A Brief History of Time BC Trivia Quiz

Scientists believe that dinosaurs lived on all continents - even Antarctica! When they first appeared about 230 million years ago, a supercontinent named Pangaea existed. Over time, as the earth slowly broke apart, dinosaurs migrated to different locations.

The Age of Dinosaurs is divided into three periods - the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous. During each period, different species appeared and became extinct. For example, the ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex lived 90-66 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period.

There is still uncertainty as to what event brought an end to the Age of Dinosaurs, however, many scientists today believe that it was an asteroid, which struck on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. It would take about 65 million more years before people would appear.

Also called the Old Stone Age, the Paleolithic Age lasted until approximately 10,000 BC. The longest stage of human development, the Paleolithic Age was a time of great physical and cultural change. Early hominids changed over time to become modern humans, and learned during the stages of the Stone Age to make more sophisticated tools and weapons.

There is still a lot of debate today regarding the making of these stone tools and weapons, but most modern historians believe that knappers would make tools by striking rocks together, and then using the pieces or flakes of the flint, obsidian, or other suitable stones that fell off to form arrowheads, knives, and other tools and weapons that they needed. It may be surprising, but the flakes that resulted from striking larger pieces of stone together were extremely sharp, and, in the beginning, required little further shaping.

As time when on, during the Mesolithic and Neolithic Ages, knapping became a more specialized art, as evidenced by the appearance of different and more finely-made tools and weapons.

The Great Lakes - Superior, Michigan, Huron, Ontario, and Erie - were formed at the end of the Last Glacial Period, when the glacier carved and scraped the land as it retreated. As the water melted, it filled the lakes, which are among the the largest fresh water lakes in the world, containing 21% of the world's surface fresh water.

Covering a surface area of 94,250 square miles (244,100 square kilometers), the Great Lakes are sometimes called the third coast, as they provide Canada with about 5200 miles (8,400 kilometers) of coastline, and the United States with about 5,300 miles (8,500 kilometers) of coastline.

The first bronzemaking took place in the Middle East; the ancient Sumerians in Mesopotamia, one of the Cradles of Civilization, are credited with its discovery. News of the metal working technique quickly spread to nearby people, such as the Egyptians and Hittites. The Indus Valley and Harappan civilizations are probably the first Asian cultures to learn how to smelt bronze, and knowledge of the process quickly spread to China and beyond. It must be noted, however, that the Bronze Age appeared at different times in different locations.

Bronze wasn't really strong enough to use for making efficient tools and weapons, but it was more durable than copper. Breast plates for soldiers were made, along with ornaments, vessels, and statues. Objects made from bronze are believed to have been a status symbol for their owners. Sometime around 1000 BC, the discovery of a process for smelting iron ended the Bronze Age.

The Great Pyramid, located on the Giza Plateau near Cairo, Egypt, was built by Pharaoh Cheops, who is also known as Khufu. Why? That answer is still being debated today. If it was supposed to be a tomb, there is no clear evidence that it was ever used as one. Was it a public relief project to help unemployed farmers during flood season, or was it a monument to show his power?

Historians are also not quite sure how the pyramid was built. The commonly accepted theory is that ramps were used and stone were hauled up the ramps using wooden sleds or water.

It took about 20 years to build the oldest Wonder of the Ancient World that ironically outlived all the others. Approximately 2.3 million stone blocks were used, each weighing about 2000 pounds. The Great Pyramid covers around 13 acres, and shares the Giza Plateau with two other major pyramids, the Great Sphinx, and numerous small pyramids.

The ancient people called Minoans, after the legendary King Minos, lived on the island of Crete and appear to have been peaceful nature worshipers. They were farmers and sea traders, who built palace complexes that were complete with hot and cold running water, water drainage systems, and bathtubs!

In approximately 1450 BC, civilization on the island of Crete abruptly ended, and historians are still discussing why. One theory postulates that eruption of a volcano on the island of Thera and the subsequent tsunami, which occurred in approximately 1500 BC, wiped out some of the Minoan settlements and weakened others. This left them vulnerable to attacks by the fierce up-and-coming, warlike Mycenaeans.

The remains of the Minoan civilization were discovered by Sir Arthur Evans in the early 1900s, and much of the narrative regarding Minoan history was written by what he thought based on his findings. At a time when archaeology was still a new science, Evans unfortunately had many of the ruined Minoan buildings reconstructed and the exquisite frescoes retouched.

The ancient Greeks were both independent and warlike; with their city-states being situated in mountain valleys and separated by rough terrain, they became both combative to and competitive with each other. War was a constant way of life - but was there a better way to prove superiority?

Held every four years to honor the chief god Zeus, the Olympic Games were established as an attempt to end the constant fighting; it must be said that in reality, however, they only ended the fighting for about two months during the time in which they were held. Participants and spectators were allowed safe passage to and from Olympia and during the games, but many times old hostilities continued.

After a grueling five days in which the athletes participated in all sorts of events, including chariot races, wrestling, and foot races, the person who won the most events was crowned as the victor. He became a movie star in his home town, and made it the best Greek polis, at least as far as the Olympics were concerned, until the next games were held.

Nebuchadnezzar II was King of the Chaldeans; the Chaldeans reoccupied the ancient city of Babylon about 1,000 years after it was built, rose to prominence, and abandoned by the Amorites. He wanted to rebuild the old city and make it a show case, and, although the Hanging Gardens continues to be somewhat legendary in nature, the Ishtar Gate was found in 1899 by German archaeologist Robert Koldeway.

The wall around the newly renovated city was 300 feet high, 80 feet thick, and had 250 watchtowers along with 100 bronze gates. The Ishtar Gate guarded the main entrance to the city, and led to Processional Street. It was made with clay bricks molded in wooden forms that were arranged to create a bas relief effect. The bricks were sun-dried, glazed, and fired; they were a lovely blue, while the bas relief animals were gold.

King Zheng of Qin unified China and ruled from 220-206 BC as the founder of the Qin Dynasty and China's first emperor. He was not the first ruler to build walls, however, either for defense purposes or to control trade. Some were constructed as early as the 8-5 centuries BC.

There are no existing records concerning King Zheng's effort, but it is commonly believed among historians that he attempted to use both local labor and materials to build walls mainly on the northern edge of the frontier. Most of the sections of these walls have deteriorated over time.

The Romans overthrew the last legendary king in 509 BC, and established a republican form of government. By the time Julius Caesar was born in 100 BC, Rex (king) was still a dirty word. What was left for an ambitious young man to do? He could hold a variety of offices and hope his hard work was recognized by the Senate.

Caesar choose to make an alliance, the First Triumvirate, with two other ambitious men, Pompey and Crassus. They agreed that they would support each other's ambitions for five years, while going their own separate ways. In five years, they agreed to meet again and renew the alliance.

Caesar sought command of the army in Gaul, which was the area north of Italy, roughly a bit larger than modern day France. In 58 BC, he received the appointment and set about conquering the rebellious people. The three men met again in 55 BC, and, after renewing the agreement, Caesar returned to Gaul.

The conquest of Gaul, completed in 50 BC, added a region about twice the size of the current Roman empire. Grain and slaves poured into Rome as the result; after reigning supreme in Gaul for ten years it would be difficult for Caesar to return to Rome as an ordinary citizen. Should he be able to cross the Rubicon and bring his victorious army to Rome?