Ancient Egypt
This large river helped Egyptian civilization grow and provided fertile soil for farming.
Nile
Mesopotamia means "land between two ____." Name the two rivers
Tigris and Euphrates
Babylon was a powerful city located along which major river?
Euphrates
The Phoenicians were excellent sailors and traders who lived on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. They were famous for trading goods and creating a system of writing known as an early form of the _____.
alphabet
The Maya lived in parts of present-day Mexico and which other region?
Central America / Yucatán and Guatemala
The Israelites trace their early history to a man named Abraham. According to their tradition, Abraham made a special agreement with God called a _____.
covenant
The Aztecs built their capital city on an island in a lake. What was that city called?
Tenochtitlán
The Persian Empire was known for connecting many lands. What large empire famously conquered Babylon in 539 BCE and allowed people to return to their homelands?
Cyrus the Great / Persian Empire (Achaemenid)
Name the famous triangular tombs built for pharaohs.
Pyramids
This invention by Mesopotamians allowed them to record information and keeps words visible on clay. What writing system did they use?
Cuneiform
Hammurabi was a famous king of Babylon known for creating a set of rules called the ____ of Hammurabi.
Code of Hammurabi;
The Phoenicians founded many colonies. Name the well-known city they are traditionally credited with founding in North Africa.
Carthage
The Maya developed a written language made of carved symbols and pictures. What are these writing symbols commonly called?
hieroglyphs (Maya glyphs)
The Israelites' holy book includes the first five books known as the _____.
Torah
The Aztecs were known for creating chinampas, sometimes called "floating gardens." What was the main purpose of chinampas?
grow more crops / increase food supply
The Persians built a famous road to help communication across their empire. What was this road called?
Royal Road
The Egyptians wrote using pictures and symbols. What is this writing system called?
Hieroglyphs;
Mesopotamian city-states often had a large temple in the center called a ____.
Ziggurat
The capital city Babylon was known for a legendary hanging garden credited to making the king's wife happy. What is the name given to that garden?
Hanging Gardens (of Babylon)
The Phoenicians produced a valuable purple dye made from a sea creature. What is this dye commonly called?
Tyrian purple
The Maya tracked time using a complex system of calendars. Name one use for their calendars
planning planting/rituals/astronomy
Moses is an important leader in Israelite history. He is known for leading the Israelites out of which region of slavery?
Egypt
The Aztecs worshipped many gods and held large ceremonies. Name one crop that was central to Aztec diet and culture.
maize (corn)
The Persians used a system to govern many different peoples, allowing some local customs to continue. What is this governing strategy called?
tolerance / satrapies (use of satraps)
This process preserved bodies for the afterlife in Ancie Egypt. What is it called?
Mummification
This code of laws from Babylon was one of the earliest writing-down of laws. What is it called?
Code of Hammurabi
Babylonian astronomers tracked planets and stars. Name one thing their observations helped create
calendars/astronomy
The Phoenician alphabet influenced many later writing systems. Why was their alphabet easier to use than earlier writing systems?
fewer symbols / phonetic (easier to learn)
Maya cities often included stepped stone structures used for religious purposes. What are these structures called?
pyramids/temples (step pyramids)
The Israelites established a kingdom with a famous king who built a temple in Jerusalem. Name that king.
King Solomon (or King David for united kingdom)
Aztec warriors were important to expand the empire. What did the Aztecs often require from conquered peoples?
tribute (goods, people, or labor)
The Persian king Cyrus is famous for a declaration that allowed freed peoples to practice their own religions. What is one effect of that policy for conquered peoples?
religious freedom / returned exiles
Name the ruler title used by the leaders of Ancient Egypt who were seen as both kings and gods.
Pharaoh
Name one major Mesopotamian civilization besides the Babylonians
Sumerians or Assyrians
The Babylonian number system used a base of how many
60
Besides trade, the Phoenicians were known for building ships. Name one advantage their strong navy gave them.
protect trade routes / expand trade
The Maya were skilled in mathematics and invented a symbol for zero. Why was the zero important in their number system?
allowed place-value arithmetic and more complex calculations
The Israelites followed laws and moral teachings, many of which are summarized in a set of rules often called the _____.
The Ten Commandments
The Aztecs used a complex calendar system. One of their calendar rituals combined a solar year with a ritual cycle. Name one reason these calendars mattered in Aztec society.
determining religious festivals, planting cycles, and political events
The Persians had an efficient system for moving messages across the empire using mounted couriers. Describe one benefit this postal system gave the empire
quicker military responses and reliable governance