Question 1

The major view of political economy models of urban growth is that they assume that local governments act largely at the bidding of economic elites, and that citizens' wishes have little impact on growth patterns or local government.

Accepted Answer

Political economy models assume that economic elites have more influence on the decisions made by local governments regarding urban growth, while citizens' preferences and desires have less impact.

Question 2

The first towns emerged before the invention of writing.

Accepted Answer

Archaeological evidence shows the existence of early towns, such as Çatalhöyük in Turkey, dating back to about 7500 BCE, which is before the invention of writing (around 4000 BCE).

Question 3

There is fairly clear evidence that a transformation from a specialized food-collecting culture to a culture where grains were cultivated occurred around 8000B. C.E. in North America.

Accepted Answer

There is no evidence of grain cultivation in North America around 8000 B.C.E. The cultivation of grains did occur in other parts of the world, such as the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East, but not in North America at that time.

Question 4

According to the text, it is generally believed that before the urban revolution could take place, an agricultural revolution was necessary.

Accepted Answer

The text states that "most historians and archaeologists believe that an agricultural revolution had to take place before the urban revolution could happen."

Question 5

Since the hunting-and-gathering societies were mobile they had to have more complex social organization than sedentary, agricultural societies.

Accepted Answer

Hunting-and-gathering societies typically had less complex social organizations due to their mobile lifestyle, which necessitated smaller, more flexible social units, unlike sedentary agricultural societies that developed more complex structures to manage land and resources.

Question 6

The Neolithic period is characterized by the change from gathering food to producing it.

Accepted Answer

The Neolithic period, also known as the New Stone Age, is characterized by the development of agriculture and animal domestication, which allowed humans to produce their own food instead of relying solely on hunting and gathering.

Question 7

A food surplus was essential to the emergence of towns, and it was essential that this surplus come from agriculture.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A food surplus was essential to the...

Question 8

Jericho, which some argue was the first organized town, is estimated to have had about 600 people in 8000B. C.E.

Accepted Answer

Jericho is believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, with evidence of settlement dating back to 8000BCE. Estimates suggest that around 600 people lived in Jericho at this time, making it one of the earliest examples of an organized town.

Question 9

Archaeologists have almost universally concluded that the invention of agriculture preceded population growth in human societies.

Accepted Answer

Archaeologists generally believe that population growth was both a cause and a consequence of the invention of agriculture, as increased food production supported larger populations.

Question 10

Slash-and-burn agriculture has been used as recently as the 20^th century in isolated areas of the U. S. Appalachian Mountains.

Accepted Answer

Slash-and-burn agriculture, also known as swidden or shifting cultivation, was commonly practiced in the Appalachian Mountains by indigenous peoples and later by European settlers until the early 20th century. It is still practiced in some isolated areas of the region.

Question 11

New research confirms that cities in South America developed later than cities in the Americas were previously thought to exist.

Accepted Answer

The statement suggests that cities in South America were thought to exist earlier than currently believed, but there is no mention of this in the given information.

Question 12

The text concludes that the development of cities in Mesopotamia, China, and Mesoamerica were not a product of cultural diffusion, but rather they were separate inventions.

Accepted Answer

The text states that "the development of early cities and states in each of these regions did not come about as a result of cultural diffusion, but rather they were separate inventions."

Question 13

Mayan cities in Central America developed earlier than those in Mesopotamia or China.

Accepted Answer

Mesopotamia and China developed urban civilizations several thousand years before the Maya, with the earliest known civilizations in Mesopotamia dating back to around 4000 BCE and in China around 2000 BCE, while the Maya civilization did not fully develop until around 200 to 300 BCE.

Question 14

At the time of Spanish Conquest, the Aztec city of Tenochititlan amazed the Spanish with its size.

Accepted Answer

This is true. The Spanish were amazed by the size and beauty of Tenochititlan, which they described as a magnificent city with impressive buildings, canals, causeways, and markets.

Question 15

Hunting and gathering societies are able to sustain a maximum of about 25 persons per square mile.

Accepted Answer

Hunting and gathering societies have a lower population density compared to modern agricultural and industrial societies. This is due to their reliance on natural resources and their need to move frequently to follow the availability of these resources. As a result, hunting and gathering societies are able to sustain a maximum of about 25 persons per square mile.

Question 16

The word "Mesopotamia", where remains of the world's earliest cities have been found, means "land between the mountains".

Accepted Answer

Mesopotamia means "land between the rivers," specifically between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Question 17

At its peak, Athens was less than one square mile in size.

Accepted Answer

Athens was a city-state in ancient Greece. At its peak, it was about 2.5 square miles in size.

Question 18

Babylon, one of the wonders of the ancient world, embraced a physical area of approximately ten square miles.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Babylon, one of the wonders of the...

Question 19

Of all the ancient cities only one, imperial Rome, exceeded an area of five square miles.

Accepted Answer

The question states that "Of all the ancient cities only one, imperial Rome, exceeded an area of five square miles." This means that all other ancient cities were smaller than five square miles in area, while imperial Rome was larger than five square miles in area. Therefore, the statement is true.

Question 20

Archaeological records indicate that the earliest public buildings in ancient cities were royal palaces.

Accepted Answer

The earliest public buildings in ancient cities were often temples or religious structures, not royal palaces. Temples served as centers for worship, community gatherings, and sometimes as places for the redistribution of resources, predating the construction of palaces dedicated to royalty or political leaders.

Quiz 2: The Emergence of Cities