Basic Pre-1520 World History Trivia Quiz

Answer: Neolithic Revolution

The Neolithic Revolution was the long transition that happened over hundreds of years that allowed the development of civilizations. I made up the Paleolithic and Mesolithic Revolutions, and the Cultural Revolution was a political revolution in China initiated by Mao Zedong.

Answer: Olmecs

In 2006 it was discovered that the Olmecs had a written language which predated that of the Mayas. This language, found on the Cascajal block, is the oldest known written language of the Western Hemisphere. The block contains 62 characters which have yet to be deciphered.

Answer: Phoenicia

The people of the purple were the Phoenicians who are called thus because of the purple dyes they traded. They are also called the "Carriers of Civilization" because they traded (by sea) with many other kingdoms, and possibly made it to the Americas. There is circumstantial evidence that they made it to the Kansas-Nebraska area but the evidence of Phoenican coins in this area was never published and the claims have not held up.

The Lydians were the ones who came up with the coinage system and Nineveh was the capital of Assyria.

Answer: History

Herodotus was one of the first historians and is considered the "father of history". His most famous work was "Historia".

Answer: Byzantium

Byzantium was renamed Constantinople after Constantine when the Roman Empire was split into two parts, the Western Roman Empire, and the Eastern Byzantine Empire named after the old city of Constantinople. It was later renamed Istanbul.

Answer: Mali

Mansa Musa is famous for his pilgrimage to Mecca. He was a Muslim, and he gave away tons of gold to the people he met on his way which actually reduced the price of gold back then. The capital of Mali was Timbuktu which was a center of learning and prosperity.

Answer: Ahimsa

The correct answer is Ahimsa, which is not a deity but the belief of non-violence towards all living things. Brahma is the god of creation, Vishnu is the preserver, and Shiva is the destroyer.

Answer: Qin

It was built under Qin Shi Huang in the Qin dynasty, the modern wall was built during the Ming dynasty it was built not only to keep out the barbarian tribes to the north but also to keep the citizens of China in and to stop them from leaving sometimes oppressive rule.

Answer: Bubonic Plague

The Bubonic plague was the great plague during the Middle Ages in Europe. It was spread by rats with fleas NOT mice with lice. The Antonine Plague was in Rome and was caused by either measles or smallpox. The Black Death killed over a third of the total population of Europe.

Answer: indulgences

Martin Luther, a German monk, wrote the 95 theses and started the Protestant Reformation. He opposed the sale of indulgences, which people would buy from the Catholic church in order to go to heaven. During the Counter Reformation the Catholic church regained some of the ground last in the Reformation.