down to the details.
• Plan on budgeting your time. You will have 85 minutes to take the
exam (minus a few minutes for distributing and collecting tests). If a
section of the exam is worth 40% of the total, budget 32 minutes
(40% of 80 minutes), if a section is worth 10%, then budget 8
minutes. If you want to have time to plan and/or look over your
answers, you should budget a little less for each section.
• Before you begin writing, read over the whole exam. Note where
you have choices and mark which questions (terms or essays) you
are going to tackle.
• For essays, you should make an informal outline (on the back of the
exam paper or in the cover of the blue book–these will not be read or
graded by the instructor) before you start writing. This will help you
stay focused and prevent panic attacks if you find yourself running
short of time. The outline will go more quickly if you study by
preparing outlines for all of the essay questions (and time yourself
writing out at least one practice essay).
I. Terms (4 out of 8 terms; 10% each; 40% total)
Terms will be taken from the lectures and readings. A good start
would be to study the hints for the essay questions below, but be sure
that you look at each day's readings and notes to make sure that you
are not missing any important terms. Write a substantial paragraph
on each term (5 sentences or longer). Be sure to address the
questions Who? What? When? Where? and Why? (both "why
important" and "why it happened").
II. Technical Terms (2 out of 4 terms; 5% each; 10% total)
Terms will come from the technical terms given at the beginning of
each class period; write a strong paragraph for each term. Half of
your credit will come from writing a short definition of the term or
description of the concept (1 or 2 sentences). The other half will come
from at least one specific example of how this concept can be used to
research or understand ancient history (3 or 4 sentences).
Terms: radio carbon dating, stratigraphy, epigraphy, syncretism,
historiography, toponyms, etymology, dendrochronology
II. Essay (1 of 2 essays; 40% total)
TWO of the following will appear on the mid-term exam. You will write
on ONE of them. I will grade your essay based on coverage of
relevant historical facts, reference to appropriate primary sources,
understanding of historical debates and interpretations, overall
organization and argument, and writing ability (clear style, correct
grammar). The hints below are to aid you in studying, but will not
appear on the exam.
Primary sources (be prepared to discuss at least one primary
source in each essay and to be able to write a paragraph for the
Terms section): Sumerian King List, Epic of Gilgamesh, Code of
Hammurabi, Hymn to the Nile, Princess Ahura and the Magic Book,
Instruction of Ptah-Hotep, Horus and the Pig, flood story in Genesis,
Thucydides on the Hellenes, Herodotus and Strabo on the founding
of Cyrene, Herodotus on the Hellenes and Phoenicians, Herodotus
on Croesus and Solon, Eccleziazusae of Aristophanes, selections on
Greek women, selections on Greek religion
1. Discuss the changes that led from the later Stone Age (Mesolithic
and Neolithic) to the Bronze Age in the Near East with a special
emphasis on Mesopotamia and the eastern Mediterranean area.
Hint: Mesolithic, Pleistocene, Ice Age, extinctions, sedentary,
nomadic, stone tools, bow/arrow, domestication of dog, Neolithic,
pottery, domestication of grains, beasts of burden, trade networks
(obsidian, amber, ochre, flint, etc.). mining, public spaces, private
dwellings, Chalcolithic (Copper) Age, specialization, early agrarian
settlements (Hassuna, Halaf culture, etc.), irrigation, bricks, pottery
wheel, bronze, social classes, slavery, gender, early writing systems,
long-distance trade, religious buildings, sciences (astronomy,
mathematics), kingship, cities, laws
2. To what extent did the culture developed in Greece during the
Bronze Age and Dark Age draw on influences from other cultures and
to what extent was it new and innovative? What historical debates are
behind this question?
Hint: Minoans, Crete, Knossos, Martin Bernal, Black Athena, Hyksos,
Aphrodite, Ishtar, Athena, Ht Nt, Herodotus, Ancient model, Aryan
model, revised Ancient model, Linear A, double ax, Minoan solar
goddess, sailing ships, toponyms, Thera, Mycenaeans, Linear B,
Indo-Europeans, sky gods, chthonic (earth) gods, matriarchy vs
patriarchy, Theseus, Sea People
3. Compare the types of states found in the Near East (Mesopotamia
and the eastern Mediterranean) in the later Neolithic with the Iron Age
Empires of the Near East. What were the key similarities and
differences in organization, territory, ethnic make-up?
Hint: Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Gilgamesh, Hammurabi,
city states, law codes, Assyrians, iron weapons, intimidation of
subject populations (mutilation, deportation, etc.), vassal states, core
territories, provinces, king as representative of god, capital cities,
Nineveh, military organization (standing army, mercenaries,
conscripts, etc.), palace intrigues, tribute, taxation, New Babylonian
Empire, Medes, Lydia, Egypt's Saite Dynasty (XXVI), Persians,
Achaemenids, Cyrus the Great, Darius, Susa, king of kings (shah en
shah), divine ruler, ruling families, satrapies, satraps, royal road
4. Trace changes in Egyptian government and religion from the Old
through the New Kingdoms.
Hint: Ra, Atum, Isis, Osiris, Seth, ma'at, Nile River, honorific titles,
pyramids, taxation, work duty, nomes, nomarchs, temples, priests,
pharaohs, Hyksos, Ramses II, Thutmose I, Hatshepsut, Akhenaten
(Amenhotep IV), Memphis, Heliopolis, Tell al-Amarna (Akhetaten),
Ramses III, Nubia, Punt, Aegean, Palestine/Syria, Hebrews, Exodus
5. Compare and contrast religious beliefs and practices in two of the
following: Egypt (Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms) and/or
Mesopotamia (Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians) and/or Greece
(Mycenaeans, Minoans, and Classical Greeks). Take into account
changes over time as well as differences between the two
regions/cultures that you are comparing.
Hint: polytheism, syncretism, Egyptians, Ra, Atun, Isis, Osiris, Horus,
Seth, pharaohs, ma'at, Sun, judgment, pyramids, priesthood, shrines,
amulets, offerings, oracles, pilgrimages, amulets, dream
interpretation, animal worship, Mesopotamians, Gilgamesh, flood
story, Ishtar, ziggurats, temples, priesthood, Minoans, mountain
shrines, possible human sacrifice, bulls, snakes, Mycenaeans, sky
gods or earth gods?, Homer, Olympian gods (Zeus, Hera, Poseidon,
Athena, Aphrodite, etc.), Olympic games, libations, sacrifices,
temples, Trojan War, oracles, Delphi, pythoness
6. Discuss the development of the Greek polis in the period from 800
to 400 BCE. Consider government, (including changes in
government), urban life, philosophy, and the arts. How were Athens
and Sparta similar to and different from other poleis in their
development?
Hint: monarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy, tyranny, democracy, hoplites,
helots, Draco, Solon, Pisistratus, Cleisthenes, colonies, Persian
Wars, Peloponnesian War, citizenship, archons, Council of 500,
Pisistratus, juries, Gerousia, ephors, Messenia, perioikioi, resident
foreigners, philosophy, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Sophists, literature,
drama, tragedy, comedy, satire, Aristophanes, Aeschylus, Euripedes,
Sophocles, women, spinning and weaving
7. Discuss relations among the major Greek city states from the
beginning of the Persian War until the end of the Peloponnesian War.
Hint: monarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy, tyranny, democracy, hoplites,
helots, colonies, Peloponnesian League, Delian League, oracle at
Delphi, Lydia, Cyrene, Persia, Croesus, Xerxes, Cyrus, Darius,
Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis
8. Discuss developments of economy and trade in the eastern
Mediterranean from the late Neolithic period through the Classical
Age of Greece (roughly 8000 to 400 BCE).
Hint: trade routes, Mediterranean sea, rivers, overland, early
settlements (Ebla, Catal Huyuk, etc.), Greeks (Minoans,
Mycenaeans, Classical Greeks), Phoenicians, Aramaians, Philistines,
Hebrews, Egyptians, Sea Peoples, cross-cultural contacts (language,
religion, writing, crops, livestock, pottery, luxury goods, diplomacy,
etc.), Black Athena, Martin Bernal
III. Map (1% each; 10% total)
Be able to find the following places on a map of the Mediterranean
and surrounding areas. See maps on inside covers of the textbook.
Places marked with a star (*) have been discussed in class but are
not labeled on the flyleafs of the book; many, however, can be found
in the smaller maps in the assigned chapters of the textbook and in
standard reference works.
Aegean Sea *Upper
Egypt
Ionian Sea
*Lower
Mediterranean
Egypt
Sea
Assyria
Persian Gulf
Sumer
Red Sea
Persia
Black Sea
Media
Atlantic
Arabia
Ocean
Libya
Lydia
Greece
*Asia Minor
Sahara
(Anatolia)
Desert
Syria
Arabian
Phoenicia
Desert
Judea
Mesopotamia
Crete
Egypt
Cyprus
Knossos
Athens
Sicily
Sparta
Corinth
Memphis Delphi
Thebes
Carthage
Jerusalem Syracuse
Damascus Cyrene
Tyre
Sidon
Euphrates
Biblos
River
Uruk
Tigris River
(Erech)
Nile River
Ur
Caucasus
Nineveh
Mountains
Troy
Balkans
Mountains