Bentley & Ziegler, Traditions & Encounters — Chapter 2: Early Societies in Southwest Asia and the Indo-European Migrations
Note: This is a reading guide, not a study guide. Complete it while you read — it directs you to specific passages, keeps you engaged, and holds you accountable as you move through the text. The goal is comprehension and evidence-gathering, not review.
World history can cover unfamiliar civilizations and time periods. This guide will help you identify the most important events, peoples, and processes so that by the time you finish the chapter, you will have a solid grasp of the material — and be well prepared for the Chapter Quiz.
Step 1: Go to the page indicated. Find the sentence using the opening words provided. Type the entire sentence verbatim into the first box. Step 2: Answer the question in your own words using that sentence as your evidence. No outside research needed or permitted.
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Question 1
Section:
Sumer
On Page 24, find the sentence beginning with the words: “Artificial irrigation led to…”
Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:
How did the development of artificial irrigation impact the population and demographics of Sumer in early Mesopotamia?
Question 2
Section:
Hammurabi and the Babylonian Empire
On Page 27, find the sentence beginning with the words: “Hammurabi improved on Sargon’s…”
Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:
In what ways did Hammurabi improve upon the imperial administrative techniques originally established by Sargon of Akkad?
Question 3
Section:
Later Mesopotamian Empires
On Page 27, find the sentence beginning with the words: “They built a powerful…”
Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:
What military strategies and administrative techniques allowed the Assyrian Empire to dominate Mesopotamia and much of southwest Asia?
Question 4
Section:
The Wheel
On Page 32, find the sentence beginning with the words: “Wheeled carts and wagons…”
Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:
How did the invention of the wheel facilitate the expansion of the Mesopotamian economy?
Question 5
Section:
Women’s Roles
On Page 33, find the sentence beginning with the words: “During the second millennium…”
Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:
How did the transition to a complex, urban society in Mesopotamia impact gender roles and the status of women over time?
Question 6
Section:
The Development of Written Cultural Traditions
On Page 34, find the sentence beginning with the words: “Sumerians invented a system…”
Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:
What was the original purpose of the cuneiform writing system, and how did its application evolve over time?
Question 7
Section:
Moses and Monotheism
On Page 37, find the sentence beginning with the words: “Moses, however, embraced monotheism:…”
Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:
How did the religious teachings of Moses represent a major departure from the earlier beliefs of the Hebrews and their Mesopotamian neighbors?
Question 8
Section:
Alphabetic Writing
On Page 40, find the sentence beginning with the words: “Learning twenty-two letters and…”
Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:
Why was the Phoenician alphabetic script considered a significant improvement over the Mesopotamian cuneiform system?
Question 9
Section:
Horses
On Page 41, find the sentence beginning with the words: “Furthermore, because of their…”
Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:
In what ways did the domestication of horses provide early Indo-European speakers with significant advantages over the peoples they encountered?
Question 10
Section:
Iron Metallurgy
On Page 42, find the sentence beginning with the words: “After about 1300 B.C.E.,…”
Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:
What breakthrough in metallurgy was pioneered by Hittite craftsmen, and why was it so impactful for the ancient world?