Ancient History: Greece : Bronze Age (Minoan Age) (2000-1100 BCE)
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Example Questions
Example Question #6 : Ancient History: Greece
The geography of ancient Greece shaped its customs, traditions and culture. Greece was located on a mountainous peninsula extending into the Mediterranean Sea. It consisted of 2000 islands in the Aegean Sea and the Ionian Sea. The lands on the eastern edge of the Aegean Sea were considered part of the ancient Greek empire. The Greeks became skilled sailors using the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea and the nearby Black Sea as transportation routes. Historians estimate that the ancient Greeks lived not more than 85 miles from the sea. The ease of sailing and their vast transportation routes linked the Greeks with other ancient societies. The transportation routes became an important part of their lives. Ancient Greece consisted of three-quarters rugged mountain ranges running northwest to southeast along the Balkan Peninsula dividing the land. The land was stony and uneven with the exception of a few valleys. There were no roads only dirt paths turning travel into a journey of several days to complete.
Which of the following is the best explanation for the ancient Greeks desire to open sea routes?
They lacked natural resources to sufficiently support themselves and sought trade with other empires to help their culture survive
The ancient Greeks wanted to conquer other lands
They lived a luxurious life and sea travel opened the opportunity for adventure and victorious battles.
They were good fishermen
The ancient Greeks were explorers who wanted to see other lands and cultures
They lacked natural resources to sufficiently support themselves and sought trade with other empires to help their culture survive
The land of ancient Greece was not suitable for framing. It was stony and lacked fresh water for irrigation. Only a quarter of Greece consisted of tiny, fertile valleys suitable for farming. Thus, the Greeks needed a source of natural resources such as timber for building, precious metals for adornment of their cities and sources of arable land and food. Sea trade with other Mediterranean empires enabled them to easily trade and transport goods. The ancient Greeks were not interested in conquering other lands, having adventures or seeing other lands and cultures.
Example Question #1 : Bronze Age (Minoan Age) (2000 1100 Bce)
Which of these empires was weakened or destroyed by the Sea-Peoples?
I. New Kingdom of Egypt
II. Hittite
III. Mycenaean
IV. Minoan
V. Cycladic
III only.
III, IV, and V.
I and V.
I and II.
III and IV.
I and II.
The Sea-Peoples were a loosely organized, disparate group of bandits and migrants. They emerged out of some unknown catastrophe in Mycenaean Greece. The Sea-Peoples repeatedly invaded the Hittite Empire and the New Kingdom of Egypt in the twelfth and eleventh centuries and contributed to the decline of both.
Example Question #2 : Bronze Age (Minoan Age) (2000 1100 Bce)
Who were the aggressors in the Trojan War?
The Trojans
The Mycenaean Greeks
The Ionian Greeks
The Hittites
The Minoans
The Mycenaean Greeks
The aggressors in the Trojan War were the Mycenaean Greeks, who sailed across the Aegean Sea to invade the wealthy city of Troy (which was located in modern-day Turkey). The Mycenaeans were most likely motivated by the desire for plunder and personal gain (contrary to the popular account).
Example Question #3 : Bronze Age (Minoan Age) (2000 1100 Bce)
The Palace at Pylos is an important archaeological site used to understand the __________.
Macedonians
Minoans
Cycladic civilization
Ionian Greeks
Mycenaeans
Mycenaeans
The Palace at Pylos (sometimes called the Palace of Nestor) is the most extensive, and best preserved, archaeological site of a Mycenaean palace. The palace had many different rooms, serving different functions like storage, bathing, hosting, and sewage.
Example Question #4 : Bronze Age (Minoan Age) (2000 1100 Bce)
Ancient Greece was a collection of separate lands occupied by many cultures. One of these cultures were the Minoans. The Minoans were migrants from the Black Sea and Anatolia who settled on the island of Crete in the Aegean Sea. They flourished during the middle Bronze Age with a unique talent for art and architecture. Excavations at Knossos, Phaistos, Malia and Zakros revealed a sophisticated culture. Complex palace structures of two or three stories covering several thousand meters acted as centers for local administration, trade, religious events and political centers in these cities. It is not clear if the palaces had a connection to the governing structure of the civilization; however, it is obvious that the palaces were utilized for local control of the gathering and storage of resources such as wine, oil, grain, precious metals and ceramics. Notably missing in the Minoan civilization were fortified settlements. Unlike other civilizations, the Minoan cities and towns did not have protective walls. While this suggests a peaceful civilization, it should not be interpreted as a lack of ability to defend their cities and towns. Archeological findings of swords, daggers, defensive armor and helmets indicate that battles and wars may have been fought.
What is a logical explanation for the lack of clarity in the relationship of palaces and power structure of the Minoan civilization?
The religious leaders of the Minoan civilization governed from the temples
The Minoans had no governing structure; citizens worked together in a purely democratic manner
There was no form of Minoan writing to substantiate the existence of powerful leaders
Lack of sufficient literary and archaeological evidence to explain the power structure
The Minoans were overrun by Mycenaean warriors who governed the cities
Lack of sufficient literary and archaeological evidence to explain the power structure
The Minoan palaces were sites of localized control and organization as is seen in the use of the palaces for storage of resources. It is safe to assume that someone organized and controlled this process. The Minoans were presumed to have been governed by the legendary King Minos, hence the name given to the civilization by historians. The leadership of King Minos has been passed down in oral history. The Minoans had an extensive system of writing and examples of their hieroglyphic and Linear A script on clay tablets have been found in archeological digs. Unfortunately, their writings have yet to be fully interpreted. The Minoans were not overrun by the Mycenaean civilization rather they were in and engaged in a cooperative seafaring trade with the Mycenaeans.
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