Foundations — Mesopotamia, Egypt, India & China
The Mesopotamians wrote ________________ on clay tablets, while the Egyptians wrote hieroglyphics on _______________.
Cuneiform, Papyrus
What geographic feature separated Greek city‑states, and what is another name for a Greek city-state?
Mountains; city‑states were polis
example of a polis- Athens and Sparta
Who united the Mongol tribes and built the largest unified land empire?
Genghis (Chinggis) Khan
How did the Bubonic Plague travel from Asia to Europe (Venice)?
trade routes/ships, often through infected fleas on rats
Galileo Galilei built his own _______________ to study the planets.
Telescope
Who did Christopher Columbus sail for, and where did he go?
Spain; sailed to the Caribbean (Americas).
What were the Three Sisters crops grown by the Maya?
Corn (maize), beans, and squash.
What river valley was home to the Sumerians?
Mesopotamia (Tigris and Euphrates Rivers)
Define Athenian democracy.
Citizens participated directly in making laws/policy (direct democracy).
How did the Mongols contribute to the spread of the bubonic plague?
Through the Silk Road and the use of catapults to hurl plague-infected bodies over city walls.
Manor vs. Feudal System: which is economic and which is political?
Manor = Economic; Feudal = Political
Who sculpted David and painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling?
Michelangelo
Who did Vasco da Gama sail for, and where did he go?
Portugal; sailed around Africa to India.
What did the Aztecs use chinampas for?
Farming on floating gardens.
Why did Egyptians call their river the “Gift of the Nile”?
It provided fertile soil, water, and transportation.
Compare and contrast the Greek city-states of Sparta and Athens, focusing on their political systems and social values.
Sparta was a militaristic state, and women had rights. While Athens was a democracy, women did not have rights. Both were Greek polis.
Which European trader visited Kublai Khan and wrote about China?
Marco Polo
Feudal land granted to a noble/lord was called a…
Fief
Name two works by da Vinci.
FOR DOUBLE POINTS:
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are named after four famous Renaissance artists. Name all four.
Mona Lisa and The Last Supper
Extra Points answer:
Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael.
Where was Zheng He from, and where did he explore?
From China; explored the Indian Ocean and East Africa with treasure fleets
What was the Muslim holy book called?
The Qur’an.
Who was the emperor that spread Buddhism throughout India?
Asoka (Maurya Empire)
Roman roads helped spread __________.
Christianity
Animal used by the Kingdom of Ghana to trade across the Sahara?
Camels
During the Dark Ages, who was crowned “Holy Roman Emperor”?
Charlemagne
Leonardo da Vinci was considered a “_____ _____.” Why?
Renaissance Man—excelled in art, science, engineering, architecture
Who did Ferdinand Magellan sail for, and what did he accomplish?
Spain; led the first circumnavigation.
FOR DOUBLE POINTS: WHAT IS CIRCUMNAVIGATION?
What did the Ancient Chinese use to ask questions of their ancestors?
Oracle bones
What separated India from other civilizations? And what is the name of strong seasonal winds with heavy rain?
Mountains or the Himalayas
Monsoons
Hellenism blended __________, __________, and __________ cultures.
Greek, Persian, Egyptian
Founder of Islam and the Muslim holy book?
Muhammad; the Qur’an
After the Crusades, what began to grow due to trade?
Double Points Question: What's a knight's favorite kind of music?
Towns/cities
Double Points Answer: Heavy Metal
Who started the Protestant Reformation by challenging the Catholic Church?
Martin Luther
Samuel de Champlain sailed for which country, and explored where?
France; explored Canada/Quebec and the St. Lawrence.
What religion were Ghana, Mali, and Songhai?
Islam
Describe the role of the Mandate of Heaven in the Chinese dynasties of Zhou, Qin, and Han.
The Mandate of Heaven was the belief that an emperor's right to rule came from the gods, and if they ruled badly, they would lose that right.
Who was the first emperor of Rome?
Augustus Caesar
Indian Ocean trade routes exchanged __________ and __________.
Spices; textiles
Why didn’t people need to leave the manor?
It was self‑sufficient (food, protection, services on site).
What are “indulgences”?
Indulgences were sold by that Catholic Church. They were a piece of paper that "guaranteed" a place in Heaven.
Define the Columbian Exchange.
Transfer of plants, animals, people, ideas, and diseases between the Old World and New World after 1492.
What did the Turks do with the Hagia Sophia after conquering Byzantium?
Converted it into a mosque.
Which Mesopotamian king created the first written law code?
Hammurabi (Hammurabi's Law Code)
Rome was a Republic first, what is a Republic?
DOUBLE POINT QUESTION!!!:
What did the Roman say when his wife was eaten by a lion?
A system where officials are elected to represent citizens.
Double Points Answer: Gladiator
Muhammad’s departure to Medina started which pilgrimage practiced by millions?
The Hajj
Impact of the Bubonic Plague on Europe?
Massive population loss, labor shortages, social/economic shifts, weakened feudalism
What did the Martin Luther Nail to the Church door?
The Ninety‑Five Theses, which opposed the practice of indulgences, stated that salvation was earned through faith alone, and questioned the authority of the Pope-- stating the bible is the ultimate religious authority.
What were the astrolabe and magnetic compass used for?
Astrolabe—latitude/position using stars; compass—direction finding
What did Emperor Ashoka build to spread Buddhism?
Pillars with inscriptions promoting Buddhist teachings.
Which rivers did India settle around, and were they predictable?
Indus & Ganges; flooding was unpredictable
Emperor Justinian ruled the Byzantine Empire as a theocracy. A theocracy is when the ruler controls both the ________________ and _____________.
Government and Religion
Mansa Musa’s impact during his hajj and on Mali?
Spent lavishly, invited scholars back, helped make Timbuktu a center of Islamic learning; heavy spending contributed to Mali’s decline
"I got 99 problems but Money ain't one"-- Mansa Musa
After Charlemagne’s empire fragmented, people sought protection from whom?
Local lords/nobles
What helped spread Luther’s ideas around Europe?
The printing press.
What was the Middle Passage?
Second leg of the triangular trade from Africa to America, where slaves were transported.
People call themselves "People of the ___________" in China today because this Dynasty ruled for 400 years.
Han
Civil service exams in China were designed to __________.
Select qualified government officials.
Emperor Justinian built the _________ ______________ for his wife, Empress Theodora as a ________________ Church.
Hagia Sophia; Christian
Describe the significance of the Trans-Saharan trade routes.
They connected sub-Saharan Africa with Europe and Asia leading to the exchange of gold and salt as well as the spread of Islam.
The Crusades were fought between which groups for Jerusalem, and what were crusaders promised?
Christians and Muslims; promised spiritual rewards/indulgences and sometimes land/wealth
John Calvin established Calvinism and believed in predestination. What is predestination?
Predestination is the belief that God has already decided everything that will ever happen, including the eternal fate of every person, before the world was created.
Could Pizza have been made in the old world, why or why not?
ingredients: Flour, Tomato, Cheese, Pepperoni
For 100 extra points: What is Papa Johns slogan?
Pizza as we know it (with tomato sauce and pepperoni) could not have been made in the Old World before contact with the Americas because tomatoes were from the new world.
Extra Credit Question:
Papa John’s slogan:
“Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.”
Justinian Law Code was created using the old ___________ laws to create his own.
Roman
__________ supports the caste system, __________ rejects it.
Hinduism; Buddhism
With the Edict of Milan, which emperor made Christianity legal?
Constantine
Explain the impact of the Mongol Empire on Russia, China, and the Middle East, including the role of Genghis Khan.
The largest contiguous land Empire in history.
Russia experienced the Golden Horde while China unified under the Yuan Dynasty.
Safe trade routes offered opportunities for cultural exchange and the entire Empire benefited from the Golden Age of Pax Mongolica.
Fill the roles: King → Nobles → Knights → Peasants/Serfs (who gives/does what)?
Example: King grants land to________→
King grants land to nobles; nobles grant land to knights; knights protect; peasants work; serfs are bound to land.
Explain geocentric vs. heliocentric theories.
Earth at center; Heliocentric—Sun at center
CURVE BALL/UN GIRO INESPERADO!!! DOUBLE POINTS!
Under the Qin Dynasty, Legalism began. Describe Legalism. >:)
Legalism was a strict philosophy that emphasized harsh laws and severe punishments to maintain order. It taught that people are naturally selfish and need strong control, giving absolute power to the ruler and enforcing obedience through fear rather than moral virtue.
What concept introduced by the Zhou Dynasty said that God chose the next leader?
The Mandate of Heaven.