STS-QUIZ#1

• The Roman civilization, originating in Rome in the 8th century BCE, grew into a vast empire stretching across Europe, Africa, and Asia
• Transitioning from a monarchy to a republic, then to an empire, Rome saw periods of expansion, civil war, and stability under the Pax Romana
• Romans made lasting contributions to architecture, engineering, law, literature, and art
• The Western Roman Empire fell in 476 CE, while the Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantine Empire, continued until the 15th century
• Monarchy (753-509 BCE)


  Rome was initially ruled by kings, with legendary figures like Romulus and Remus. This period was characterized by small-scale agriculture, tribal warfare, and early forms of religious practices
• Roman Republic (509-27 BCE)


  The Roman Republic was founded after the overthrow of the monarchy. It was a period of significant expansion through military conquests. Roman society was divided into classes, with the patricians (aristocratic families) and plebeians (commoners) having distinct rights and privileges. The Republic was governed by elected officials, including consuls and a senate, with a system of checks and balances to prevent the concentration of power
• Pax Romana (27 BCE-180 CE)


  The Pax Romana, or Roman Peace, was a period of relative stability and prosperity within the Roman Empire. It was characterized by extensive public works, urbanization, and the spread of Roman culture and Latin language across the empire. The economy thrived through trade, agriculture, and the exploitation of conquered territories
• Roman Society


  • Hierarchical, with social status determined by birth, wealth, and citizenship. Slavery was widespread, and slaves were used for various tasks, from domestic work to agriculture and mining. Education was primarily for the elite, with a focus on rhetoric, literature, and philosophy. Family was central to Roman life, with the paterfamilias (head of the household) holding significant authority
• Daily Life


  • Varied depending on social status and location. The urban population lived in crowded, noisy cities with limited sanitation. They enjoyed public baths, theaters, and gladiatorial games for entertainment. In contrast, rural life revolved around agriculture, with farmers working the land to produce food for themselves and the cities
• Acta Diurna


  The first newspaper prototype, invented by the Romans in 59 BCE. It was a daily publication that shared gossip, provided information on events, and contained birth and death announcements. It was published by government authorities, unlike the independent papers, and was significant for distributing information throughout the vast Roman Empire
• Gazette


  The Acta Diurna was considered a gazette, which simply means that it was an official journal of abstract current events
• Compared to modern ways of getting information, such as the internet, television, and radio, the Acta Diurna was a significant invention in the Roman Empire
• Codex


  An alternative to the scroll, emerging around the 1st century CE. The codex was a bound book format composed of folded sheets of parchment or papyrus, stitched together along one edge. This innovation allowed for easier navigation, referencing, and storage of written works compared to scrolls. The codex gained popularity due to its practicality and versatility, eventually replacing the scroll as the dominant form of written communication in the Roman world. Its adoption facilitated the dissemination of knowledge, literature, and religious texts, contributing to the preservation and transmission of Roman culture and civilization
• China is one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations that began around 1500 BC
• China has a lot of mountains, forests and tracts of jungle that make it to be isolated from others, but it is not completely sealed off
• For many centuries, especially 7-14 AD, China was the world's most advanced civilization
• China is known for its pottery and tea making, as well as the discovery of gunpowder
• Chinese Pottery


  • The history of Chinese pottery, often called ceramics, spans over 10,000 years, showcasing a remarkable evolution in craftsmanship and artistic expression. Originating in the Neolithic period, early Chinese communities crafted rudimentary pottery for utilitarian purposes such as storage and cooking. Chinese pottery's enduring legacy lies in its technical innovation, aesthetic refinement, and profound cultural significance, shaping artistic traditions worldwide. Today, Chinese ceramics remain integral to global artistic heritage, inspiring contemporary artists, and collectors alike
• Four Most Famous Chinese Pottery

  • Yixing Zisha pottery
  • Jianshui Zitao pottery
  • Nixing Gui pottery
  • Rongchang pottery
• Origins of Chinese Tea

  The history of tea dates back to ancient China, almost 5,000 years ago
• Tea Travels to Japan

  Shortly after tea became popular in China, the Japanese discovered this delicious hot drink. The Japanese brought tea back to Japan, where Buddhist monks used the drink to stay awake and focused during their meditations
• Types of Chinese Tea

  • Green Tea
  • Red Tea
  • White Tea
  • Rosemary tea
• Gunpowder is the first explosive to have been developed in China, and it was invented during the late Tang dynasty (9th century) while the earliest recorded chemical formula for gunpowder dates to the Song dynasty (11th century)
• Gunpowder is popularly listed as one of the "Four Great Inventions" of China.
• Mesoamerica


  "MESO" meaning MIDDLE. Mesoamerica refers to the diverse civilizations that shared similar cultural characteristics in the geographic areas comprising the modern-day countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica
• The Maya Civilization


  • Emerged around 2000 BCE in the Yucatan Peninsula of present-day Mexico and flourished until around 900 CE. The Maya established city-states with complex urban centers, such as Tikal, Palenque, and Chichen Itza. They developed a sophisticated writing system, known as hieroglyphics, which recorded historical events, religious beliefs, and astronomical observations
• The Inca Civilization


  • Emerged in the Andean region of South America, particularly in the highlands of present-day Peru, around the 13th century CE. They established the Inca Empire, which became the largest pre-Columbian civilization in the Americas, stretching along the western coast of South America from present-day Ecuador to Chile
• Cultural Achievements of the Maya Civilization

  • Significant contributions to art, architecture, mathematics, astronomy, and agriculture. They built impressive stone structures, including temples, pyramids, and observatories, adorned with intricate carvings and sculptures. Their understanding of astronomy enabled them to create accurate calendars, crucial for agricultural and religious purposes
• Cultural Achievements of the Inca Civilization

  • Impressive architectural feats, notably Machu Picchu, an iconic citadel located in the Andes mountains. They developed an extensive road network, spanning thousands of miles, facilitating communication, trade, and military conquests. The Inca also had a unique system of record-keeping, known as quipu, which used knotted strings to encode information
• Social Structure of the Maya Civilization

  • Hierarchical, with kings and nobles holding power at the top, followed by priests, artisans, and farmers. They had a complex religious belief system, worshipping various gods associated with nature, fertility, and warfare. Human sacrifice played a role in their religious rituals, often to appease deities and ensure favorable outcomes in warfare and agriculture
• Social Structure of the Inca Civilization

  • Highly organized, with the emperor, or Sapa Inca, holding supreme authority. Beneath the emperor were noble elites, priests, and military commanders. The Inca implemented a system of collective labor known as "mit'a," where subjects were required to contribute to state projects, such as agricultural terracing, road maintenance, and construction
• The legacies of the Maya and Inca civilizations endure to this day, influencing contemporary art, architecture, language, and cultural practices in their respective regions. The ruins of their cities and monuments attract tourists from around the world, serving as a testament to their enduring impact on human history
• Mesoamerica


  Got its name from the Greek word "meso" for "middle". It thus means "Middle America" or "Central America", referring to its position between North America and South America. Mesoamerica refers to the diverse civilizations that shared similar cultural characteristics in the geographic areas comprising the modern-day countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica
• Shared Cultural Traits among Mesoamerican Peoples

  • Complex pantheon of deities (the Quetzalcoatl or "Feathered Serpent" is probably the most famous Aztec deity)
  • Architectural features (Mesoamerican architecture is often designed to align to specific celestial events)
  • Ballgame (ulama) (The meanings of the ballgame were many and varied)
  • 260-day calendar (used in religious observances and social rituals)
  • Trade
  • Food (especially a reliance on maize (corn in north america), beans, and squash)
  • Dress and accoutrements
• The first civilizations we know of in Mesoamerica was the Olmec people, who lived from about 1200-400 BCE