Name _______________________________ Period ______ Date ______________
AP WORLD HISTORY STUDY GUIDEAncient River Valley Civilizations – Unit 1
Mesopotamia and the Nile River Valley
Define the following terms.1. civilization2. ziggurat3. polytheism4. monotheism5. theocracy6. patriarch7. pharaoh8. Code of Hammurabi9. cuneiform10. Semitic11. city-state12. pharaoh13. hieroglyphics14. cataracts15. Rosetta Stone
Answer the questions in complete sentences using factual detail.1. What geographic features did the earliest civilizations have in common?2. What was the most significant contribution of the Jews to western civilization?3. How was Mesopotamia politically and socially organized?4. What type of law was Hammurabi’s code and why is the code significant?5. What was the significant contribution of the Phoenicians and why?6. What is the meaning of the word “Mesopotamia”?7. What was the nature of trade in Mesopotamia and who did they trade with?8. What did King Menes do in 3100 B.C.E.?9. What were the major differences in the Nile River Valley and Mesopotamian
civilizations?10. How did the Greek historian Herodotus describe Egypt?
Harappan Civilization and the Huang He Valley
Define the following terms.1. Harappa2. Indo-Europeans3. Vedas4. Caste System5. Monsoon6. Feudalism7. Oracle Bones8. Ancestor Veneration9. Dynastic Cycle10. Mandate of Heaven
Answer the questions in complete sentences using factual detail.1. How did the Harappan Civilization reflect advanced civilization?2. How did the Aryan people change the Indus River Valley?3. Describe the writing system of the Indus River Valley.4. Where and how did civilization begin in China?5. What was China’s biggest challenge in establishing a complex society?6. What is the historical significance of the Shang?7. How was the Zhou Dynasty politically organized and why did this not work?8. What was the significance of family in Chinese society?9. What was the purpose in the use of the Mandate of Heaven by Chinese rulers?10. What were the technological achievements of ancient China?