HIST 2060 (World Civilization I) Exam 1 Study Guide

Exam Structure: This exam an essay exam that you will take on eLearn under the Asessments tab. You will write two essays, each worth 50%. There are two lists, A (Thesis Essays) and B (Primary Source Essays). You are required to do at least one essay from List A. You can do bothchoose two essays from List A if you wish, or do one from List A and one from List B. The List B questions will ask you to analyze a primary source document from the time period we are studying, based on certain questions. The questions are listed below, while the source will be presented in the exam.

Grading Criteria:

• Essays: Essays should be in standard short essay form - 1) Introduction and thesis; 2) Supporting evidence; 3) Conclusion. This will ordinarily take five to eight paragraphs. You will be graded on form, completeness, accuracy, and how well you support your thesis.

Topics covered: This exam covers all material from the beginning of class to the Axial Age.

Lectures covered:

• Becoming Human
• Farming and Herding
• River Civilizations
• Rise and Fall of Ancient Civilizations
• Recovery, Development and Instability
• The Axial Age

Essay Questions and Identification Terms: Below are the terms and essays. Each essay is associated with a set of terms. In many cases, the terms themselves will be useful in answering the essay as well. Some terms are useful for more than one essay!

Readings:

World History: Cultures, States, and Societies to 1500 or Boundless World History. You don't have to read both, though note where I say one or the other doesn't cover something well.

• WH Chp 1 - Prehistory
• BWH: Precursors to Civilization
• BWH: The Study of History
• WH: 2.4-2.8 (Mesopotamia); 2.13-2.15 (Egypt and Nubia); 3.5-3.6 (Early India); 4.5-4.6 (Early China)
• BWH: The First Urban Civilizations
• BWH: Introduction to Ancient Egypt
• BWH: The Old Kingdom
• BWH: China: The Mythical Period
• BWH: The Shang Dynasty
• BWH: The Indus River Civilization
• WH: 4.7 (Zhou China); 5.5-5.9 (Early Greece); 10.5 and 10.8 (Early Mexico, Early Peru)
• BWH: Ancient Societies on the Mediterranean
• BWH: Early Periods in Greek History
• WH: 4.7 (Zhou China); 5.5-5.9 (Early Greece); 10.5 and 10.8 (Early Mexico, Early Peru)
• BWH: Early Periods in Greek History
• BWH: Athens
• BWH: Sparta
• BWH: Classical Greek Culture (Homer and Iliad Sections)
• BWH: The Zhou Dynasty
• BWH: The Early Andes (BWH doesn't have the Olmecs)
• WH: 2.10 - 2.12 (Early Judaism); 3.8 and 3.10 (Religion in India); 4.73 (Chinese religion) (WH is not good on Zoroastrianism.)
• BWH: The Zhou Dynasty (Chinese Philosophy Section)
• BWH: Religion in the Sub Continent

List A (Thesis Essays)

Essay 1: Compare the development of the early river civilizations. How did the distinct environments of each river valley shape the development of these cultures?

Essay 2: Discuss instability in the cultures of the Second Millennia BCE (c.2000-1000 BCE). What factors contributed to this instability? Discuss how these impacted at least two civilizations.

Essay 3: Discuss at least three religions or philosophical movements of the Axial Age. Compare how they exemplify (or don't) the basic principles of the Axial Age. 

List B (Primary Source Analysis)

You will be presented with a primary source document. Answer the following questions about the primary source.

1. Each source includes the time and place it was produced, and the name of the author if available. Describe in a general way what was going in on in that part of the world at the time (Such as, what kind of government exsisted, if it was a time of war or peace, and anything that seems relevant to the source).

2. What can we learn about the time and place the source was produced from the source itself? (This is the main part of the essay and where most of the points for the essay can be earned).

3. What can you say about the author's point of view, in terms of their perpsective or biases?