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CLEP Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East

Subjects : clep, history
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. The most important gods of Ancient Egypt - ________ was the sun and the begetter of the gods themselves. The myth that he was the first king on earth is the foundation on which the Pharoahs stake their claim of divinity.






2. Unified all of Mesopotamia circa 1800 BC - collapsed due to foreign invasian.






3. The early degree of organization of communities in the Fertile Crescent and primarily in Egypt can be attributed to the need for ________.






4. Ancient Sumerian economies were ___________ with Priests charged with caring for the gods and goddesses and then providing for the community.






5. A sea-faring civilization located on the shores on the Eastern Mediterranean; established colonies throughout the Mediterranean and devised a simplified alphabet that greatly influenced the Greek and Latin writing systems.






6. The smaller size of the pyramids during the 5th and 6th dynasties is reflective of the declining power of the Pharaoh and the rise in power of ____________ in an economy of increasing size.






7. Egyptian civilization sprang up in northern Africa - along the ______________; this river played a crucial role in the ability of the Egyptians to produce an abundant harvest.






8. Egyptian gods were often represented by ____________.






9. Unified Upper and Lower Egypt into one kingdom with the capital at Memphis around 3000 BC.






10. Successor to Ra as the king of the gods of Ancient Egypt - ______ is credited with teaching men to be civilized and to farm - and for teaching mankind to worship the gods and to build temples. Isis was also a wise and good ruler who taught men how to






11. Early walled urban culture site based on sedentary agriculture; located in modern Israeli-occupied West Bank near Jordan River.






12. Early Sumerian kingdoms began as theocracies - their kings established their authority through ____________.






13. 'wedge-shaped.' A system of writing developed by the Sumerians that consisted of wedge-shaped impressions made by a reed stylus on clay tablets.






14. The life of the _____________ was filled with anxiety and pessimism because the gods themselves were unstable and the idea of an afterlife was unknown






15. Egyptian Pharaoh of the New Kingdom - attempted to reduce the power of the priests by establishing a monotheistic religion dedicated to Aten - the sun-god - replacing the tradition Egyptian pantheon of gods. He established himself as the sole priest






16. City built by the Israelite King David in order to honor God.






17. A nomadic agricultural lifestyle based on herding domesticated animals; tended to produce independent people capable of challenging sedentary agricultural societies.






18. Achievements of the ___________ civilization include the construction of irrigation ditches - introduction of the plow - and wheel made pottery.






19. Following the Bronze Age - in the 2nd Millenium - crafters began to smelt tools from _______.






20. ___________ sacrifice was common among all religions during the late neolithic period.






21. In contrast to the isolated Egyptians - these people were warriors and traders - they were highly unpredictable and abstract thinkers.






22. Period from 4 -000 BC to 1 -500 BC (3rd Millenium) when bronze tools were first introduced in the Middle East.






23. As the most influential of the smaller Middle Eastern regional cultures - the Jews were characterized most by ______________.






24. Intermediate form of ecological adaptation in which temporary forms of cultivation are carried out with little impact on the natural ecology; typical of rainforest cultivators.






25. First Pharaoh of the Old Kingdom.






26. Cunning woman who became Pharaoh during the New Kingdom. She relied heavily on propoganda claimed to be the daughter of the God Amen - often presented herself with a male body and false beard in statues and imagery. Her stepson - whom she had usurped






27. Prior to the Bronze Age - during the 4th Millenium - crafters smelted tools from ___________.






28. Passive - Stable - Predictable - and Conformist are adjectives that the describe the _____________ people and explain why their civilization was able to survive for an extraordinary 3 -000 years.






29. The most important ruler in Babylonian history. Responsible for the codification of law. Ruled over public and private life; business - financial - and criminal law. Judgements were often harsh.






30. Major contributor to the spread of culture.






31. Ancient view of the world based on myth rather than science or rationality.






32. Homo Species that disappeared at the end of the Paleolithic period.






33. Cradle of Civilization located in the area between Mesopotamia and Syria.






34. The term given to the development of agricultural societies. This revolution in economic - political - and social organization began in the Middle East as early as 10 -000 B.C.E. and gradually spread to other centers - including parts of India - Nort






35. Monotheistic - Semitic-speaking people of Mesopotamia. Enslaved by the Egyptians - their leader Moses eventually led them out of captivity. Their religion opened the door for awareness of the self with moral autonomy - man had the choice between good






36. _____________religion inspired confidence and optimism in the external order and stability of the world.






37. Three main rivers of the Fertile Crescent.






38. Brother to the Ancient Egyptian god - Osiris - and credited with his death - _______ stands for all things unpleasant - disorder and warfare.






39. Wife of Akenhaten - died during his celebration. After which Akenhaten became intolerant of any other gods - obsessively erasing them from history and neglecting his kingdom in the process.






40. The African state that developed along the upper reached of the Nile circa 1000 BC; conquered Egypt and ruled it for several centuries.






41. Stepson of Hatshepsut - he lead the military expeditions during her reign. When he became Pharaoh - he enlisted thousands of men to help him capture more land than any other Pharaoh before him. At the time - he ruled the largest empire ever ruled by






42. Period of Ancient Egyptian history during which the great pyramids were built - Declined following the reign on Pepi II because of the rise in power of regional nomarchs and the dissolution of a centralized Egyptian government. This period was follow






43. 'Soldiers of God'






44. Period of Ancient Egyptian history during which the Pharaohs regained powers over the priests but with somewhat less authority during which laws began to be written down.






45. Sumerian relationship with their gods was ___________. Humans were created to do the manual labor for the gods.






46. A cultural practice in which young men upon marriage must live with their bride's family.






47. Ruler of Akkad - he established the first empire in Mesopotamian civilization conquering and uniting the Sumerian city-states under a centralized bureaucratic government. Installed himself as the mediator between the gods and man - above the priests.






48. Dating to 3500 BC - this civilization is one of the few cases of a civilization that started from scratch






49. Tombs of the Egyptian Pharaohs.






50. Early societies were ____________ - or run by men.