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Exam Study Guide - Mesopotamia

Total questions: 65

Worksheet time: 31mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Around what year BCE did Mesopotamia's first civilization arise in Sumer?

a)

3500

b)

3000

c)

2500

d)

2000

2.

A belief in many gods is called what?

a)

Monotheism

b)

Polytheism

c)

Atheism

d)

Animism

3.

What was the main purpose of Sumerian ziggurats?

a)

Defense

b)

Trade

c)

Religious ceremonies

d)

Education

4.

What does ziggurat mean?

a)

Mountain of the gods

b)

House of the king

c)

Fortress of the people

d)

Garden of the spirits

5.

What type of tax did the people have to pay Sargon?

a)

Grain tax

b)

Labor tax

c)

Tribute

d)

Land tax

6.

Sargon's policy helped keep _______ and win the _______ of people throughout his empire.

a)

Peace, loyalty

b)

Order, fear

c)

Wealth, respect

d)

Power, admiration

7.

What was a key factor in Sargon's ability to maintain control over his empire?

a)

Strong military

b)

Diplomatic marriages

c)

Trade agreements

d)

Religious unity

8.

What is Hammurabi most famous for?

a)

Military conquests

b)

Code of Laws

c)

Building the Hanging Gardens

d)

Founding Babylon

9.

What god united the Assyrian Empire?

a)

Marduk

b)

Ashur

c)

Ishtar

d)

Enlil

10.

A strong __________ economy and a large __________ helped the Assyrians conquer all of Mesopotamia.

a)

agricultural, army

b)

industrial, navy

c)

trade, fleet

d)

mining, militia

11.

Visitors entered the inner city through the colorful __________.

a)

Ishtar Gate

b)

Babylon Gate

c)

Assyrian Gate

d)

Chaldean Gate

12.

Why did the Phoenicians call themselves 'Purple people'?

a)

They wore purple clothes

b)

They traded purple dye

c)

They lived near purple mountains

d)

They worshipped a purple god.

13.

What is important in building civilizations according to the Phoenicians' accomplishments?

a)

Trade

b)

Agriculture

c)

Art

d)

Technology

14.

Cyrus honored local ________ and ________. His tolerance won ________ and ________ from conquered subjects.

a)

A) Traditions and leaders; respect and loyalty

b)

B) Laws and customs; fear and obedience

c)

C) Religions and languages; admiration and trust

d)

D) Arts and crafts; love and devotion

15.

What revolutionized transportation and trade on land in Mesopotamia?

a)

Chariot

b)

Cart

c)

Wheel

d)

Horse

16.
TRUE or FALSE.  Sumerians created a 12 month calendar by looking at the stars and planets.
a)
True
b)
False
17.

What did the Sumerians call their large cities?

a)

City States

b)

Empires

c)

Kingdoms

d)

Villages

18.
In which of the following river valleys did the first civilization, the Sumerians, begin? 
a)
the Nile River Valley
b)
the Indus River Valley 
c)
The Huang He valley
d)
The Tigris and Euphrates
19.

___________ played a major role in Sumerian society.

a)

Religion

b)

Manufacturing

c)

Craftsmanship

d)

Art

20.

The Sumerians created the world's first advanced _________.

a)

society

b)

manufacturing industry

c)

river system

d)

computer system

21.

Most people in Sumer were ___________________.

a)

farmers

b)

artisans

c)

priests

d)

craftworkers

22.

Sargon established the world's first ______, or land with different territories and peoples under a single rule.

a)

empire

b)

city

c)

irrigation system

d)

farm land

23.

The Sumerians practiced __________, the worship of many gods.

a)

polytheism

b)

monotheism

24.

The division of society by rank or class.

a)

social hierarchy

b)

irrigation

c)

civilization

d)

level

25.

_____ were at the highest class or status in Sumer's social hierarchy.

a)

Kings

b)

Priests

c)

Farmers

d)

Artisans

26.

Which of these inventions most affected the food supply in Sumer?

a)

the arch

b)

the plow

c)

the wheel

d)

the chariot

27.

Which Sumerian belief about the king helped strengthen his ability to rule?

a)

He was chosen by the gods

b)

He cared most about the poor

c)

He consulted with wise advisors

d)

He wanted everyone to be happy

28.

Which invention made it possible for Sumerian armies to use chariots?

a)

wheels

b)

swords

c)

sledges

d)

horseshoes

29.

What evidence shows that Sumerians were NOT prehistoric?

a)

ziggurats

b)

city walls

c)

stone statues

d)

written records

30.
The people of Mesopotamia solved the problem of the uncontrolled water supply by developing
a)
filtration system
b)
farming system
c)
irrigation system
d)
desalinization system 
31.
A pyramid-shaped structure with a temple at the top is called a
a)
temple
b)
polytheism
c)
pyramid
d)
ziggurat
32.
Mesopotamian rivers were filled with ____________ which proved to be good soil for farming
a)
sand
b)
dirt
c)
silt
d)
rocks
33.
Sumerian writing was called
a)
hieroglyphics 
b)
cuneiform
c)
alphabet
d)
lexicon
34.
What does a scribe do for a living?
a)
cook
b)
paint
c)
fight
d)
write
35.
What is the name of the oldest known story?
a)
The Odyssey 
b)
The Epic of Gilgamesh
c)
The Epic of Mesopotamia
d)
The Iliad
36.
A territory governed as a political district of a country or empire
a)
city-state
b)
kingdom
c)
empire
d)
province
37.

The calendar developed by the Sumerians was based on

a)

The number 60

b)

The cycles of the moon

c)

The Roman Calendar

d)

The geometry of the wheel

38.

What does Mesopotamia mean?

a)

The "land between the rivers"

b)

The "land before time"

c)

The "land of writing"

d)

The "land over there"

39.

Sumerian slaves mostly came from:

a)

People captured in war

b)

The Trans-Atlantic slave trade

c)

People who looked at the king funny

d)

People who owed money

40.

What are the long poems people would memorize before writing called?

a)

Poems

b)

Boring

c)

Epics

d)

Awesomes

41.

What does the invention of a writing system mark the end of?

a)

No school times

b)

History

c)

Having to repeat your grocery list to yourself as you go to the store

d)

Pre-history

42.

The ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia arose in a region that is part of what present-day country?

a)

Egypt

b)

Iraq

c)

Turkey

43.
The Phoenicians were the first people to create what?
a)
writing
b)
goverment
c)
alphabet
d)
cedar wood
44.
spreading of cultural traits from one region to another
a)
cultural change
b)
cultural shift
c)
cultural differences
d)
cultural diffusion
45.

Hammurabi was a __________________ king.

a)

Akkadian

b)

Babylonian

c)

Assyrian

d)

Neo-Babylonian

46.

Hammurabi is best known for...

a)

his code of laws

b)

the empire he created with Babylon at its center

c)

creating the first empire in the world

d)

creating stele

47.

Hammurabi used the code of laws to _____________ his empire and to preserve order.

a)

divide

b)

conquer

c)

destroy

d)

unify

48.

The code of laws were not just based on his authority, but on the word _______________________________.

a)

of the government

b)

of the people

c)

of the priests

d)

of the gods

49.

a vertical three-dimensional stone slab or pillar with carvings or inscriptions is a...

a)

siege

b)

stele

c)

an economy

d)

code of law

50.

the way a region or country uses resources to produce and sell or trade goods and services to meet people's needs and wants is called...

a)

a siege

b)

a stele

c)

an economy

d)

a code of law

51.
a state containing several countries or territories
a)
dictatorship
b)
empire
c)
union
d)
country
52.
Who was the leader of the Akkadians?
a)
Gilgamesh
b)
Hammurabi
c)
Ur-Nammu
d)
Sargon
53.
Which city-state did Sargon first take over? 
a)
Uruk
b)
Kish
c)
Ur
d)
Lagash
54.
Who was the creator of the Babylonian empire?
a)
Sargon
b)
Gilgamesh
c)
Hammurabi
d)
Ur-Nammu
55.
Which is NOT true about Hammurabi's Code?
a)
400 total Laws
b)
written in cuneiform
c)
1st set of written law
d)
eye for an eye philosophy
56.

Why is Sumer considered to be one of the most important civilizations?

a)

They were the first people to have a written language.

b)

They were the first people to have governments.

c)

They were the first people to irrigate fields.

d)

They were the first people to domesticate animals.

57.

Who was ruling when Persia took control over Mesopotamia?

a)

Xerxes I

b)

Alexander the Great

c)

Hammurabi

d)

Cyrus the Great

58.

What is one of the oldest pieces of literature in human history?

a)

The Bible

b)

Aesop's Fables

c)

Trade documents

d)

The Epic of Gilgamesh

59.

What led to the downfall of the Babylonian Empire?

a)

Their army was too weak.

b)

The Babylonian Empire still rules Mesopotamia today.

c)

No one was able to lead them after their leader died.

d)

They ran out of land to conquer.

60.

Assyria taught the world the importance of

a)

irrigation and domesticating animals

b)

create trade routes

c)

a strong military presence

d)

a strong central government

61.

What city did King Nebuchadnezzar rebuild?

a)

Sumer

b)

Akkad

c)

Babylon

62.

Which of the following seven wonders existed in Babylon at this time?

a)

Great Pyramid of Giza

b)

Temple of Artemis

c)

The Hanging Gardens

d)

Statue of Zeus

63.

Who rose to power in Mesopotamia after the Chaldean Empire fell?

a)

The Assyrians

b)

The Egyptians

c)

The Mongols

d)

The Persians

64.

How long did Sargon's empire last?

a)

100 years

b)

50 years

c)

200 years

d)

10 years

65.

How much of Mesopotamia did Sargon rule during his life?

a)

Akkad and Sumer only

b)

All of it

c)

Akkad, some Sumerian city-states, and the city of Babylon