Question 1

Which of the following kinds of evidence for warfare was NOT found by archaeologists while investigating the Maya collapse?

Accepted Answer

Terracotta soldiers are associated with Chinese history, specifically the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, and not with the Maya civilization. The other options (hieroglyphic texts, fortifications, burned buildings, and projectile points) are types of evidence that have been found by archaeologists and can be linked to warfare in the context of the Maya civilization.

Question 2

Early states had productive agricultural economies.

Accepted Answer

Early states often developed in regions where agriculture could be practiced effectively, leading to productive agricultural economies that supported population growth and the establishment of complex societies.

Question 3

Coastal Peru illustrates the explanatory power of Carneiro's theory of state formation caused by the interaction of environmental circumscription, warfare, and population increase.

Accepted Answer

Coastal Peru, specifically in the Andean region, is a prime example of Carneiro's theory, where the population increase and limited available land led to territorial conflicts, ultimately resulting in the formation of centralized states.

Question 4

The Natufians were the first culture to develop a state in the Indus Valley.

Accepted Answer

The Natufians were a culture that existed in the Levant region, while the Indus Valley civilization developed later, with the first urban centers emerging around 2600 BCE. It is not accurate to say that the Natufians developed a state in the Indus Valley.

Question 5

The earliest states emerged in Mesopotamia.

Accepted Answer

Mesopotamia, located in present-day Iraq, is considered one of the earliest cradles of civilization and where the first states emerged, such as Sumer and Akkad.

Question 6

Which of the following was NOT a characteristic of the Teotihuacán state?

Accepted Answer

Teotihuacán, while known for its complex architecture, careful city planning, large population, and large-scale irrigation, did not have a mature, syllabic writing system. Its writing system remains largely undeciphered and is not considered to have been as developed as those of some contemporaneous cultures.

Question 7

All of the following archaeological evidence points to Monte Albán's increasing role at the center of state formation and expansion EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

Evidence of peaceful trade with San Martín Tilcajete does not necessarily indicate an increasing role at the center of state formation and expansion.

Question 8

Most researchers today believe that chiefdoms emerged in response to the growing administrative requirements for building, maintaining, and administering public hydraulic works.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Most researchers today believe that chiefdoms emerged...

Question 9

Which of the following statements about the Olmec is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

The Olmec civilization is not classified as an empire but rather as a complex society or culture. They are often considered a foundational culture in Mesoamerica, influencing later civilizations, but they did not establish an empire in the sense of a large, expansive, politically unified state.

Question 10

Like Mesopotamia and China, many early civilizations came to rely on metallurgy. Aside from metallurgy, a skill that set the early civilizations of Peru's Andes apart was

Accepted Answer

The answer of Like Mesopotamia and China, many early civilizations...

Question 11

Which of the following played a key role in the formation of Mesoamerica's earliest state, the Zapotec state?

Accepted Answer

Conquest warfare played a key role in the formation of the Zapotec state, as it allowed them to expand their territory and consolidate power, leading to the establishment of one of Mesoamerica's earliest states.

Question 12

What kind of society were the Olmec?

Accepted Answer

The Olmec society is best described as a chiefdom. This is because their social organization was more complex than a band or tribe, with leadership likely concentrated in the hands of a few individuals or a single leader, but they did not have the extensive bureaucratic structures characteristic of a state or empire.

Question 13

States are complex systems of sociopolitical organization that aim to control and administer everything from conflict resolution to population movements, with the overall aim of achieving egalitarianism among their members.

Accepted Answer

States are indeed complex systems of sociopolitical organization that aim to control and administer various aspects of society, such as conflict resolution and population movements. However, their overall aim is not necessarily to achieve egalitarianism among their members; goals can vary widely, including maintaining order, ensuring national security, and promoting economic growth, among others.

Question 14

An empire is a mature example of which organizational pattern?

Accepted Answer

A state is a mature example of an empire.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the first Chinese state?

Accepted Answer

The first Chinese state, known for its complexity and advanced civilization, did not have a subsistence economy dominated by rice. Instead, it featured elements such as wealthy royal tombs, bronze metallurgy, social stratification, and human sacrifice, indicating a more complex and developed economic and social structure.

Question 16

Early states lacked social classes.

Accepted Answer

Early states did have social classes, often with rulers and priests at the top and farmers and laborers at the bottom. This was seen in ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China.

Question 17

Early states arose from competition among rival tribes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Early states arose from competition among rival...

Question 18

Pseudoscientists often underestimate the capacity for human inventiveness in the ancient peoples they write about, assuming that creating major features were beyond their capabilities.

Accepted Answer

Pseudoscientists often assume that ancient peoples lacked the technological know-how to create significant structures or inventions, but this underestimates their resourcefulness and ingenuity.

Question 19

What prestige item was crafted by inhabitants of the Valley of Oaxaca and traded with other Mesoamerican chiefdoms?

Accepted Answer

Mirrors, especially those made from obsidian, were highly valued in Mesoamerican cultures for their reflective properties and symbolic significance. They were crafted by inhabitants of the Valley of Oaxaca and traded extensively with other chiefdoms.

Question 20

A key feature of Carneiro's model for the origin of states is metallurgy.

Accepted Answer

Carneiro's model for the origin of states emphasizes environmental circumscription, social circumscription, and warfare as key factors, rather than metallurgy.

Quiz 9: The First Cities and States