Ancient Civilizations Trivia Questions
Total Questions: 50
In which country did the Shang dynasty arise in the 1700s B.C. along the Yellow River?
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china
According to archaeological findings, Heinrich Schliemann initially believed the 2nd settlement of this ancient city matched the descriptions in Homer's epics, but it is now thought to be the 7th. What city is this?
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troy
Which ancient civilization is known for standardizing the shape of beds, although modern ones do not come in Pharaoh size?
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egypt
In which country did rulers begin to be known as pharaohs starting in the 1500s B.C.?
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egypt
Which country was divided into the 3 kingdoms of Wei, Wu, and Shu after the fall of the Han Dynasty?
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china
Was Imhotep, who is considered the first doctor known by name, a part of which ancient civilization?
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egypt
During the Shang dynasty, in which country were oracle bones used to foretell the future?
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china
In 220, which country's Han dynasty was overthrown, beginning a period of disunity?
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china
Which ancient civilization mummified both animals and pharaohs due to their belief in an afterlife?
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egyptians
What term for the king came into use during the New Kingdom in Ancient Egypt, having previously referred to the palace?
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pharaoh
In which country did Amenemhet I establish the 12th dynasty in 1991 B.C.?
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egypt
Which country's 12th Dynasty had Lisht near Memphis as its capital?
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egypt
What heavenly body was honored by a great temple built at Ur for the Sumerian god Nannar in ancient times?
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moon
In which country's 'Old Kingdom' was the mastaba a common tomb for nobility, rather than the pyramid?
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egypt
Which country had a 28th dynasty that was ruled solely by Amyrtaeus?
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egypt
In which country did Ahmose I, who reigned circa 1554-1525 B.C., establish the 18th dynasty?
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egypt
What time-tracking system was one of the two major contributions of the Olmecs, along with writing?
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calendar
In which ancient civilization was a freed slave named Terence known as one of the greatest comic playwrights?
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rome
Which ancient civilization had the 1st, 15th, and Ptolemaic dynasties?
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egypt
Which ancient civilization's most famous actor was Quintus Roscius, according to Guinness?
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rome
Which ancient civilization built tombs known as mastabas with sarcophagal chambers deep beneath them?
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egypt
In which modern-day country was the ancient region of Mesopotamia located?
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iraq
Which ancient country, ruled by kings from Menes to the Ptolemys, had more monarchs than any other?
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egypt
What is the name of the earliest known civilization, home to the Sumerians and Akkadians?
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mesopotamia
Which ancient civilization tamed the Kaffir cat and trained it to act as a retriever in hunting?
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egyptians
In which ancient city did Claudius Rich conduct a survey in 1881, including the examination of Nebuchadnezzar's summer palace?
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babylon
What horrific practice have archaeologists controversially theorized that the Anasazi people engaged in based on their meal sites?
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cannibalism
What land did the ancient Romans refer to as Hibernia?
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ireland
What ancient Phoenician city, near present-day Tunis, was protected by walls up to 40 feet high?
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carthage
What is the name of the fortress-city overlooking the Urubamba River that may have been the last Inca stronghold?
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machu picchu
Which Babylonian ruler is reputed to have received his legal code from the sun god Shumash?
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hammurabi
Which city on the Euphrates River became prominent during the reign of King Hammurabi of the Amorites?
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babylon
In what country, south of Egypt, did the kingdom of Cush flourish along the Nile River for about 2,350 years?
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sudan
Which ancient civilization had domesticated the bee as early as 3000 B.C.?
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egyptians
In which ancient region, known as the 'land between 2 rivers', was the city of Mashkan-shapir recently rediscovered by archaeologists?
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mesopotamia
Which Minoan city and its great palace were destroyed by a fire around 1400 B.C. on Crete?
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knossos
What was the Eastern Roman Empire called after the fall of Rome in the West?
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byzantine empire
According to tradition, which city was founded by colonists from Tyre on the North African coast around 814 B.C.?
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carthage
On which island was the Minoan script, which early written Greek was based on, used?
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creed
Which ancient country was unified by King Menes, who was later killed by a hippopotamus?
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egypt
Which ancient African civilization worshipped Mut, a sky goddess sometimes depicted as a vulture?
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egypt
What skill were the Phoenicians particularly known for, leading the Greeks to refer to the North Star as the Phoenician Star?
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navigation
Along which river was the ancient kingdom of Kush located, in present-day Sudan?
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nile
Which country supplied the cedar wood that ancient Egypt had to import due to a lack of timber?
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lebanon
Which ancient people, once called the 'Bread Eaters' by the ancient Greeks, were the first to learn leavening?
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egyptians
Which ancient civilization worshipped a goddess named Hathor, who was depicted with the head of a cow?
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egyptians
Which 2-letter Sumerian city had Nanna the moon-god as its patron deity?
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ur
Which ancient north African city-state was known for being protected by a high wall approximately 23 miles long?
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carthage
Which city in North Africa was founded by the legendary figure Dido?
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carthage
From which ancient people did Abraham buy a burial site, as mentioned in the Bible that calls them 'Children of Heth'?
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hittites
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