Ancient Man: Questions & Vocabulary

What time in the past does "prehistory" refer to?

• before the invention of writing

• before the Neolithic Age

• before the establishment of civilizations

• before the appearance of Homo sapiens

What important characteristic did Lucy, the earliest hominid yet found have?

• well-developed muscles
• prehensile tail
• opposable thumbs
• very big brain

What did Mary Leakey’s discovery of footprints indicate about hominids?

• They were a species of australopithecine.
• They supported themselves as hunter-gatherers.
• They walked upright earlier than had been believed.
• They lived in a place where they had not been thought to exist.

Which of the following was NOT in wide use during the Neolithic Age?

• domesticated animals
• bronze
•  irrigation
• fire

Which of the following was NOT a result of the safer, more settled life of agricultural villages?

• cultural life
• domestication
• specialization
• nomadic lifestyle

What did the discoveries in the Shanidar cave reveal about the Neanderthals?

• They had developed tools.
• They had developed religious beliefs.
• They had developed agriculture.
• They had developed a written language.

In what well-defined social classes did the people of Ur live?

• wealthy merchants, priests, goatherds
• scribes, government officials, weavers
• rulers and priests, wealthy merchants, artisans
• priests, rulers, scribes, artists

Historical narratives and epic poetry were a further development of what major characteristic of civilization?

• record keeping
• advanced technology
• complex institutions
• advanced cities

Why was the development of government necessary in early cities such as Ur?

• performance of religious affairs and duties
• maintenance of order among soaring populations
• preservation of the caste system

Which of the following is NOT a function served by the ziggurat?

• storage for grains, woven fabrics, and gems
• conducting of religious rituals
• the location of the city's metalwork
• hub of the government and storage of records