The Agricultural Revolution
One major reason humans shifted from hunting and gathering to farming.
Humans began farming to create a stable food supply.
Why did ancient civilizations develop near rivers like the Nile?
Fertile soil and irrigation from the Nile supported farming.
What natural event inspired Mesopotamian flood myths?
The unpredictable flooding of Mesopotamian rivers.
What civilization created Hammurabi’s Code?
Babylon
What are the four main castes described in the Laws of Manu?
Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras.
The term historians use for the shift from foraging to farming
The “Neolithic Revolution.”
Name one way the Nile helped ancient Egyptian civilization.
The Nile provided water, fertile land, and transportation.
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, which god warned Utnapishtim about the flood?
The god Ea.
What phrase most popularly describes Hammurabi’s style of justice?
“An eye for an eye.”
How does the body metaphor in the caste creation myth show hierarchy?
Each part of the body represented different social importance.
How did the development of surplus food change community life?
Surplus food allowed population growth and job specialization.
Name one way the Nile hurt ancient Egyptian civilization.
Floods sometimes destroyed crops and homes.
What do the flood myths reveal about Mesopotamian fears of the gods?
People feared divine punishment and anger of gods
How did punishments differ based on a person’s social class?
Punishments were harsher for lower classes and slaves.
Why were punishments for crimes different for each caste?
Harsher punishments for lower castes upheld inequality.
In what ways did farming lead to new social hierarchies or gender roles?
Farming led to social hierarchies and more defined gender roles.
Why can floods be considered both a blessing and a curse? Give an example of each.
Blessing = fertile land; Curse = destructive floods
How do the gods’ actions during the flood show conflict or debate among them?
The gods debated justice and mercy, showing internal conflict
Why might Hammurabi have carved his laws into stone?
Stone made the laws permanent and visible to all.
How did marriage laws reinforce the caste system?
Marriage rules kept castes separate and maintained hierarchy.
Explain one cause-and-effect relationship between the rise of agriculture and the growth of civilization.
Farming caused permanent settlements → growth of cities and civilization.
Describe one cause-and-effect relationship between the Nile’s flooding and Egyptian society.
Predictable floods led to organized agriculture and centralized government.
How does the flood story explain the relationship between humans and divine punishment?
It reflects humans’ dependence on the gods and also their fear of gods controlling nature.
What does Hammurabi’s Code reveal about how rulers used law to maintain power? Use specific examples.
Laws maintained order and reinforced social hierarchy to strengthen rule.
What do unequal laws in the Manu text reveal about power and social order in ancient India?
Laws protected elites, showing that power was tied to birth and class.