Scribes in ancient Sumer pressed a reed stylus into damp clay to record grain payments and temple lists, leaving wedge-shaped marks. What is this writing system called?

In ancient Egypt one person held the highest political power in the kingdom and also stood at the center of its religion. What title did that ruler hold?

Egypt's social hierarchy placed the pharaoh at the top. Which group formed the base and the largest part of the population?

Sumerian cities built tall stepped towers of mud brick at the center of the city. What were these structures used for?

About 1750 BCE a Babylonian king had a long collection of laws carved onto a tall stone pillar and set up where people could see it. Which king was this?

A river valley kingdom carved its laws onto stone pillars instead of leaving them to local custom. What did writing the laws down make possible?

Archaeologists have found short inscriptions from the Indus valley cities on small carved seals, but no one can read the script. What does this most limit historians' knowledge of?

In Shang dynasty China, specialists carved questions onto animal bones and turtle shells, heated them, and read the cracks that formed. What are these objects called?

Egyptian officials needed lasting records of harvests, storehouses and taxes so the government could plan. Which trained group kept those written records?

Southern Mesopotamia had rich farmland but almost no timber, building stone or metal ore. How did its cities obtain those materials?

Carved seals made in the Indus valley have been dug up at sites in Mesopotamia, hundreds of miles away. What claim does this evidence support?

Early Sumer was made up of many independent city-states, each with its own ruler, while the Nile valley came to be united under a single ruler. What difference does this describe?

Egyptians and Mesopotamians worshipped many gods, while the ancient Israelites worshipped one God. What term describes the belief in one God?

The early history, laws and teachings of the ancient Israelites were gathered into a sacred text made up of five books. What is that text called?

According to the Hebrew Bible, which leader led the Israelites out of Egypt and is described as receiving the law at Mount Sinai?

Which Egyptian ruler governed as pharaoh in the 1400s BCE and sent a large trading expedition by sea to the land of Punt?

Which Egyptian pharaoh ruled for roughly 66 years in the 1200s BCE and had temples cut directly into the sandstone cliffs at Abu Simbel?

In the Sumerian city-states, which group shared the top of the social hierarchy with the king?

In Babylonian law, the punishment for an offense could depend on the social class of the people involved.

Ancient Egypt recorded royal and religious texts on papyrus and on temple walls. Which writing system did Egyptian record keepers use?