MR. DEMPSEY'S CLASS - HOME



Chapter 1 Critical Thinking Questions What is the significance of origin stories and what do they tell us about a people's way of life, social divisions, and cultural system? In what ways did nineteenth and twentieth century discoveries of hominid fossil remains upset traditional beliefs? What techniques might an archaeologist use to document the environment in which early humans lived? What role did climate play in the evolution of early human beings? What does Brian Fagan suggest was the reason the early inhabitants of France and Spain chose to paint their remarkable scenes in deep and fairly inaccessible caves? What was the significance of the "Iceman" discovered in 1991 in the European Alps? Why does the author suggest that the term "Agricultural Revolutions" is more appropriate than "Neolithic Revolutions" in describing the passage from a hunting/gathering state of society to an agricultural society? What is meant by the cultivation technique known as 'swidden agriculture'? In what ways do a society’s religious beliefs tend to reflect their relations to nature?Why did animal husbandry never really mature in the Americas? How did the Mesopotamians deal with the unpredictability of their rivers? How might this unpredictability have influenced the development of their world-view? How did agricultural development in Mesopotamia lead to urban administration? Some scholars refer to Sargon as the first world-conqueror. Do you agree or disagree with this? Explain your answer. How did urban development necessitate the development of writing? What does the law code of Hammurabi tell us about Babylonian social structure? How were the cultural innovations of the Sumerians passed on to their Semitic successors? In what ways does the Mesopotamian mathematical system still influences us today? Why does Herodotus refer to Egypt as "the Gift of the Nile"? Who was Menes and why was he so significant for later Egyptian history? Why is our knowledge of Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilization far more comprehensive than our knowledge of the Indus Valley civilization?Chapter 1 Focus Questions In light of scientific advances in our understanding of human origins, what have we learned about our relationship to the earth and other living species? How did the physical and mental abilities that humans gradually evolved enable them to adapt their way of life to new environments during the Great Ice Age? After nearly 2 million years of physical and cultural development, how did human communities in different parts of the world learn to manipulate nature? What cultural achievements characterized life in the Neolithic period?How did Mesopotamian civilization emerge, and what technologies promoted its advancement? What role did the environment and religion play in the evolution of Egyptian civilization? What does the material evidence tell us about the nature of the Indus Valley civilization, and what is the most likely reason for its collapse?Chapter 1 Writing Assignments In a short essay, describe the three characteristics that distinguish human beings from the great apes. Beginning with the Great Rift Valley, discuss the migration patterns of early humans on through to Australia and South America.Write a short paper comparing and contrasting the religious beliefs of the Mesopotamians with those of the Egyptians. Develop an essay interpreting the selection from the Babylonian New Year and what it tells us about Babylonian society.Chapter 2 Critical Thinking Questions How was divination utilized in the Shang dynasty? What is meant by the "Mandate of Heaven," and what role did it play in Chinese political thought? How did King Wu consolidate the Zhou dynasty and why do historians frequently compare his administration to that of feudal Europe? Why did Confucius frequently us the Duke of Zhou as an example of the ideal administrator? Why is the first part of the Eastern Zhou era called the Spring and Autumn Period? How did the lives of Celtic Women compare with those in the Middle East and in the Greek and Roman Mediterranean? What is the significance of the Olmec, and what are the most vivid monuments to their existence? What were the only domesticated beasts of burden in the Americas, and how were they utilized? What was the initial impetus for developing a strong state in Nubia? Who were the Druids and what role did they play in Celtic society?Chapter 2 Focus Questions How did early Chinese rulers use religion to justify and strengthen their power? How did the technological and cultural influences of Egypt affect the formation of Nubia? What is known about the Celts, and how did their religious beliefs help to shape their society? What role did nature and the environment play in the development of early civilizations in the Americas?Chapter 2 Writing Assignments Compare and contrast the divination practices of the Shang Dynasty with those of the Zhou. Develop an essay addressing the various explanations of why civilization in the Eastern Hemisphere occurred so much earlier than it did in the West.Chapter 3 Critical Thinking Questions How does the establishment of the city of Carthage illustrate the spread of cultural patterns from older centers to new regions? What were the most notable innovations of the Hittites? Who were the Hyksos, and what impact did they have on the isolationist tendencies of the Egyptians? In what sense was New Kingdom Egypt an imperial state? How did Akhenaten attempt to alter the religious practices of the Egyptians? What does the artwork of the Minoans tell us about their culture? In what ways did the Assyrians raise warfare to a new level of destructiveness? How did the Israelite origin story account for their existence as a people? How does the Israelite story differ from that of other peoples? What pivotal role did Samuel play in Hebrew history? What major contribution did the Phoenicians make to history, and why were they ideally suited to make this contribution?Chapter 3 Focus Questions How did a cosmopolitan civilization develop in the Middle East during the Late Bronze Age, and what forms did it take? What civilizations emerged in the Aegean world, and what relationship did they have to the older civilizations to the east? How did the Assyrian Empire rise to power and eventually dominate most of the ancient Middle East? How did the civilization of Israel develop, following both familiar cultural patterns and a unique course of its own? How did the Phoenicians rise to commercial dominance over much of the Mediterranean world? Between 750 and 550 B.C.E., what factors prompted the transformation of the ancient Middle East?Chapter 3 Writing Assignments Write a short essay on how the Hittites interacted with the Egyptians and the Greeks. Develop a short essay comparing and contrasting the Hittites and the Carthaginians. ................
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