Prehistory
Mesopotamia
Toolbox
History &
Archaeology
Archaeology
Mystery Surprise!
100
What do Paleolithic & Neolithic literally mean-- what's another name for these eras?
Paleolithic = Old Stone Age
Neolithic = New Stone Age
100
What is a ziggurat?
Stepped pyramid shaped building within temple complex used as a city hall / tax collection center
100
What are the two steps of analysis?
1. Examine small details (zoom in)
2. Interpret / reflect on big picture (zoom out)
100
What is a midden?
Domestic trash dump
100
What is the general dividing line between premodern and modern history?
c. 1500 CE
200
Describe the general differences between Paleolithic vs Neolithic lifestyles.
Paleolithic: nomadic hunter-gatherers living in small communities
Neolithic: large, settled, agricultural communities
200
What does "Mesopotamia" mean?
"between rivers"
200
What does "interpretive" mean?
Nonobvious, non-literal, more subjective, revealing a "hidden meaning" or going "beyond surface level"
200
What is the difference between relative and absolute dating?
Absolute = date of artifact is stated ("known date artifacts") or based on lab test results (e.g. radio-carbon dating)
Relative = date of artifact is based on relationship to other things/artifacts (e.g. stratigraphy, seriation)
200
To what date range does the 12th century BCE refer?
1199-1100 BCE
300
Name three disadvantages of living in a Neolithic community (as compared to living in a Paleolithic community)
1. Increased spread of disease, less sanitary
2. Less nutritious, varied diet
3. Less leisure time for majority of people
4. Potentially more violent
5. Environmental degradation
300
Who was perhaps the first person to compile rules into a written law code?
Hammurabi
300
Explain each step (in proper order) of reading an artifact
Origins (Where does it come from?)
Form (What does it look like?)
Use (What was it used for?)
Last Step = Meaning (What can this artifact tell us about the society it came from?)
300
What is periodization? Give an example of periodization.
Periodization is the division of the past into separate, named blocks of time, usually based on major points of change. Historians use periodization to organize and analyze the past.
300
Name at least 4 present-day countries whose land forms part of the Fertile Crescent.
Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon (Egypt-ish)
400
Around what year did humans transition from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic?
c. 8000 BCE
400
By what year had Sumer been unified as a single kingdom?
2375 BCE
400
What is the difference between an Open-Ended and Closed-Ended question? And what is the goal/use of each type?
Closed-Ended = Informational questions with single, straightforward answers. Goal is to gather & establish basic facts. Good for background research.
Open-Ended = Analytical questions with debatable, unclear answers. Goal is to investigate problems & generate new ideas (in history: to develop hypotheses about historical causality, etc). Good for original research.
400
How was the site of Gobekli Tepe dated?
Seriation: stone tools found at Catalhoyuk were similar to those found elsewhere.
400
What is Dr. Jeck's favorite bagel?
Sesame!!
500
What is the traditional story about how humans transitioned from Paleolithic to Neolithic lifestyles, and how does the site of Gobekli Tepe problematize that story?
Traditional Story: Agriculture first, then complex social organization and fancy monuments
Problem with Gobekli Tepe: Fancy monument that dates ~1000 years before Neolithic Age, no signs of agriculture/permanent settlements.
500
Where did the Sumerians come from? What problems did they face and how did they solve them?
From Northern Mesopotamia.
(1) Overpopulation --> moved South
(2) Low rain & unpredictable floods --> irrigation
(3) Irrigation needs maintenance --> city-states
(4) Increased attacks --> fortifications
500
Present an analysis of this painting. Make sure your analysis is interpretive, abstract, and/or argumentative.
???
500
What are the 3 different types of history we've discussed in class? Name and describe each.
Political History: Interested in important people. How can major events be explained by the actions of individual people?
Historical Materialism: Interested in class and economics. How can major events be explained by economic pressures and class tensions?
Social History: Interested in daily life. How do major events impact everyday people?
500
What was unusual about the layout of homes at Skara Brae?
Entryways doubled as toilets