ANCIENT CIVILIZATION

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• Q1: Define Civilization.
  Ans: Civilization is a complex human society characterized by the development of cities, organized government, social classes, writing, art, architecture, and religion.
• Q2: Define Bronze Age Civilization.
  Ans: Bronze Age Civilization refers to the period when humans began to use bronze tools and weapons, and societies developed advanced urban culture, trade, writing, and organized governments.
• Q3: Enlist Bronze Age Civilizations.
  Ans: Some major Bronze Age Civilizations include:

  • ➔ The Indus Valley Civilization
  • ➔ The Mesopotamian Civilization
  • ➔ The Egyptian Civilization
  • ➔ The Chinese Civilization
• Q4: What are the main factors for the start of a civilization?
  Ans: The main factors for the start of a civilization include:

  • ➔ availability of water sources
  • ➔ fertile land for agriculture
  • ➔ favorable climate
  • ➔ development of trade
  • ➔ social organization
• Q5: What is meant by pre Historic Architecture?
  Ans: Prehistoric architecture refers to structures built by early humans before the invention of writing, including huts, stone circles, dolmens, and caves used for shelter and religious purposes.
• Q6: What is Monolith?
  Ans: A monolith is a large single block of stone, often shaped into a monument or structure, used in prehistoric times for ceremonial or religious purposes.
• Q7: What is Dolmen?
  Ans: A dolmen is a type of prehistoric tomb made from large stone slabs, usually consisting of two or more vertical stones supporting a large flat horizontal capstone.
• Q8: What is Neolithic?
  Ans: Neolithic refers to the New Stone Age, a period when humans began farming, domesticating animals, and forming permanent settlements.
• Q9: What is Paleolithic?
  Ans: Paleolithic refers to the Old Stone Age, a prehistoric period characterized by the use of simple stone tools and hunting and gathering as a way of life.
• Q10: What are the main phases of Indus Valley Civilization?
  Ans: The main phases of the Indus Valley Civilization are:

  • ➔ the Early Harappan Phase
  • ➔ the Mature Harappan Phase
  • ➔ the Late Harappan Phase
• Q11: Briefly explain the Indus Valley Civilization.
  Ans: The Indus Valley Civilization was one of the world's earliest urban civilizations, known for its well-planned cities, advanced drainage systems, trade networks, and use of standardized weights and measures.
• Q12: What are the key features of Indus Valley Civilization?
  Ans: Key features include:

  • ➔ grid-planned cities
  • ➔ advanced sewerage systems
  • ➔ use of baked bricks
  • ➔ public baths
  • ➔ granaries
  • ➔ trade with neighboring regions
• Q13: What were the building types of Indus Valley Civilization?
  Ans: The main building types included:

  • ➔ residential houses
  • ➔ granaries
  • ➔ public baths
  • ➔ wells
  • ➔ citadels for administrative and religious purposes
• Q14: What were the means of transportation in Indus Valley Civilization?
  Ans: The means of transportation included: bullock carts, boats for river transport, possibly small carts pulled by animals for goods and people.
• Q15: What were the major trade routes of Indus people?
  Ans: The Indus people traded with Mesopotamia, Central Asia, and coastal regions through land and sea routes, using rivers and the Arabian Sea.
• Q16: What are Granaries?
  Ans: Granaries are large storage buildings used to store surplus grain, often found in Indus Valley cities, indicating organized agriculture and food management.
• Q17: What was the weighing system of Indus Valley Civilization?
  Ans: The Indus people used standardized weights and measures made of stones, often in binary systems, for trade and construction.
• Q18: What are the architectural features of Harappa cities?
  Ans: Harappan cities featured grid-based planning, brick-lined streets, fortified citadels, uniform building materials, and efficient drainage systems.
• Q19: Describe the geographical importance of Indus Valley Civilization?
  Ans: The civilization developed along the Indus River, which provided fertile soil for farming, water for daily use, and a means for transportation and trade.
• Q20: Describe the sewerage and drainage system of Indus Valley Civilization?
  Ans: The Indus cities had an advanced drainage system with covered drains, soak pits, and underground sewers, connected to every house and public bath.
• Q21: What were the main trades of the people of Indus Valley Civilization?
  Ans: Main trades included pottery, bead-making, textiles, metallurgy, and trading goods such as cotton, gold, silver, and semi-precious stones.
• Q22: Describe Harappan Civilization.
  Ans: The Harappan Civilization, a part of the Indus Valley Civilization, was known for its urban planning, use of standardized bricks, trade networks, and undeciphered script.
• Q23: What do you know about public baths of Indus Valley Civilization?
  Ans: The Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro is a famous example, used for ritual bathing, indicating the importance of cleanliness and religious practices in the society.
• Q24: What methods were used for saving grains in Indus Valley Civilization?
  Ans: Grains were stored in large granaries built with ventilation to keep the produce dry and protected from pests and moisture.
• Q25: Write about the economy of Indus Valley Civilization.
  Ans: The economy was based on agriculture, trade, and crafts. They cultivated wheat, barley, and cotton and traded goods locally and internationally.
• Q26: What is a Pyramid?
  Ans: A pyramid is a large monumental structure with a square base and triangular sides that meet at a point, built mainly as tombs in ancient Egypt.
• Q27: Enlist the types of Pyramids.
  Ans: Types of pyramids are:

  • ➔ The Step Pyramid
  • ➔ The Bent Pyramid
  • ➔ The True Pyramid (like those at Giza)
• Q28: Write about the plan of the pyramid.
  Ans: The pyramid plan typically includes a square base, a series of ascending steps or smooth sides, internal chambers, and passageways leading to the burial chamber.
• Q29: What were the construction techniques of Egyptian Pyramids?
  Ans: Techniques included the use of ramps, levers, skilled labor, and tools made from copper and stone to cut and transport limestone and granite blocks.
• Q30: Define Mastaba.
  Ans: A Mastaba is a flat-roofed, rectangular structure with sloping sides used as a tomb in ancient Egypt, predating pyramids.
• Q31: Name three phases of Egyptian civilization.
  Ans: The three phases are:

  • ➔ the Old Kingdom
  • ➔ the Middle Kingdom
  • ➔ the New Kingdom
• Q32: What was the building type of Egyptian civilization?
  Ans: The main building types were pyramids, temples, mastabas, and palaces built using stone and mud bricks.
• Q33: What is the Giza Pyramid Complex?
  Ans: The Giza Pyramid Complex includes the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, the Sphinx, and several smaller tombs and temples.
• Q34: What is the importance of religion in Egyptian Civilization?
  Ans: Religion was central to Egyptian life, influencing government, architecture, art, and burial practices, with a strong belief in the afterlife.
• Q35: What was the importance of kings in Egyptian Civilization?
  Ans: Kings, or pharaohs, were considered gods on Earth and held supreme power in political, religious, and military matters.
• Q36: Where was the Egyptian Civilization located?
  Ans: It was located along the Nile River in northeastern Africa, primarily in present-day Egypt.
• Q37: What does Mesopotamia mean?
  Ans: Mesopotamia means 'land between the rivers,' referring to the region between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
• Q38: Enlist 4 city states of Mesopotamia.
  Ans: Four major city-states were:

  • ➔ Ur
  • ➔ Uruk
  • ➔ Lagash
  • ➔ Babylon
• Q39: Mesopotamia is located in between which rivers?
  Ans: Mesopotamia is located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
• Q40: What was the building type of Mesopotamia?
  Ans: The primary building types were ziggurats, palaces, temples, and mud-brick houses.
• Q41: Enlist the languages of Mesopotamia.
  Ans: Languages included:

  • ➔ Sumerian
  • ➔ Akkadian
  • ➔ Babylonian
  • ➔ Assyrian
• Q42: What are Ziggurats?
  Ans: Ziggurats were massive temple towers with a stepped design, built in ancient Mesopotamia for religious worship.
• Q43: What is the architecture of Mesopotamia?
  Ans: Mesopotamian architecture used mud bricks and featured structures like ziggurats, city walls, courtyards, and temples with arches and columns.