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Anth 335 Old World Prehistory
Dr. Darlene Applegate
Spring 2008
Review Materials for Midterm Exam 2

CULTURAL AREAS, REGIONS, AND SITES
THE NEAR EAST


THE MEDITERRANEAN AND AEGEAN

  • How might the positive and negative features of the environment have affected early Mediterranean/Aegean civilizations?
  • What plant domesticates were important in the Mediterranean and Aegean?    Compare to the Near East  
  • What animal domesticates were important in the Mediterranean and Aegean?    Compare to the Near East
  • What is the date for the oldest domesticated plant species in the Mediterranean and Aegean and what species is it?
  • What is the date for the oldest domesticated animal species in the Mediterranean and Aegean?
  • When did food production become common in the southeastern portion of the Mediterranean and Aegean?
  • What five styles of marble sculpture were common in the Mediterranean and Aegean?
  • What is the oldest date for stone tombs in the Mediterranean and Aegean?  What are the four types of stone tombs and who used each type?
  • How were palaces constructed in the Mediterranean and Aegean (in terms of their parts and organization)?  When were the first palaces constructed?  What were the functions of palaces?  Compare to the Near East
  • What four types of writing were used in the Mediterranean and Aegean?  Which have been deciphered and what types of texts are typical for those scripts?  When was writing first developed/adopted?  Compare to the Near East
  • What type of seal was used in the Mediterranean and Aegean?  What were these seals made of?  How were the seals used? How were they decorated?   Compare to the Near East
  • What are frescos?  What are common motifs?  Where were frescos painted?
  • What was the significance of bulls and cattle to people in the Mediterranean and Aegean? How was bull leaping practiced?
  • What were common imports and exports of Mediterranean-Aegean civilizations?
  • What early Mediterranean-Aegean civilization was renowned for the double-ax symbol?
  • What early Mediterranean-Aegean civilization was renowned for cyclopean architecture?
  • What early Mediterranean-Aegean civilization was renowned for bucchero, the fasces symbol, and divination with the liver and with lightning/thunder?
  • Who were Heinrich Schliemann and Arthur Evans?


    • Be sure to think about similarities and differences in the material culture and lifeways of early civilizations in these two culture areas!


    PHOTO IDENTIFICATIONS

    Be able to identify photographs of these artifacts, with what culture area they are associated, and (for some) what specific civilization with which they are associated.


    BOOK MATERIAL


    PRACTICE QUESTIONS

    1.    A tel is a/an

    A.    symbolic representation of sacred and secular power in an early civilization.
    B.    geographic area in which the human societies shared a common set of cultural traits.
    C.    geographic area where domestication was an indigenous development.
    D.    artificial mound of earth into which burials were placed.
    E.    stratified accumulation of debris resulting from multiple phases of human habitation.

    2.    What early Near Eastern civilization was well-known for human sacrifice and purple dye manufacture?

    A.    Babylonia
    B.    Phoenicia
    C.    Sumeria
    D.    Abyssia
    E.    Assyria

    3.    Near Eastern ziggurats

    A.    typically were constructed from building stone like limestone.
    B.    were multi-level, flat-topped temple mounds with massive steps. 
    C.    were the foci of secular power in early cities and states.
    D.    were associated with individual kings, with each king building his own ziggurat.
    E.    All of these are correct.

    4.    Regarding state emblems of Near Eastern and Mediterranean/Aegean civilizations,

    A.    the griffin was an emblem of the Babylonian civilization.
    B.    the tripod, three wheat stalks surrounded by a snake, was an emblem of the Minoan civilization.
    C.    the double-headed bird was an emblem of the Hittite empire.
    D.    the double-ax was an emblem of the Persian empire.
    E.    the fasces, a bundle of rods around a central double-headed ax, was an emblem of the Mycenaean civilization.

    5.    Which of the following statements about the origins of domestication and food production in the Mediterranean-Aegean is false?

    A.    Important animal domesticates were cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, donkey, and horse.
    B.    Important plant domesticates were wheat, barley, millet, flax, fruits, and legumes.
    C.    The earliest evidence of animal and plant domesticates is dated at 7000 BC.
    D.    Food production may be as early as 6000 BC.
    E.    Only the southeast portion of the culture area is considered a primary hearth.

    6.    Which of the following statements about frescos in the Mediterranean-Aegean culture area is false?

    A.    Frescos were paintings executed on wet plaster.
    B.    Common fresco motifs include deities and agricultural scenes.
    C.    Bright colors such as blue and red were used in frescos.
    D.    Frescos have been discovered in stone tombs and at palaces.
    E.    Frescos were painted in the homes of upper- and lower-class people.

    7.    True or False: The oldest evidence of writing in the Near East is dated at 3200 BC, while the oldest evidence of writing in the Mediterranean-Aegean is dated at 1700 BC.

     8.    True or False: The oldest evidence of stone tomb construction in the Mediterranean-Aegean is 3500 BC.

    9.    True or False: Found at nearly all early Near Eastern cities like Ur, ziggurats had both religious and economic functions.

    10.   True or False: Bull leaping in the Mediterranean-Aegean culture area may have been a religious ritual or a sporting event.



    Click here for answers to objective questions.



    Sample Essay: How did the environments of the Near East and Mediterranean-Aegean affect the nature of early cultural developments in those culture areas?

    Sample Essay: Compare and contrast palaces and writing systems in the Near East and Mediterranean-Aegean culture areas.


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    Page composed by Darlene Applegate, darlene.applegate@wku.edu
    Last updated on March 6, 2008
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