Homework Questions: River Valley Civs
WHAP
A. Crash Course: Egypt
1. Why do people think of Egypt when they think about ancient civilizations?
2. Why was the Nile important to the development of Egypt?
3. Why is the Old Kingdom of Egypt considered an age of glory?
4. What distinct changes mark the Middle Kingdom?
5. Why were the Semitic peoples able to conquer most of Egypt?
6. How did Hatshepsut expand Egypt?
7. Why has King Tut had the most awesome afterlife in history?
B. Document: Empires of Mesopotamia
1. What do you think the author means by “every culture is a product of it’s environment?”
2. Why were Mesopotamians under the constant threat of invasion? What did they do to prevent these
invasions?
3. What is the difference between the historical record that is found before and after the Great Flood of
Sumer?
4. What evidence shows that there was contact between Mesopotamians and Hebrews?
Homework Questions: River Valley Civs
WHAP
5. How did religion bring about instability in Sumeria?
6. Why do you think the Akkadian Empire absorbed Sumerian culture rather than destroyed it?
7. Why is Hammurabi considered an excellent ruler?
8. Why did the Babylonian empire decline after the death of Hammurabi?
9. Why were northern nomads able to conquer areas of Mesopotamia
10. Based on the following factors, in your own words explain why the Assyrians were successful empire
builders.
• supplies of iron
•
refinements in siege warfare
•
policy of terror
•
cavalry
•
harsh but efficient rule
C. Crash Course: Indus Valley
1. What are the four components (symptoms) of civilizations?
2. How do these components connect to each other?
3. Why did early civilizations arise around river valleys?
4. Why does everything we know about the Indus Valley come from archaeology?
5. Why were cities in the Indus Valley cleaner than other cities from the same time period?
Homework Questions: River Valley Civs
WHAP
6. How do archaeologists know that the Indus civilization was involved in trade?
7. What are the three theories on why the Indus civilization declined?
D. Document: Persia
1. How did Cyrus the Great build the largest empire in history up to that point?
2. Why was Cambyses unable to expand the empire after he conquered Egypt?
3. How did Darius successfully manage an empire the size of Persia?
4. How did Darius’ rule differ from previous Mesopotamian rulers?
5. How did the Persians promote economic prosperity?
6. How did Zoroastrianism influence Judaism and Christianity?
7. What were the reasons for the decline and fall of Persia?