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Quiz about 25 Main Civilizations of Human History
Quiz about 25 Main Civilizations of Human History

25 Main Civilizations of Human History Quiz


This quiz is based on the 25 main civilizations of human history, as described in Norris McWhirter's "Book of Millennium Records". Questions are placed in the chronological order of the civilizations.

A multiple-choice quiz by bullymom. Estimated time: 8 mins.
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Author
bullymom
Time
8 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
99,165
Updated
Jun 09 23
# Qns
25
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
13 / 25
Plays
17521
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
Last 3 plays: Guest 92 (22/25), malama (18/25), Guest 131 (17/25).
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Question 1 of 25
1. The cradle of the Sumerian civilization was the delta of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. In what modern-day nation is this located? Hint


Question 2 of 25
2. Of the 25 great civilizations, which was the most durable, lasting almost 3,000 years? Hint


Question 3 of 25
3. The Indian (or Indus Valley) civilization was born around 2500 BC. It collapsed around 1500 BC when it was destroyed by invading ________. Hint


Question 4 of 25
4. The Minoan civilization, located in the Mediterranean Sea, lasted from 2000 to 1380 BC. In Minoan art, which animal symbolized the goddess? Hint


Question 5 of 25
5. The Hittite empire lasted from 1900-1200 BC. What was its capital? Hint


Question 6 of 25
6. The Chinese civilization flourished in the Yellow River basin between 1600 BC and well into the twentieth century. In around 600 BC, Lao Tzu was born. What religion did he found? Hint


Question 7 of 25
7. The Austronesian civilization existed between 1500 BC and AD 1775. What Pacific island group was its cradle? Hint


Question 8 of 25
8. The Babylonian empire flourished from 1930 BC until 539 BC, when it was conquered by ________. Hint


Question 9 of 25
9. The Inuit civilization thrived from 1400 BC to AD 1850 in the Arctic region now comprised of Canada and Greenland. The word "Inuit" comes from the Inuit word "inuk", which means ________? Hint


Question 10 of 25
10. The mighty Greek and Roman civilizations flourished inwestern Europe and the Mediterranean from 1300 BC till about AD 400. The first Roman Emperor was Octavian, better known as __________?

Answer: (One Word)
Question 11 of 25
11. The Central American civilization flourished from 1200 BC to AD 1550. One of the greatest non-Western civilizations was developed by the Maya, between AD 250 and 900. Which of these was NOT a Mayan city? Hint


Question 12 of 25
12. Ancient Persian civilization lasted from around 1200 BC to AD 970. What was its major religion? Hint


Question 13 of 25
13. The Spartan civilization lasted from about 650 BC to AD 395. The ancient Greek city-state of Sparta was famous for warring with the city-state of Athens in what was known as the _______ Wars. Hint


Question 14 of 25
14. The Far Eastern (main) civilization, established in AD 589, scarcely survives today. Its most important state was the Mongol Empire (1279-1368). One of the Mongol Empire's greatest leaders was this man, born as Temujin and known as the Great Khan of the Mongols.

Answer: (Two Words)
Question 15 of 25
15. The Khmer civilization lasted from AD 600-1432. What modern-day nation encompasses its territory? Hint


Question 16 of 25
16. The civilization of Islam, founded in AD 632 and still flourishing, is also a religion founded by the prophet Muhammad in Arabia. What does the word "islam" mean? Hint


Question 17 of 25
17. The Far Eastern civilization consisting of Japan and Korea began in AD 645. One of the most powerful rulers of this civilization was Togugawa Ieyasu, who took this title, which is often translated as "military dictator", in 1603.

Answer: (One Word - six letters)
Question 18 of 25
18. The civilization referred to as Western civilization, established around AD 612, flourishes today. One of the many cradles of this civilization is the English island of Lindisfarne, also known as the _____ Island. Hint


Question 19 of 25
19. The Orthodox Christian civilization began around AD 680 and survives today in Turkey and Eastern Europe. What alphabet was developed by these people? Hint


Question 20 of 25
20. The Hindu civilization arose in India around AD 775. One of its major religions was Sikhism, which was founded by this man in the late fifteenth century. Hint


Question 21 of 25
21. The Orthodox Christian (Russian) empire, established in AD 950, survives today. The dominant state was the Muscovy, which began with the reign of whom? Hint


Question 22 of 25
22. The Zimbabwe civilization flourished in Africa from AD 1150 to 1500. The civilization was composed mainly of this ethnic group, who make up the majority of the population of the nation of Zimbabwe. Hint


Question 23 of 25
23. The Ottoman Empire, located in what is now Turkey, lasted from 1324 to 1922. What occurred in 1923 to bring an end to the empire? Hint


Question 24 of 25
24. The sophisticated Andean, or Incan, civilization existed in South America from 1410 to 1533. Which city was the capital of the empire? Hint


Question 25 of 25
25. The relatively short-lived Communist civilization began in western Europe in 1848 and ended in 1991. Karl Marx, along with this man, are generally credited with inspiring Communism with their work "The Communist Manifesto", published in 1848.

Answer: (One Word- last name only)

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The cradle of the Sumerian civilization was the delta of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. In what modern-day nation is this located?

Answer: Iraq

The Sumerian civilization thrived from 3600-1738 BC. The Sumerian civilization of Mesopotamia built the world's earliest known cities, the oldest of which is Eridu.
2. Of the 25 great civilizations, which was the most durable, lasting almost 3,000 years?

Answer: Egyptian

Dynastic history began in ancient Egypt in approximately 3100 BC, when Pharaoh Menes united Upper and Lower Egypt. This is some disagreement as to when exactly dynastic history ended; some sources say that Alexander the Great's invasion in 332 BC brought it to an end, while others name Cleopatra as the last pharaoh of the last dynasty to rule ancient Egypt.
3. The Indian (or Indus Valley) civilization was born around 2500 BC. It collapsed around 1500 BC when it was destroyed by invading ________.

Answer: Aryans

The Indus Valley empire centered around the capitals of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, remains of which were unearthed in 1922.
4. The Minoan civilization, located in the Mediterranean Sea, lasted from 2000 to 1380 BC. In Minoan art, which animal symbolized the goddess?

Answer: Snake

The Minoans were a seafaring people who mainly lived on the island of Crete. Their palace at Knossos was the home of the legendary King Minos. The Minoans, who practiced goddess worship, were quite sophisticated for their time; ruins indicate paved streets, piped water, and, most important to scholars, evidence of early forms of writing known as Linear A and Linear B.
5. The Hittite empire lasted from 1900-1200 BC. What was its capital?

Answer: Hattusas

Excavations of this ancient city, located in what is now Anatolia in Turkey, have unearthed an archive of 10,000 cuneiform tablets dating to 1350-1300 BC. The Hittites are believed to have been the first to have used weapons made of iron.
6. The Chinese civilization flourished in the Yellow River basin between 1600 BC and well into the twentieth century. In around 600 BC, Lao Tzu was born. What religion did he found?

Answer: Taoism

Taoism, which is still popular all over the world today, is both a philosophy and religion which advocates preserving and restoring the Tao in the body and the cosmos.
7. The Austronesian civilization existed between 1500 BC and AD 1775. What Pacific island group was its cradle?

Answer: Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands in the western Pacific Ocean, near New Guinea. They were discovered by Europeans in 1560 and, much later, were divided between Germany and Great Britain. Today, the southern islands are an independent nation, while the northern ones are part of Papua New Guinea.
8. The Babylonian empire flourished from 1930 BC until 539 BC, when it was conquered by ________.

Answer: Cyrus the Great

It is believed that the Babylonians were the first to develop an early railroad, which consisted of wheeled vehicles ran along parallel tracks. Evidence of these ancient railways dating to 2250 BC has been found in modern-day Iraq.
9. The Inuit civilization thrived from 1400 BC to AD 1850 in the Arctic region now comprised of Canada and Greenland. The word "Inuit" comes from the Inuit word "inuk", which means ________?

Answer: human being

The native Inuit people worshipped a pantheon of gods, including Sedna, the seal goddess, and the iceberg spirit. Their dominant state was the Thule empire, which lasted from around AD 1150 to 1850.
10. The mighty Greek and Roman civilizations flourished inwestern Europe and the Mediterranean from 1300 BC till about AD 400. The first Roman Emperor was Octavian, better known as __________?

Answer: Augustus

Augustus Caesar, adoptive son and heir of his great-uncle Julius Caesar, became sole ruler of the Roman Empire in BC 31. Ruling until 14 AD, he instituted numerous changes in Roman society and government, including building roads and encouraging the arts.
11. The Central American civilization flourished from 1200 BC to AD 1550. One of the greatest non-Western civilizations was developed by the Maya, between AD 250 and 900. Which of these was NOT a Mayan city?

Answer: Tlaxcala

Tlaxcala, in Mexico, was an Aztec city. Tikal is located in what in now northern Guatemala. First occupied as a small village, it became an important ceremonial center, with pyramids and plazas. Copan, a Honduran city near the border of Guatemala, was an important center of Mayan art and astronomy. Uxmal, on the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, was the chief city of the later Maya empire.
12. Ancient Persian civilization lasted from around 1200 BC to AD 970. What was its major religion?

Answer: Zoroastrianism

The major dynasty of the Ancient Persian civilization was the Achaemenian dynasty, founded by Achaemenes, around 600 BC. Its greatest rulers were Cyrus II (r. 559-529? BC), who actually established the Persian empire and from whose reign it is dated; Darius I, who secured the borders from external threats; and Xerxes I, who completed many of Darius' public works.

At its height, the Achaemenian empire reached from Macedonia to northern India and from the Caucasus Mountains to the Persian Gulf.
13. The Spartan civilization lasted from about 650 BC to AD 395. The ancient Greek city-state of Sparta was famous for warring with the city-state of Athens in what was known as the _______ Wars.

Answer: Peloponnesian

Sparta was an ancient Greek city-state, capital of Laconia and chief city of the Peloponnese. It was best known for its militarism; Spartan boys began their military training at the age of seven. In 146 BC, it became part of the Roman province of Achaea, later to be destroyed by the Visigoths.
14. The Far Eastern (main) civilization, established in AD 589, scarcely survives today. Its most important state was the Mongol Empire (1279-1368). One of the Mongol Empire's greatest leaders was this man, born as Temujin and known as the Great Khan of the Mongols.

Answer: Genghis Khan

Temujin took the name Genghis Khan, meaning "universal ruler"- and he came close to being that, at least in Eurasia. His empire, stretching from the Pacific to the Black Sea, was the largest the world had ever known. From 1260 to 1294, Genghis' grandson, Kublai Khan, ruled the empire for its last 34 years. Kublai became the first emperor of the Yuan dynasty of China, but after his death in 1294, the Mongols broke away form China.
15. The Khmer civilization lasted from AD 600-1432. What modern-day nation encompasses its territory?

Answer: Cambodia

The Angkor kingdom, which survived from 802 to 1432, and the state of Yashodharapura flourished along the coast of what is now Cambodia in southeast Asia.
16. The civilization of Islam, founded in AD 632 and still flourishing, is also a religion founded by the prophet Muhammad in Arabia. What does the word "islam" mean?

Answer: Submission

"Islam" means submission to the will of one God, called Allah in Arabic. The sacred scripture of Islam is the Koran (or Quran), which contains God's revelations to Muhammad.
17. The Far Eastern civilization consisting of Japan and Korea began in AD 645. One of the most powerful rulers of this civilization was Togugawa Ieyasu, who took this title, which is often translated as "military dictator", in 1603.

Answer: shogun

In feudal Japan, the shogun was the title for the absolute ruler of society; the shoguns were in power from 1192 to 1867.
18. The civilization referred to as Western civilization, established around AD 612, flourishes today. One of the many cradles of this civilization is the English island of Lindisfarne, also known as the _____ Island.

Answer: Holy

The tiny tidal island of Lindisfarne is in the North Sea, in the northeast corner of England near Berwick-upon-Tweed. It is rarely called Lindisfarne, but more commonly known as "the Holy Island", a name acquired after a violent attack on the monastery by the Vikings in AD 793. "Lindisfarne - baptised in the blood of so many good men - truly a 'Holy Island'", observed the monks.
19. The Orthodox Christian civilization began around AD 680 and survives today in Turkey and Eastern Europe. What alphabet was developed by these people?

Answer: Cyrillic

The Cyrillic alphabet, devised around AD 863, is a 43-letter alphabet based on the Greek and Hebrew scripts. It was named for St. Cyril, a Greek who translated the Bible into Old Church Slavonic. The Cyrillic alphabet is still used in Russia, the Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, Serbia and some countries in Central Asia.
20. The Hindu civilization arose in India around AD 775. One of its major religions was Sikhism, which was founded by this man in the late fifteenth century.

Answer: Guru Nanak

Sikhism, today ranked as one of the major religions in the world, preaches a message of devotion and remembrance of God at all times, truthful living, and equality of mankind. Sikhism has a history of ten Gurus, beginning with Guru Nanak, and ending with today's Living Guru, Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
21. The Orthodox Christian (Russian) empire, established in AD 950, survives today. The dominant state was the Muscovy, which began with the reign of whom?

Answer: Ivan III Vasilevich (the Great)

Ivan III (1440-1505) overthrew the Tatars in 1480, making Russia a sovereign nation once again, with Moscow as its capital. Ivan IV, "the Terrible", was the first to have himself officially crowned Tsar.
22. The Zimbabwe civilization flourished in Africa from AD 1150 to 1500. The civilization was composed mainly of this ethnic group, who make up the majority of the population of the nation of Zimbabwe.

Answer: Shona

The Shona, a Bantu-speaking people, make up about 70 percent of Zimbabwe's population today. Their traditional culture, known for its music and pottery, is slowly vanishing due to Western influences.
23. The Ottoman Empire, located in what is now Turkey, lasted from 1324 to 1922. What occurred in 1923 to bring an end to the empire?

Answer: A republic was established

On October 29, 1923, the people of Turkey declared themselves the Turkish Republic, thereby officially putting an end to Ottoman rule. The first president of the republic was Mustafa Kemal, who took the name Ataturk.
24. The sophisticated Andean, or Incan, civilization existed in South America from 1410 to 1533. Which city was the capital of the empire?

Answer: Cuzco, Peru

The city of Cuzco, high in the Andes of Peru, was founded in the fifteenth centry and served as the capital of the Incan empire. This "City of the Sun" was taken and destroyed by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizzaro in 1533.
25. The relatively short-lived Communist civilization began in western Europe in 1848 and ended in 1991. Karl Marx, along with this man, are generally credited with inspiring Communism with their work "The Communist Manifesto", published in 1848.

Answer: Engels

Friedrich Engels was a German socialist philosopher who became interested in the philosophy of Hegel. In 1844 he published "The Condition of the Working Class in England", and completed volumes 2 and 3 of "Das Kapital" after Marx's death in 1883.
Note: I personally question the terming of Communism as a civilization, but apparently Norris McWhirter, a British writer, did. He lists Marxist-Leninism and Maoism as the religions or philosophies that correspond with the "civilization" of Communism.
Source: Author bullymom

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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