Test Item File
1
,Chapter 1: The Prehistoric Past and the Earliest Civilizations:
The River Cultures of the Ancient World
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of the following is NOT the location of a cave in which ancient paintings
have been discovered?
a. Chauvet, France
b. Lascaux, France
c. Altamira, Spain
d. Pitlochry, Scotland
Answer: d page 2
2. How does culture manifest itself?
a. in the biology of a people
b. in the geography of a place
c. in the laws, customs, ritual behavior, and artistic productions of a group
d. only in architecture
Answer: c page 2
3. Which of the following cave paintings depicts a human figure wearing a birds-
head mask?
a. Cosquer, France
b. Lascaux, France
c. Chauvet, France
d. Altamira, Spain
Answer: b page 3
4. What are the paintings in Chauvet known especially for?
a. their location
b. their colors
c. their attention to detail
d. their naturalism
Answer: d page 3
5. Where was evidence of the earliest hominids found?
a. Iran
b. France
c. Spain
d. Ethiopia
Answer d. page 4
6. In which of the following nations was the Willendorf Venus discovered?
a. Spain
b. Ukraine
c. France
d. Austria
Answer: d page 4
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,7. What color was the Willendorf Venus originally painted?
a. black
b. white
c. burnt umber
d. red ochre
Answer: d page 4
8. Which feature on the Willendorf Venus was NOT carved, but instead a natural
indentation in the stone?
a. the nose
b. the navel
c. the hair
d. the chin
Answer: b page 5
9. In which of the following regions did an agricultural society LAST develop?
a. southern France
b. the Indus River valley
c. England
d. the Nile River valley
Answer: c page 6
10.Which of the following nations is mentioned as a source for painted pottery that
featured highly stylized animals, including the ibex?
a. France
b. Iran
c. Austria
d. Japan
Answer: b page 6
11. In which area were Neolithic ceramics discovered in Africa?
a. South Africa
b. Tanzania
c. Ivory Coast
d. Nigeria
Answer: d page 6
12.Which of the following terms refers to one of the “big stones” used in the
construction of a site such as Stonehenge?
a. megalith
b. menhir
c. cairn
d. cromlech
Answer: a page 7
13.Which of the following terms refers to the category of megalithic structure that
includes Stonehenge?
a. dolmen
b. menhir
c. cairn
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, d. cromlech
Answer: d page 8
14. What is likely to be the purpose of Stonehenge?
a. a crop circle
b. an astronomical chart
c. a burial ground
d. a temple
Answer: c page 8
15. Which area is considered to be a pairing with Stonehenge?
a. Durrington Wells
b. Wells
c. Salisbury
d. Bath
Answer: a page 9
16. Which of the following best defines myth?
a. a religious parable
b. a factual recounting of origin
c. an intentional fabrication
d. a story that a culture assumes is true
Answer: d page 9
17.Which of the following ancient cultures lived in cliff dwellings and considered
the kiva, a partly underground ceremonial enclosure with a hole in the floor that
symbolizes the emergence of the people from the underworld?
a. the Jomon
b. the Anasazi
c. the Olmec
d. the Woodlands peoples
Answer: b page 10
18. Which of the following terms refers to what the Zuni Pueblo people consider
deified spirits who manifest themselves in performance and dance?
a. kachinas
b. kivas
c. menhirs
d. cairns
Answer: a page 11
19. Which of the following rivers is associated with ancient India?
a. the Nile
b. the Euphrates
c. the Indus
d. the Yellow
Answer: c page 2
20. Which of the following rivers is associated with ancient China?
a. the Nile
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1
,Chapter 1: The Prehistoric Past and the Earliest Civilizations:
The River Cultures of the Ancient World
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of the following is NOT the location of a cave in which ancient paintings
have been discovered?
a. Chauvet, France
b. Lascaux, France
c. Altamira, Spain
d. Pitlochry, Scotland
Answer: d page 2
2. How does culture manifest itself?
a. in the biology of a people
b. in the geography of a place
c. in the laws, customs, ritual behavior, and artistic productions of a group
d. only in architecture
Answer: c page 2
3. Which of the following cave paintings depicts a human figure wearing a birds-
head mask?
a. Cosquer, France
b. Lascaux, France
c. Chauvet, France
d. Altamira, Spain
Answer: b page 3
4. What are the paintings in Chauvet known especially for?
a. their location
b. their colors
c. their attention to detail
d. their naturalism
Answer: d page 3
5. Where was evidence of the earliest hominids found?
a. Iran
b. France
c. Spain
d. Ethiopia
Answer d. page 4
6. In which of the following nations was the Willendorf Venus discovered?
a. Spain
b. Ukraine
c. France
d. Austria
Answer: d page 4
2
,7. What color was the Willendorf Venus originally painted?
a. black
b. white
c. burnt umber
d. red ochre
Answer: d page 4
8. Which feature on the Willendorf Venus was NOT carved, but instead a natural
indentation in the stone?
a. the nose
b. the navel
c. the hair
d. the chin
Answer: b page 5
9. In which of the following regions did an agricultural society LAST develop?
a. southern France
b. the Indus River valley
c. England
d. the Nile River valley
Answer: c page 6
10.Which of the following nations is mentioned as a source for painted pottery that
featured highly stylized animals, including the ibex?
a. France
b. Iran
c. Austria
d. Japan
Answer: b page 6
11. In which area were Neolithic ceramics discovered in Africa?
a. South Africa
b. Tanzania
c. Ivory Coast
d. Nigeria
Answer: d page 6
12.Which of the following terms refers to one of the “big stones” used in the
construction of a site such as Stonehenge?
a. megalith
b. menhir
c. cairn
d. cromlech
Answer: a page 7
13.Which of the following terms refers to the category of megalithic structure that
includes Stonehenge?
a. dolmen
b. menhir
c. cairn
3
, d. cromlech
Answer: d page 8
14. What is likely to be the purpose of Stonehenge?
a. a crop circle
b. an astronomical chart
c. a burial ground
d. a temple
Answer: c page 8
15. Which area is considered to be a pairing with Stonehenge?
a. Durrington Wells
b. Wells
c. Salisbury
d. Bath
Answer: a page 9
16. Which of the following best defines myth?
a. a religious parable
b. a factual recounting of origin
c. an intentional fabrication
d. a story that a culture assumes is true
Answer: d page 9
17.Which of the following ancient cultures lived in cliff dwellings and considered
the kiva, a partly underground ceremonial enclosure with a hole in the floor that
symbolizes the emergence of the people from the underworld?
a. the Jomon
b. the Anasazi
c. the Olmec
d. the Woodlands peoples
Answer: b page 10
18. Which of the following terms refers to what the Zuni Pueblo people consider
deified spirits who manifest themselves in performance and dance?
a. kachinas
b. kivas
c. menhirs
d. cairns
Answer: a page 11
19. Which of the following rivers is associated with ancient India?
a. the Nile
b. the Euphrates
c. the Indus
d. the Yellow
Answer: c page 2
20. Which of the following rivers is associated with ancient China?
a. the Nile
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