Ancient Civilizations in Egypt & Mesoamerica

Why did Herodotus refer to the Egyptian civilization as the "gift of the Nile?"

• The Egyptian civilization is one of the most well-known of the ancient civilizations.

• The Nile River protected the Egyptians from intruders.

• The Egyptians built their cities along the coast of the Nile River.

• The Egyptian civilization would not have been possible without the Nile River.

It means "great palace" and refers to the ruler of ancient Egypt?

• vizier

• pharaoh

• scribe

• monarch

Why did the Egyptians build the pyramids on the western side of the Nile?

• The pyramids served as elaborate burial tombs for their leaders.

• The pyramids were supposed to assist the rise of ascent of the pharaoh to the heavens.

• The land on the western side of the Nile was more sturdy and could support grand structures like the pyramids.

• The Egyptians associated the west with death and the end of life.

What is NOT true about hieroglyphics?

• It was the system of writing of the ancient Egyptians.

• It was regarded as "sacred writing".

• It was learned only by the priests and the scribes.

• It was composed of more than 700 letters.

Why did the Egyptians mummify the dead?

• They believed that mummification pleases their gods.

• They believed that the body had to be preserved for the afterlife.

• Mummification was handed down to them by Osiris, the god of the dead.

• Mummification was initially reserved for the pharaohs.

Even if slaves occupied the lowest class in Egyptian society, they still played an important role because ___ .

• they served the pharaoh even in the afterlife

• the great pyramids and temples would not have been built without their labor

• they composed about 1/3 of the total population and were responsible for feeding the entire population

• like Joseph, they could rise to a high rank with their outstanding courage & wisdom

The death of this British archeologist was wrongly attributed by some to the dreaded "curse of the pharaoh."

• Charles Edwin Wilbour

• Robert Ritner

• John Wilson

• Howard Carter

This is referred to as the "mother civilization of Mesoamerica," being the first civilization to be established in the region.

• Aztec

• Inca

• Olmec

• Maya

One of their legacies was a calendar which placed the end of the world in the year 2012.

• Aztec

• Inca

• Olmec

• Maya

The hidden city of Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains shows the excellent engineering skills of this civilization.

• Aztec

• Inca

• Olmec

• Maya