Test Bank for The Humanities, Volume 1, 4th Edition
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Test Bank
For
The Humanities
Culture, Continuity & Change
Fourth Edition
Volume 1
Henry M. Sayre
Prepared by
Alexis P. Walker
For
The Humanities
Culture, Continuity & Change
Fourth Edition
Volume 1
Henry M. Sayre
Prepared by
Alexis P. Walker
iii
Table of Contents
1 The Rise of Culture: From Forest to Farm 1
2 Mesopotamia: Power and Social Order in the Early Middle East 40
3 The Stability of Ancient Egypt: Flood and Sun 86
4 The Aegean World and the Rise of Greece: Trade, War, and Victory 133
5 Golden Age Athens and the Hellenistic World: The School of Hellas 171
6 Rome: Urban Life and Imperial Majesty 213
7 Emerging Empires in the East: Urban Life and Imperial Majesty
in China and India 249
8 The Flowering of Christianity: Faith and the Power of Belief
in the Early First Millennium 285
9 The Rise and Spread of Islam: A New Religion 335
10 Fiefdom and Monastery, Pilgrimage and Crusade:
The Early Medieval World in Europe 376
11 Centers of Culture: Court and City in the Larger World 415
12 The Gothic Style: Faith and Knowledge in an Age of Inquiry 468
13 Siena and Florence in the Fourteenth Century: Toward a New Humanism 506
14 Florence and the Early Renaissance: Humanism in Italy 543
15 The High Renaissance in Rome and Venice: Papal Patronage and Civic Pride 586
16 The Renaissance in the North: Between Wealth and Want 624
17 The Reformation: A New Church and the Arts 669
18 Encounter and Confrontation: The Impact of Increasing Global Interaction 716
19 England in the Tudor Age: “This Other Eden” 761
20 The Early Counter-Reformation and Mannerism: Restraint and Invention 799
Table of Contents
1 The Rise of Culture: From Forest to Farm 1
2 Mesopotamia: Power and Social Order in the Early Middle East 40
3 The Stability of Ancient Egypt: Flood and Sun 86
4 The Aegean World and the Rise of Greece: Trade, War, and Victory 133
5 Golden Age Athens and the Hellenistic World: The School of Hellas 171
6 Rome: Urban Life and Imperial Majesty 213
7 Emerging Empires in the East: Urban Life and Imperial Majesty
in China and India 249
8 The Flowering of Christianity: Faith and the Power of Belief
in the Early First Millennium 285
9 The Rise and Spread of Islam: A New Religion 335
10 Fiefdom and Monastery, Pilgrimage and Crusade:
The Early Medieval World in Europe 376
11 Centers of Culture: Court and City in the Larger World 415
12 The Gothic Style: Faith and Knowledge in an Age of Inquiry 468
13 Siena and Florence in the Fourteenth Century: Toward a New Humanism 506
14 Florence and the Early Renaissance: Humanism in Italy 543
15 The High Renaissance in Rome and Venice: Papal Patronage and Civic Pride 586
16 The Renaissance in the North: Between Wealth and Want 624
17 The Reformation: A New Church and the Arts 669
18 Encounter and Confrontation: The Impact of Increasing Global Interaction 716
19 England in the Tudor Age: “This Other Eden” 761
20 The Early Counter-Reformation and Mannerism: Restraint and Invention 799
iii
Table of Contents
1 The Rise of Culture: From Forest to Farm 1
2 Mesopotamia: Power and Social Order in the Early Middle East 40
3 The Stability of Ancient Egypt: Flood and Sun 86
4 The Aegean World and the Rise of Greece: Trade, War, and Victory 133
5 Golden Age Athens and the Hellenistic World: The School of Hellas 171
6 Rome: Urban Life and Imperial Majesty 213
7 Emerging Empires in the East: Urban Life and Imperial Majesty
in China and India 249
8 The Flowering of Christianity: Faith and the Power of Belief
in the Early First Millennium 285
9 The Rise and Spread of Islam: A New Religion 335
10 Fiefdom and Monastery, Pilgrimage and Crusade:
The Early Medieval World in Europe 376
11 Centers of Culture: Court and City in the Larger World 415
12 The Gothic Style: Faith and Knowledge in an Age of Inquiry 468
13 Siena and Florence in the Fourteenth Century: Toward a New Humanism 506
14 Florence and the Early Renaissance: Humanism in Italy 543
15 The High Renaissance in Rome and Venice: Papal Patronage and Civic Pride 586
16 The Renaissance in the North: Between Wealth and Want 624
17 The Reformation: A New Church and the Arts 669
18 Encounter and Confrontation: The Impact of Increasing Global Interaction 716
19 England in the Tudor Age: “This Other Eden” 761
20 The Early Counter-Reformation and Mannerism: Restraint and Invention 799
Table of Contents
1 The Rise of Culture: From Forest to Farm 1
2 Mesopotamia: Power and Social Order in the Early Middle East 40
3 The Stability of Ancient Egypt: Flood and Sun 86
4 The Aegean World and the Rise of Greece: Trade, War, and Victory 133
5 Golden Age Athens and the Hellenistic World: The School of Hellas 171
6 Rome: Urban Life and Imperial Majesty 213
7 Emerging Empires in the East: Urban Life and Imperial Majesty
in China and India 249
8 The Flowering of Christianity: Faith and the Power of Belief
in the Early First Millennium 285
9 The Rise and Spread of Islam: A New Religion 335
10 Fiefdom and Monastery, Pilgrimage and Crusade:
The Early Medieval World in Europe 376
11 Centers of Culture: Court and City in the Larger World 415
12 The Gothic Style: Faith and Knowledge in an Age of Inquiry 468
13 Siena and Florence in the Fourteenth Century: Toward a New Humanism 506
14 Florence and the Early Renaissance: Humanism in Italy 543
15 The High Renaissance in Rome and Venice: Papal Patronage and Civic Pride 586
16 The Renaissance in the North: Between Wealth and Want 624
17 The Reformation: A New Church and the Arts 669
18 Encounter and Confrontation: The Impact of Increasing Global Interaction 716
19 England in the Tudor Age: “This Other Eden” 761
20 The Early Counter-Reformation and Mannerism: Restraint and Invention 799
1
Chapter 1
The Rise of Culture:
From Forest to Farm
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. What is one important lesson scientists learned from the fate of the paintings in Lascaux Cave?
a. Support for the preservation of cultural sites can only come through skillful public relations.
b. Government should not get involved in efforts to preserve cultural sites.
c. Public attention is always detrimental to research on cultural sites.
d. Excessive public enthusiasm for new discoveries can inadvertently endanger cultural sites.
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Chapter Introduction
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
2. Which of the following would commonly be considered an element of a group’s culture?
a. cave paintings
b. success in warfare
c. longevity
d. geographical origins
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: The Beginnings of Culture in the Paleolithic Era
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
3. Some scholars believe that Paleolithic cave paintings were intended to
a. serve as illustrations of effective hunting techniques.
b. function as lunar calendars, predicting seasonal migration of the animals.
c. pay tribute to successful hunters.
d. commemorate the dead buried in the caves.
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Agency and Ritual: Cave Art
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Chapter 1
The Rise of Culture:
From Forest to Farm
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. What is one important lesson scientists learned from the fate of the paintings in Lascaux Cave?
a. Support for the preservation of cultural sites can only come through skillful public relations.
b. Government should not get involved in efforts to preserve cultural sites.
c. Public attention is always detrimental to research on cultural sites.
d. Excessive public enthusiasm for new discoveries can inadvertently endanger cultural sites.
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Chapter Introduction
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
2. Which of the following would commonly be considered an element of a group’s culture?
a. cave paintings
b. success in warfare
c. longevity
d. geographical origins
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: The Beginnings of Culture in the Paleolithic Era
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
3. Some scholars believe that Paleolithic cave paintings were intended to
a. serve as illustrations of effective hunting techniques.
b. function as lunar calendars, predicting seasonal migration of the animals.
c. pay tribute to successful hunters.
d. commemorate the dead buried in the caves.
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Agency and Ritual: Cave Art
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
2
4. What is significant about the use of illusionism in the Chauvet cave paintings?
a. It represents a linear progression in artistic technique.
b. It suggests that artists in earlier eras could choose whether to employ naturalism.
c. It demonstrates an adherence to specific religious values.
d. It implies a belief in the pragmatic value of art.
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Agency and Ritual: Cave Art
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
5. Among prehistoric paintings, what is distinctive about the painting of a bird-headed man, a bison,
and a rhinoceros in Lascaux Cave?
a. It includes a representation of a large animal.
b. It is one of the few cave paintings to depict a human.
c. It is painted on limestone.
d. It demonstrates a rejection of naturalistic representation.
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Agency and Ritual: Cave Art
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
6. What is one explanation scholars have proposed for the fact that the human figure in the wall
painting in Lascaux Cave is depicted less naturalistically than are the animals?
a. In the view of the artists, animals and humans belonged to separate spheres of being.
b. Naturalistic depictions of humans were taboo.
c. Animals were more interesting artistically than humans.
d. Artists had not yet mastered naturalistic techniques that could be applied to the human form.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Agency and Ritual: Cave Art
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
7. What is one significant cultural difference between Homo sapiens and earlier hominids?
a. Homo sapiens used stone tools.
b. Homo sapiens had lighter skeletal frames and larger brains.
c. Homo sapiens created musical instruments.
d. Homo sapiens were hunter-gatherers.
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Paleolithic Culture and Its Artifacts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
4. What is significant about the use of illusionism in the Chauvet cave paintings?
a. It represents a linear progression in artistic technique.
b. It suggests that artists in earlier eras could choose whether to employ naturalism.
c. It demonstrates an adherence to specific religious values.
d. It implies a belief in the pragmatic value of art.
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Agency and Ritual: Cave Art
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
5. Among prehistoric paintings, what is distinctive about the painting of a bird-headed man, a bison,
and a rhinoceros in Lascaux Cave?
a. It includes a representation of a large animal.
b. It is one of the few cave paintings to depict a human.
c. It is painted on limestone.
d. It demonstrates a rejection of naturalistic representation.
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Agency and Ritual: Cave Art
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
6. What is one explanation scholars have proposed for the fact that the human figure in the wall
painting in Lascaux Cave is depicted less naturalistically than are the animals?
a. In the view of the artists, animals and humans belonged to separate spheres of being.
b. Naturalistic depictions of humans were taboo.
c. Animals were more interesting artistically than humans.
d. Artists had not yet mastered naturalistic techniques that could be applied to the human form.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Agency and Ritual: Cave Art
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
7. What is one significant cultural difference between Homo sapiens and earlier hominids?
a. Homo sapiens used stone tools.
b. Homo sapiens had lighter skeletal frames and larger brains.
c. Homo sapiens created musical instruments.
d. Homo sapiens were hunter-gatherers.
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Paleolithic Culture and Its Artifacts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
3
8. Why is a likely reason that Paleolithic female figurines vastly outnumber those representing males?
a. Males were likely the carvers.
b. Males probably outnumbered females in the society.
c. Females seem to have played a central role in the culture.
d. All prehistoric gods were female.
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Paleolithic Culture and Its Artifacts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
9. The original red color of Woman (sometimes called Venus of Willendorf) is suggestive of
a. blood sacrifice.
b. menses.
c. autumn.
d. shamanism.
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Paleolithic Culture and Its Artifacts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
10. Which of the following are key features of a civilization?
a. religion and ritual
b. irrigation and agriculture
c. hunting and gathering
d. images and written language
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: The Rise of Agriculture and Community in the Neolithic Era
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
11. Implying a community’s sense of historical continuity, what was buried beneath some of the
Neolithic houses at Çatalhöyük?
a. human bodies and skulls
b. female figurines
c. cows’ skulls and bulls’ horns
d. large terra cotta heads
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Neolithic Communities
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
8. Why is a likely reason that Paleolithic female figurines vastly outnumber those representing males?
a. Males were likely the carvers.
b. Males probably outnumbered females in the society.
c. Females seem to have played a central role in the culture.
d. All prehistoric gods were female.
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Paleolithic Culture and Its Artifacts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
9. The original red color of Woman (sometimes called Venus of Willendorf) is suggestive of
a. blood sacrifice.
b. menses.
c. autumn.
d. shamanism.
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Paleolithic Culture and Its Artifacts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
10. Which of the following are key features of a civilization?
a. religion and ritual
b. irrigation and agriculture
c. hunting and gathering
d. images and written language
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: The Rise of Agriculture and Community in the Neolithic Era
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
11. Implying a community’s sense of historical continuity, what was buried beneath some of the
Neolithic houses at Çatalhöyük?
a. human bodies and skulls
b. female figurines
c. cows’ skulls and bulls’ horns
d. large terra cotta heads
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Neolithic Communities
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
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4
12. Why did the Neolithic era witness increased production of pottery for everyday use?
a. Permanent settlements fostered the growth of artistic creativity.
b. Tending crops introduced dwellers to the uses of clay.
c. Neolithic people had learned to control fire for hardening pottery.
d. Pottery was impractical for Paleolithic hunter-gatherers.
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Neolithic Pottery Across Cultures
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
13. What is most notable about the shift from early to Middle Jomon period pottery?
a. Middle Jomon period pottery employed advanced firing techniques.
b. Middle Jomon period pottery used cord to strengthen the clay.
c. Middle Jomon period pottery introduced decorative flamelike rims that serve no practical
purpose.
d. Middle Jomon period pottery was used for preparing food as well as carrying and storing it.
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Neolithic Pottery Across Cultures
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
14. Why is the potter’s wheel considered one of the first mechanical and technological breakthroughs
in history?
a. It allowed artisans to produce greater quantities of uniformly shaped vessels in short periods
of time.
b. It provided an alternative to creating vessels by casting metal.
c. It enabled clay to be fired to a hot enough temperature to be hardened.
d. It created an adequately smooth surface for pots to be painted.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Neolithic Pottery Across Cultures
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
15. Neolithic Nok heads exhibit artistry based on
a. animal imagery.
b. burial masks.
c. woven patterns.
d. abstract geometrical shapes.
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Neolithic Ceramic Figures
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
12. Why did the Neolithic era witness increased production of pottery for everyday use?
a. Permanent settlements fostered the growth of artistic creativity.
b. Tending crops introduced dwellers to the uses of clay.
c. Neolithic people had learned to control fire for hardening pottery.
d. Pottery was impractical for Paleolithic hunter-gatherers.
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Neolithic Pottery Across Cultures
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
13. What is most notable about the shift from early to Middle Jomon period pottery?
a. Middle Jomon period pottery employed advanced firing techniques.
b. Middle Jomon period pottery used cord to strengthen the clay.
c. Middle Jomon period pottery introduced decorative flamelike rims that serve no practical
purpose.
d. Middle Jomon period pottery was used for preparing food as well as carrying and storing it.
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Neolithic Pottery Across Cultures
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
14. Why is the potter’s wheel considered one of the first mechanical and technological breakthroughs
in history?
a. It allowed artisans to produce greater quantities of uniformly shaped vessels in short periods
of time.
b. It provided an alternative to creating vessels by casting metal.
c. It enabled clay to be fired to a hot enough temperature to be hardened.
d. It created an adequately smooth surface for pots to be painted.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Neolithic Pottery Across Cultures
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
15. Neolithic Nok heads exhibit artistry based on
a. animal imagery.
b. burial masks.
c. woven patterns.
d. abstract geometrical shapes.
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Neolithic Ceramic Figures
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
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5
16. What is the most basic architectural technique for spanning space?
a. post-and-lintel
b. corbel
c. cromlech
d. menhir
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Materials & Techniques: Post-and-Lintel and Corbel Construction
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
17. According to the most recent discoveries, Stonehenge was constructed as a
a. sacrificial altar.
b. royal residence.
c. burial ground.
d. marketplace.
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Closer Look: The Design and Making of Stonehenge
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
18. What is one key purpose of myth in prehistoric culture?
a. to commemorate historical events
b. to entertain audiences
c. to explain natural phenomena
d. to disguise harsh realities
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.3 Understand the function of myth in prehistoric culture.
Topic: The Role of Myth in Cultural Life
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
19. In their construction methods, the Anasazi cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde most closely resemble
a. Neolithic cities like Ain Ghazal.
b. Olmec cities like La Venta.
c. Neolithic megaliths like Stonehenge.
d. Neolithic villages like Skara Brae.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.3 Understand the function of myth in prehistoric culture.
Topic: Myth in the Native American Cultures of the Southwest
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
16. What is the most basic architectural technique for spanning space?
a. post-and-lintel
b. corbel
c. cromlech
d. menhir
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Materials & Techniques: Post-and-Lintel and Corbel Construction
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
17. According to the most recent discoveries, Stonehenge was constructed as a
a. sacrificial altar.
b. royal residence.
c. burial ground.
d. marketplace.
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Closer Look: The Design and Making of Stonehenge
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
18. What is one key purpose of myth in prehistoric culture?
a. to commemorate historical events
b. to entertain audiences
c. to explain natural phenomena
d. to disguise harsh realities
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.3 Understand the function of myth in prehistoric culture.
Topic: The Role of Myth in Cultural Life
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
19. In their construction methods, the Anasazi cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde most closely resemble
a. Neolithic cities like Ain Ghazal.
b. Olmec cities like La Venta.
c. Neolithic megaliths like Stonehenge.
d. Neolithic villages like Skara Brae.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.3 Understand the function of myth in prehistoric culture.
Topic: Myth in the Native American Cultures of the Southwest
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
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6
20. In Zuni emergence tales, the Pueblo people are shown as originating from
a. clay mounds formed by Himura, the potter goddess.
b. the womb of Mother Earth.
c. tears falling from the Sun Father’s eyes.
d. the Spruce Tree House.
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.3 Understand the function of myth in prehistoric culture.
Topic: Myth in the Native American Cultures of the Southwest
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
21. Japanese emperors claimed divinity as
a. heads of the Shinto religion.
b. direct descendants of the sun goddess.
c. authors of the Kojiki.
d. manifestations of future kami.
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.3 Understand the function of myth in prehistoric culture.
Topic: Japan and the Role of Myth in the Shinto Religion
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
22. The Shinto main sanctuary at Ise is built of wood to
a. demonstrate reverence for the natural world and tradition.
b. avoid the cost of stone.
c. deter the kami.
d. effectively insulate against a cold climate.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.3 Understand the function of myth in prehistoric culture.
Topic: Japan and the Role of Myth in the Shinto Religion
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
23. The Shinto religion considers trees, rocks, clay, and other elements of nature as manifestations of
the
a. kojiki.
b. kami.
c. matsuri.
d. shoden.
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.3 Understand the function of myth in prehistoric culture.
Topic: Japan and the Role of Myth in the Shinto Religion
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
20. In Zuni emergence tales, the Pueblo people are shown as originating from
a. clay mounds formed by Himura, the potter goddess.
b. the womb of Mother Earth.
c. tears falling from the Sun Father’s eyes.
d. the Spruce Tree House.
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.3 Understand the function of myth in prehistoric culture.
Topic: Myth in the Native American Cultures of the Southwest
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
21. Japanese emperors claimed divinity as
a. heads of the Shinto religion.
b. direct descendants of the sun goddess.
c. authors of the Kojiki.
d. manifestations of future kami.
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.3 Understand the function of myth in prehistoric culture.
Topic: Japan and the Role of Myth in the Shinto Religion
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
22. The Shinto main sanctuary at Ise is built of wood to
a. demonstrate reverence for the natural world and tradition.
b. avoid the cost of stone.
c. deter the kami.
d. effectively insulate against a cold climate.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.3 Understand the function of myth in prehistoric culture.
Topic: Japan and the Role of Myth in the Shinto Religion
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
23. The Shinto religion considers trees, rocks, clay, and other elements of nature as manifestations of
the
a. kojiki.
b. kami.
c. matsuri.
d. shoden.
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.3 Understand the function of myth in prehistoric culture.
Topic: Japan and the Role of Myth in the Shinto Religion
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
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7
24. In Paleolithic times, communication with the spiritual world is thought to have been largely
conducted in
a. groves.
b. semi-permanent huts.
c. river valleys.
d. caves.
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.4 Describe the role of sacred sites in prehistoric culture.
Topic: Sacred Sites: The Example of the Americas
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
25. What structures topped the great earthen platforms on which the Olmec people built their cities?
a. giant pyramidal mounds
b. obsidian mirrors
c. ball courts
d. calendars carved in stone.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.4 Describe the role of sacred sites in prehistoric culture.
Topic: The Olmec
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
26. Why might the Olmec have carved their leaders’ heads in colossal size?
a. to intimidate potential attackers away from their sacred sites
b. to show the leaders as larger than life and connected to the gods
c. to provide supports for their sacred sites’ roofs
d. to serve as markers for the leaders’ graves
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.4 Describe the role of sacred sites in prehistoric culture.
Topic: The Olmec
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
27. What do the Hopewell culture’s elaborate burials indicate about their culture?
a. They considered bear teeth sacred.
b. They created beautiful works of pottery.
c. They believed in reincarnation of the dead.
d. They maintained an extensive trade network.
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.4 Describe the role of sacred sites in prehistoric culture.
Topic: The Mound Builders
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
24. In Paleolithic times, communication with the spiritual world is thought to have been largely
conducted in
a. groves.
b. semi-permanent huts.
c. river valleys.
d. caves.
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.4 Describe the role of sacred sites in prehistoric culture.
Topic: Sacred Sites: The Example of the Americas
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
25. What structures topped the great earthen platforms on which the Olmec people built their cities?
a. giant pyramidal mounds
b. obsidian mirrors
c. ball courts
d. calendars carved in stone.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.4 Describe the role of sacred sites in prehistoric culture.
Topic: The Olmec
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
26. Why might the Olmec have carved their leaders’ heads in colossal size?
a. to intimidate potential attackers away from their sacred sites
b. to show the leaders as larger than life and connected to the gods
c. to provide supports for their sacred sites’ roofs
d. to serve as markers for the leaders’ graves
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.4 Describe the role of sacred sites in prehistoric culture.
Topic: The Olmec
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
27. What do the Hopewell culture’s elaborate burials indicate about their culture?
a. They considered bear teeth sacred.
b. They created beautiful works of pottery.
c. They believed in reincarnation of the dead.
d. They maintained an extensive trade network.
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.4 Describe the role of sacred sites in prehistoric culture.
Topic: The Mound Builders
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
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8
28. Which of the following elements of the Great Serpent Mound was commonly employed by the
Mississippian culture?
a. a spiral shape
b. an alignment with the sun at the equinoxes
c. an exclusion of burial sites
d. an oval enclosure at its “head”
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.4 Describe the role of sacred sites in prehistoric culture.
Topic: The Mound Builders
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
29. With what astronomical event might the Great Serpent Mound be associated?
a. the summer solstice
b. Halley’s Comet
c. a solar eclipse
d. alignment of the planets
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.4 Describe the role of sacred sites in prehistoric culture.
Topic: The Mound Builders
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
30. What is one key similarity between the painting of a horse from Chauvet Cave and Susan
Rothenberg’s drawing of a horse in Untitled (1978)?
a. Both works use similar pigmentation.
b. Both works use foreshortening for effect.
c. Both works employ realism.
d. Both works emphasize animals’ power and vulnerability.
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Continuity & Change: Representing the Power of the Animal World
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
28. Which of the following elements of the Great Serpent Mound was commonly employed by the
Mississippian culture?
a. a spiral shape
b. an alignment with the sun at the equinoxes
c. an exclusion of burial sites
d. an oval enclosure at its “head”
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.4 Describe the role of sacred sites in prehistoric culture.
Topic: The Mound Builders
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
29. With what astronomical event might the Great Serpent Mound be associated?
a. the summer solstice
b. Halley’s Comet
c. a solar eclipse
d. alignment of the planets
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.4 Describe the role of sacred sites in prehistoric culture.
Topic: The Mound Builders
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
30. What is one key similarity between the painting of a horse from Chauvet Cave and Susan
Rothenberg’s drawing of a horse in Untitled (1978)?
a. Both works use similar pigmentation.
b. Both works use foreshortening for effect.
c. Both works employ realism.
d. Both works emphasize animals’ power and vulnerability.
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Continuity & Change: Representing the Power of the Animal World
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
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9
Essay Questions
31. Discuss the implications of the discovery of Chauvet Cave’s naturalistic depictions of animals.
Answer: The ideal response would include the following:
1. Before the discovery of Chauvet, historians divided the history of cave painting into a series
of successive styles, each progressively more realistic. But Chauvet’s paintings, by far the
oldest known, are also the most advanced in their visual naturalism.
2. Art historians now tend to agree that, even from the earliest times, human beings chose to
represent the world naturalistically or not, with the choice representing not lack of skill or
sophistication but expressive intent or cultural values.
3. This upsetting of earlier assumptions about linear progression in sophistication suggests that
we question our assumptions when we are inclined to equate earlier cultures with more
primitive values and skills.
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Agency and Ritual: Cave Art
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
32. Discuss the possible cultural significance of Woman (sometimes called Venus of Willendorf).
Answer: The ideal response would include the following:
1. Like other, similar statuettes, Woman may have had a ritual purpose. Its exaggerated breasts
and belly and clearly delineated genitals support a connection to fertility and childbearing.
The statuette was originally painted in red ocher, suggestive of menses.
2. According to archaeologist Clive Gamble, such figures might have served as a form of
nonverbal communication among groups, serving as signs of the friendly intent of the
hunters bearing them.
3. The fact that female figurines vastly outnumber males in the Paleolithic era suggests that
women played a central role in Paleolithic culture. In fact, Paleolithic culture may have been
matrilineal (in which descent is determined through the female line) and matrilocal (in
which residence is in the female’s tribe or household).
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Paleolithic Culture and Its Artifacts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Essay Questions
31. Discuss the implications of the discovery of Chauvet Cave’s naturalistic depictions of animals.
Answer: The ideal response would include the following:
1. Before the discovery of Chauvet, historians divided the history of cave painting into a series
of successive styles, each progressively more realistic. But Chauvet’s paintings, by far the
oldest known, are also the most advanced in their visual naturalism.
2. Art historians now tend to agree that, even from the earliest times, human beings chose to
represent the world naturalistically or not, with the choice representing not lack of skill or
sophistication but expressive intent or cultural values.
3. This upsetting of earlier assumptions about linear progression in sophistication suggests that
we question our assumptions when we are inclined to equate earlier cultures with more
primitive values and skills.
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Agency and Ritual: Cave Art
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
32. Discuss the possible cultural significance of Woman (sometimes called Venus of Willendorf).
Answer: The ideal response would include the following:
1. Like other, similar statuettes, Woman may have had a ritual purpose. Its exaggerated breasts
and belly and clearly delineated genitals support a connection to fertility and childbearing.
The statuette was originally painted in red ocher, suggestive of menses.
2. According to archaeologist Clive Gamble, such figures might have served as a form of
nonverbal communication among groups, serving as signs of the friendly intent of the
hunters bearing them.
3. The fact that female figurines vastly outnumber males in the Paleolithic era suggests that
women played a central role in Paleolithic culture. In fact, Paleolithic culture may have been
matrilineal (in which descent is determined through the female line) and matrilocal (in
which residence is in the female’s tribe or household).
Learning Objective: 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the
Paleolithic era have been interpreted.
Topic: Paleolithic Culture and Its Artifacts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
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10
33. Describe the picture of Paleolithic daily life provided by artifacts used for such activities as
hunting and transportation.
Answer: The ideal response would include the following:
1. From 10,000 to 8000 BCE, the ice covering the Northern Hemisphere receded, and, as
temperatures warmed, areas once covered by ice and snow developed into grassy plains and
forests. Hunters accordingly developed the bow and arrow (suited for long-distance in the
new landscape) and fashioned dugout boats out of logs to facilitate fishing, which became a
major food source. They also domesticated dogs to help with the hunt and soon other
animals as well—particularly goats and cattle.
2. Perhaps most important, people began to cultivate edible grasses, and, gradually, farming
replaced hunting as the primary means of sustaining life. The great rivers of the Middle East
and Asia provided a consistent source of water, and people soon developed irrigation
techniques that fostered agriculture and animal husbandry.
3. As production outgrew necessity, members of the community were freed to occupy
themselves in other endeavors—complex food preparation (bread, cheese, and so on),
construction, military affairs, and religion.
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect
changing cultural concerns.
Topic: The Rise of Agriculture and Community in the Neolithic Era; Neolithic Communities
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
34. Discuss the evolving interpretation of the significance of the female figurines discovered at
Çatalhöyük, Turkey, as represented by Ian Hodder’s revision of Sir James Mellaart’s original thesis.
Answer: The ideal response would include the following:
1. Following his excavations in 1958, Sir James Mellaart concluded that Çatalhöyük’s culture
was matrilineal, based on his discovery of a number of female figurines, including the terra
cotta sculpture of a woman seated between two felines. Mellaart believed that this figure,
which he found in a grain bin, represented a fertility or mother goddess.
2. However, Ian Hodder of Cambridge University, who took up excavations of the site in 1993,
concluded in 2005 that she is something other than a fertility goddess, stressing the imagery
in the back part of the statuette suggesting death (very thin arms, a depiction of a skeletal
figure, and prominent bony structures). In Hodder’s view, the female figure is less clearly
connected to fertility than it is, perhaps, to the relationship between life and death.
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Neolithic Communities
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
33. Describe the picture of Paleolithic daily life provided by artifacts used for such activities as
hunting and transportation.
Answer: The ideal response would include the following:
1. From 10,000 to 8000 BCE, the ice covering the Northern Hemisphere receded, and, as
temperatures warmed, areas once covered by ice and snow developed into grassy plains and
forests. Hunters accordingly developed the bow and arrow (suited for long-distance in the
new landscape) and fashioned dugout boats out of logs to facilitate fishing, which became a
major food source. They also domesticated dogs to help with the hunt and soon other
animals as well—particularly goats and cattle.
2. Perhaps most important, people began to cultivate edible grasses, and, gradually, farming
replaced hunting as the primary means of sustaining life. The great rivers of the Middle East
and Asia provided a consistent source of water, and people soon developed irrigation
techniques that fostered agriculture and animal husbandry.
3. As production outgrew necessity, members of the community were freed to occupy
themselves in other endeavors—complex food preparation (bread, cheese, and so on),
construction, military affairs, and religion.
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect
changing cultural concerns.
Topic: The Rise of Agriculture and Community in the Neolithic Era; Neolithic Communities
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
34. Discuss the evolving interpretation of the significance of the female figurines discovered at
Çatalhöyük, Turkey, as represented by Ian Hodder’s revision of Sir James Mellaart’s original thesis.
Answer: The ideal response would include the following:
1. Following his excavations in 1958, Sir James Mellaart concluded that Çatalhöyük’s culture
was matrilineal, based on his discovery of a number of female figurines, including the terra
cotta sculpture of a woman seated between two felines. Mellaart believed that this figure,
which he found in a grain bin, represented a fertility or mother goddess.
2. However, Ian Hodder of Cambridge University, who took up excavations of the site in 1993,
concluded in 2005 that she is something other than a fertility goddess, stressing the imagery
in the back part of the statuette suggesting death (very thin arms, a depiction of a skeletal
figure, and prominent bony structures). In Hodder’s view, the female figure is less clearly
connected to fertility than it is, perhaps, to the relationship between life and death.
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Neolithic Communities
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
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11
35. Draw an analogy between the development of pottery making in Neolithic cultures and the
development of a modern technology in contemporary culture.
Answer: The ideal response would include the following:
1. The transition from cultures based on hunting and fishing to cultures based on agriculture led
to the increased use of pottery vessels. Ceramic vessels are fragile, so hunter-gatherers would
not have found them practical for carrying food, but people living in the more permanent
Neolithic settlements used them to carry and store water and to prepare and store certain
types of food.
2. By around 3000 BCE, Egypt, the Middle East, and China had begun using potter’s wheels,
which allowed artisans to produce uniformly shaped vessels in a very short time. Many
consider these practices to be the first forms of manufacturing. The move toward
manufacturing was encouraged by the usefulness of the vessels in an agrarian society, and
improvements in the technology were fostered by that society’s greater prosperity.
3. The two-way relationship between broader changes in the culture and the artifacts the culture
produced can be seen in the development of many modern technologies, including digital
technologies, which facilitate global communication and cooperation and are at the same time
rapidly improved through this communication and cooperation.
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Neolithic Pottery Across Cultures
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
35. Draw an analogy between the development of pottery making in Neolithic cultures and the
development of a modern technology in contemporary culture.
Answer: The ideal response would include the following:
1. The transition from cultures based on hunting and fishing to cultures based on agriculture led
to the increased use of pottery vessels. Ceramic vessels are fragile, so hunter-gatherers would
not have found them practical for carrying food, but people living in the more permanent
Neolithic settlements used them to carry and store water and to prepare and store certain
types of food.
2. By around 3000 BCE, Egypt, the Middle East, and China had begun using potter’s wheels,
which allowed artisans to produce uniformly shaped vessels in a very short time. Many
consider these practices to be the first forms of manufacturing. The move toward
manufacturing was encouraged by the usefulness of the vessels in an agrarian society, and
improvements in the technology were fostered by that society’s greater prosperity.
3. The two-way relationship between broader changes in the culture and the artifacts the culture
produced can be seen in the development of many modern technologies, including digital
technologies, which facilitate global communication and cooperation and are at the same time
rapidly improved through this communication and cooperation.
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: Neolithic Pottery Across Cultures
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
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12
36. Discuss the possible significance of the Neolithic megaliths in northern Europe, including Carnac
and Stonehenge.
Answer: The ideal response would include the following:
1. Carnac’s east–west alignment suggests a connection to the rising and setting of the sun and to
fertility rites. Some scholars speculate that the stones may have marked out a ritual
procession route; others think they symbolized the body and the process of growth and
maturation. The megaliths might also have stood in tribute to the strength of the leaders
responsible for assembling them.
2. Stonehenge was a burial ground. Archaeologist Mike Parker-Pearson speculates that villagers
would have transported their dead to the River Avon, then journeyed downstream, in a ritual
symbolizing the passage to the afterlife, finally arriving at an avenue leading up to
Stonehenge from the river.
3. Durrington Walls, about 2 miles north of Stonehenge, consists of a circular ditch surrounding
a ring of very large timber posts. The circle was the center of a village consisting of as many
as 300 houses. Its orientation toward the rising sun at the summer solstice suggests that the
structure was a sign of the growing importance of agricultural production in northern Europe
after 3500 BCE.
4. The complexity of all of the sites suggests that the late Neolithic peoples who built them were
extremely social beings, capable of great cooperation.
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: The Neolithic Megaliths of Northern Europe; Closer Look: The Design and Making of
Stonehenge
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
36. Discuss the possible significance of the Neolithic megaliths in northern Europe, including Carnac
and Stonehenge.
Answer: The ideal response would include the following:
1. Carnac’s east–west alignment suggests a connection to the rising and setting of the sun and to
fertility rites. Some scholars speculate that the stones may have marked out a ritual
procession route; others think they symbolized the body and the process of growth and
maturation. The megaliths might also have stood in tribute to the strength of the leaders
responsible for assembling them.
2. Stonehenge was a burial ground. Archaeologist Mike Parker-Pearson speculates that villagers
would have transported their dead to the River Avon, then journeyed downstream, in a ritual
symbolizing the passage to the afterlife, finally arriving at an avenue leading up to
Stonehenge from the river.
3. Durrington Walls, about 2 miles north of Stonehenge, consists of a circular ditch surrounding
a ring of very large timber posts. The circle was the center of a village consisting of as many
as 300 houses. Its orientation toward the rising sun at the summer solstice suggests that the
structure was a sign of the growing importance of agricultural production in northern Europe
after 3500 BCE.
4. The complexity of all of the sites suggests that the late Neolithic peoples who built them were
extremely social beings, capable of great cooperation.
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain how the art and architecture of the Neolithic era reflect changing
cultural concerns.
Topic: The Neolithic Megaliths of Northern Europe; Closer Look: The Design and Making of
Stonehenge
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Loading page 15...
13
37. Think of a myth not covered in the chapter with which you’re familiar, retell it, and consider what
this myth reveals about the culture from which it comes.
Answer: The ideal response would include the following:
1. Examples of a myth not included in the chapter are common Greek or world myths,
contemporary urban legends, or narratives (e.g., the American Dream) that one might
consider revealing but not necessarily “true.”
2. Student should analyze his or her myth’s relationship to the culture from which it comes,
explaining what “unknowns” it attempts to resolve and what cultural values it expresses.
Learning Objective: 1.3 Understand the function of myth in prehistoric culture.
Topic: The Role of Myth in Cultural Life
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
38. Zuni Pueblo religion shares much in common with the Japanese religion of Shinto. Compare each
religion’s origin myths and their beliefs about the gods and nature.
Answer: The ideal response would include the following:
1. Most Pueblo people believe that they originated in the womb of Mother Earth and, like seeds
sprouting from the soil in the springtime, were called into the daylight by their Sun Father.
2. At the heart of Zuni emergence tales is a moment when, to the dismay of their parents, many
children are transformed into water-creatures—turtles, frogs, and the like. Here they become
kachinas or katcinas, deified spirits. The Pueblo believe that kachina spirits manifest
themselves in performance and dance.
3. Pueblo emergence tales, and the ritual practices that accompany them, reflect the general
beliefs of most Neolithic peoples. These include the following:
• The belief that the forces of nature are inhabited by living spirits (animism)
• The belief that nature’s behavior can be compared to human behavior (anthropomorphism)
• The belief that humans can communicate with the spirits of nature, and that, in return for a
sacrificial offering or a prayer, the gods might intercede on their behalf
4. Shinto shares much with Pueblo religions. In Shinto, trees, rocks, water, and mountains—
especially Mount Fuji, the volcano just outside Tokyo which is said to look over the country
as its protector—are all manifestations of the kami, which, like kachinas, are the spirits that
are embodied in the natural world. The kami are revered in matsuri, festivals that usually
occur on an annual basis in which, it is believed, past and present merge into one, everyday
reality fades away, and people come face to face with their gods. During the festival, people
partake of the original energies of the cosmos, which they will need to restore order to their
world. Offerings such as fish, rice, and vegetables, as well as music and dancing, are
presented to the kami, and the offerings of food are later eaten.
Learning Objective: 1.3 Understand the function of myth in prehistoric culture.
Topic: Myth in the Native American Cultures of the Southwest; Japan and the Role of Myth in
the Shinto Religion
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
37. Think of a myth not covered in the chapter with which you’re familiar, retell it, and consider what
this myth reveals about the culture from which it comes.
Answer: The ideal response would include the following:
1. Examples of a myth not included in the chapter are common Greek or world myths,
contemporary urban legends, or narratives (e.g., the American Dream) that one might
consider revealing but not necessarily “true.”
2. Student should analyze his or her myth’s relationship to the culture from which it comes,
explaining what “unknowns” it attempts to resolve and what cultural values it expresses.
Learning Objective: 1.3 Understand the function of myth in prehistoric culture.
Topic: The Role of Myth in Cultural Life
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
38. Zuni Pueblo religion shares much in common with the Japanese religion of Shinto. Compare each
religion’s origin myths and their beliefs about the gods and nature.
Answer: The ideal response would include the following:
1. Most Pueblo people believe that they originated in the womb of Mother Earth and, like seeds
sprouting from the soil in the springtime, were called into the daylight by their Sun Father.
2. At the heart of Zuni emergence tales is a moment when, to the dismay of their parents, many
children are transformed into water-creatures—turtles, frogs, and the like. Here they become
kachinas or katcinas, deified spirits. The Pueblo believe that kachina spirits manifest
themselves in performance and dance.
3. Pueblo emergence tales, and the ritual practices that accompany them, reflect the general
beliefs of most Neolithic peoples. These include the following:
• The belief that the forces of nature are inhabited by living spirits (animism)
• The belief that nature’s behavior can be compared to human behavior (anthropomorphism)
• The belief that humans can communicate with the spirits of nature, and that, in return for a
sacrificial offering or a prayer, the gods might intercede on their behalf
4. Shinto shares much with Pueblo religions. In Shinto, trees, rocks, water, and mountains—
especially Mount Fuji, the volcano just outside Tokyo which is said to look over the country
as its protector—are all manifestations of the kami, which, like kachinas, are the spirits that
are embodied in the natural world. The kami are revered in matsuri, festivals that usually
occur on an annual basis in which, it is believed, past and present merge into one, everyday
reality fades away, and people come face to face with their gods. During the festival, people
partake of the original energies of the cosmos, which they will need to restore order to their
world. Offerings such as fish, rice, and vegetables, as well as music and dancing, are
presented to the kami, and the offerings of food are later eaten.
Learning Objective: 1.3 Understand the function of myth in prehistoric culture.
Topic: Myth in the Native American Cultures of the Southwest; Japan and the Role of Myth in
the Shinto Religion
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It
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Subject
Anthropology