History · General Awareness

Ancient and World History

4,979 Questions

Ancient and world history covers the rise and fall of major civilizations, their cultural practices, and their administrative developments. Topics span from the Persian and Byzantine empires to the architectural marvels of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. This collection of practice questions is tailored for candidates preparing for history and general studies sections.

Ancient CivilizationsMilitary TacticsByzantine EmpirePersian EmpireCultural Blending

Ancient and World History Questions

Multiple choice

What was used by Pelasgians to make their clothing?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question.

Although Greece (or Hel´las) is only half as large as the State of New York, it holds a very important place in the history of the world. It is situated in the southern part of Europe, cut off from the rest of the continent by a chain of high mountains which form a great wall on the north. It is surrounded on nearly all sides by the blue waters of the Med-it-er-ra´ne-an Sea, which stretch so far inland that it is said no part of the country is forty miles from the sea, or ten miles from the hills. Thus shut in by sea and mountains, it forms a little territory by itself, and it was the home of many a noted people.
The history of Greece goes back to the time when people did not know how to write, and kept no record of what was happening around them. For a long while the stories told by parents to their children were the only information which could be had about the country and its former inhabitants; and these stories, slightly changed with every new teller, grew more and more extraordinary as time passed. At last they were so changed that no one could tell where the truth ended and fancy began.
The beginning of Greek history is therefore like a fairy tale; and while much of it cannot, of course, be true, it is the only information we have about the early Greeks. It is these strange fireside stories, which used to amuse Greek children so many years ago, that you are first going to hear.
About two thousand years before the birth of Christ, in the days when Isaac wanted to go down into Egypt, Greece was inhabited by a savage race of men called the Pe-las´gi-ans. They lived in the forests, or in caves hollowed out of the mountain side, and hunted wild beasts with great clubs and stone-tipped arrows and spears. They were so rude and wild that they ate nothing but raw meat, berries, and the roots which they dug up with sharp stones or even with their hands.
For clothing, the Pelasgians used the skins of the beasts they had killed; and to protect themselves against other savages, they gathered together in families or tribes, each having a chief who led in the war and in the chase.

  1. Skin of the beasts

  2. Skin of the bulls

  3. Skin of the bears

  4. None of these

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

For clothing, the Pelasgians used the skins of the beasts they had killed.

Multiple choice
  1. Homer

  2. Plato

  3. Hitler

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to the poet Homer.

Multiple choice
  1. Romans

  2. Egyptians

  3. Greeks

  4. Mesopotamians

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Greeks are credited with the earliest use of the globe to represent the Earth, based on their understanding of the planet as a sphere.

Multiple choice
  1. Nineveh

  2. Mesopotamia

  3. Peru

  4. Egypt

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Cuneiform is one of the earliest systems of writing, invented by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia. The Persians later adopted and adapted this script for their own language.

Multiple choice
  1. Chavian

  2. Chin

  3. Horses

  4. Neolithic

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Qin dynasty (often spelled Chin) unified China for the first time, but it was short-lived and was succeeded by the Han dynasty, which established a long-lasting imperial system.

Multiple choice
  1. The tomb of Alexander

  2. The Colossus of Rhodes

  3. The palace of Diana at Ephesis

  4. The Pyramids of Egypt

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Great Pyramids of Giza were constructed during the Old Kingdom of Egypt, roughly between 2600 BC and 2500 BC, which falls within the specified range.

Multiple choice
  1. Yue-chi

  2. Huns

  3. Kusana

  4. Kadphises

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Kushan dynasty originated from the Yue-chi (Yuezhi) tribe, a nomadic people who migrated from Central Asia into northwestern India. They established the Kushan Empire with leaders like Kujula Kadphises. The Huns were a different tribal group that invaded India later.

Multiple choice
  1. Indian, Greek

  2. Indian, Roman

  3. Indian, Mongol

  4. Indian, Turkish

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Gandhara art, which flourished in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, is a distinct fusion of Indian and Hellenistic (Greek) artistic traditions.