HISTORY 114W: “The European Experience: The Ancient World”

MID-TERM EXAM

Instructor: Maria Antoniou, PhD.

Choose four of the seven questions below. Your answers should be brief and
precise (up to 10 lines). Each question is worth 25 points.

1. Describe the major cultural achievements of the Sumerian Civilization.

Sumerian civilization created the first world city-state
The oldest document was been done dated to3400-3200bce,
The ability to read and write has been created

2. What are the characteristics of the “Neolithic Revolution”? Where did it

take place and when? Give examples of well-known Neolithic villages and
describe some of their characteristics.

3. Egypt during the Middle Kingdom: Pharaoh Amphetamine I made major

administrative changes. Which are they and for which reason?

Amphetamine I moved his royal residence to a brand new town and

represent a fresh start rooted in past glories

He reorganized the Nome structure by more clearly defining the monarchs

duties to the state and granting them some local autonomy.

He established a co-regency system to smooth transition from one reign to

another.

4. Egypt during the New Kingdom: a) What are the main features that
describe Egypt during that period? b) The role of Akhenaten in religion
 and how is he depicted in the art?
Egypt’s economic and political power was reach to a new height
Military expeditions reached as far north as the Euphrates in Syria
The system of granting land led to intensification of land use.
They build a new capital-Thebes
A professional standing army was established and they start to use fast,
light, two-wheeled chariot es in battle
2) He rejected the many gods of the Egyptians and believed that all other gods
were a manifestation of one deity, Aten or Aton
3) The empire survived Akhenaten’s death by nearly three centuries but it
4) ultimately succumbed to internal disintegration and external attacks.
5. Describe the Minoan Civilization: date, geographical area, sites,
architecture, religion, art.

6. Describe the writing system used by the Minoans during the Bronze
Age.

7. The Greek Dark Age: date and major events that characterize this
period.
According to Linear B tablets around 1120 BCE there are frantic
but ineffective preparations for defense.
 The Mycenaean cities were sacked and burned one after
another, not only by natural disasters such as earthquakes but
also by internal stresses and the emergence of the Dorian Greeks
from the north.
 The Dark Ages of Hellenic history refers to the
chasm of several centuries between Mycenaean
and Classical Greece.
 Greeks felt into illiteracy and when they began to
write once again used an alphabet adapted from
the Phoenicians.
 The Phoenicians, who occupied the coast of the
Levant (eastern Mediterranean)