Unlock hundreds more features
Save your Quiz to the Dashboard
View and Export Results
Use AI to Create Quizzes and Analyse Results

OR
Sign inSign in with Facebook
Sign inSign in with Google
Quizzes > History

Early Civilizations Unit Test Practice for AP World History

Quick, free AP World History practice quiz on early civilizations. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Jafar KasUpdated Aug 24, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration for AP World History quiz on early civilizations and Indus River Valley on dark blue background

This AP World History quiz helps you practice early civilizations by placing Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus River Valley in time and on the map. For a wider refresh before the exam, try our world history practice quiz, and build map sense with an APHG practice quiz. You will get quick feedback to spot gaps and strengthen recall.

Where did the first known writing system, cuneiform, originate?
Indus Valley
Yellow River
Mesopotamia (Sumer)
Nile Delta
Cuneiform is the earliest known writing system and was developed by the Sumerians in southern Mesopotamia around 3400 BCE. It involved wedge-shaped marks impressed on clay tablets using a stylus. Over time it was adapted by many cultures in the region.
Which river supported the ancient Egyptian civilization?
Tigris/Euphrates
Yellow River
Indus River
Nile River
The Nile River was the lifeline of ancient Egypt, providing fertile soil through annual floods and serving as a transportation route. Its predictable inundations allowed stable agricultural production. The Nile's impact shaped Egyptian religion, society, and economy.
The Indus Valley Civilization was primarily located in which present-day country?
Iran
Afghanistan
Pakistan
India
Archaeological sites like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro lie in modern-day Pakistan, marking the core region of the Indus Valley Civilization. Its civilization stretched into northwest India, but the primary urban centers are in Pakistan. This Bronze Age society flourished circa 2600 - 1900 BCE.
Which innovation is attributed to the Sumerians?
Aqueducts
Iron smelting
Alphabet
Wheel
The Sumerians are credited with inventing the wheel around 3500 BCE, which revolutionized transport and pottery making. Their use of wheeled carts transformed trade and warfare. Wheel technology then spread to other ancient civilizations.
What is the approximate time period of the Neolithic Revolution?
Around 3000 BCE
Around 1500 BCE
Around 5000 BCE
Around 10,000 BCE
The Neolithic Revolution began around 10,000 BCE when human groups transitioned from hunting-gathering to agriculture. This shift occurred independently in multiple regions including the Fertile Crescent. It laid the foundation for settled societies and later urban civilizations.
Which structure served as a tomb for Egyptian pharaohs?
Pyramid
Obelisk
Stupa
Ziggurat
Egyptian pyramids, such as the Great Pyramid of Giza, were constructed as monumental tombs for pharaohs and their consorts. They symbolized royal power and the afterlife journey. Workers used advanced engineering to align and stack massive limestone blocks.
The earliest Chinese civilization developed along which river?
Yellow River
Mekong River
Indus River
Yangtze River
The Yellow River (Huang He) valley is known as the cradle of Chinese civilization, with early cultures like Yangshao and Longshan emerging there. Its loess soils and periodic floods supported millet agriculture. These cultures later evolved into the Shang Dynasty.
Which ancient civilization built ziggurats?
Harappans
Sumerians
Hittites
Egyptians
Ziggurats were massive stepped platforms built by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia as temples to their gods. Notable examples include the Ziggurat of Ur. They served as religious centers and demonstration of civic power.
What material did early civilizations primarily use for writing after clay tablets?
Papyrus
Bamboo strips
Paper
Parchment
Ancient Egyptians invented papyrus around 3000 BCE by layering and pressing strips of the papyrus plant. It replaced heavier clay tablets for record-keeping and literature. Papyrus scrolls became the standard writing medium in Egypt and later Greece and Rome.
The Code of Hammurabi originated in which ancient empire?
Assyrian Empire
Egyptian Empire
Roman Empire
Babylonian Empire
The Code of Hammurabi was promulgated by King Hammurabi of Babylon around 1754 BCE. It is one of the oldest and most complete legal codes from the ancient Near East. The stone stele includes 282 laws covering commerce, family, labor, and property.
Which domesticated animal revolutionized transportation and warfare in ancient Mesopotamia?
Elephant
Cattle
Camel
Horse
The domestication of the horse around 2000 BCE in the Eurasian Steppe gave Mesopotamian civilizations faster mobility in transport and warfare. Horse-drawn chariots became a key military innovation. They also enhanced trade networks across regions.
The major cities of the Indus Valley Civilization included Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. What feature was common to both?
Monumental pyramids
Urban grid layout
Wall paintings
Underground aqueducts
Both Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro featured a planned urban grid with straight streets intersecting at right angles. They also had standardized baked-brick houses and sophisticated sewage systems. This reflects centralized civic planning.
Which metal technology marked the transition from the Neolithic Era to the Bronze Age?
Steel
Copper
Iron
Bronze
The Bronze Age began when societies learned to alloy copper with tin to produce bronze, a harder and more durable metal. This innovation improved tools, weapons, and art. It emerged around 3300 BCE in Mesopotamia and spread widely.
What script did the Indus Valley people use?
Cuneiform
Hieroglyphics
Sanskrit
Undeciphered script
The Indus script consists of short inscriptions found on seals and pottery. Despite numerous attempts, it remains undeciphered due to the brevity of texts and lack of bilingual examples. Its symbols number in the hundreds.
Who was the first emperor to unify China under the Qin Dynasty?
Liu Bang
Qin Shi Huang
Confucius
Wu of Han
Qin Shi Huang, originally named Ying Zheng, became king of Qin in 246 BCE and proclaimed himself 'First Emperor' in 221 BCE after conquering rival states. He standardized weights, measures, and the writing system across China. His reign also saw the start of the Great Wall construction.
The Epic of Gilgamesh was composed in which language?
Akkadian
Sumerian
Hittite
Aramaic
The best-known version of the Epic of Gilgamesh was written in Akkadian on twelve clay tablets around the 12th century BCE. Earlier Sumerian poems about Gilgamesh exist, but the Akkadian rendition is more complete. It traces the hero's quest for immortality.
Which river valley civilization is known for the Great Bath?
Egyptian Civilization
Mesopotamian Civilization
Indus Valley Civilization
Shang Dynasty
The Great Bath at Mohenjo-Daro is a large, watertight pool surrounded by brick platforms, likely used for ritual bathing. Dating to around 2600 BCE, it shows advanced urban planning and social organization. No similar structure appears in contemporary civilizations.
The concept of zero as a numeral was first developed in which civilization?
Mayan
Egyptian
Greek
Indian
Indian mathematicians in the early first millennium CE developed the concept of zero as a numeral and a placeholder in positional notation. The Bakhshali Manuscript and works by Brahmagupta formalized zero's arithmetic properties. This innovation transformed mathematics worldwide.
Which empire constructed the Royal Road to facilitate communication across its territory?
Ottoman Empire
Byzantine Empire
Persian (Achaemenid) Empire
Roman Empire
The Achaemenid Persians built the Royal Road in the 5th century BCE, stretching over 2,500 kilometers from Sardis to Susa. It included relay stations for couriers and enabled rapid communication across the vast empire. Herodotus praised its efficiency.
Who built the Step Pyramid at Saqqara?
Ramses II
Tutankhamun
Khufu
Djoser
The Step Pyramid at Saqqara, designed by the architect Imhotep for Pharaoh Djoser around 2630 BCE, is considered the earliest large-scale stone structure. It evolved from earlier mastaba tombs and consists of six mastaba-like layers.
Which Mesopotamian city-state is known for its patron deity Inanna and the ruins of the White Temple?
Nineveh
Ur
Babylon
Uruk
Uruk, one of the world's first major cities around 3500 BCE, was dedicated to Inanna (Ishtar). The White Temple on its ziggurat platform exemplifies early Sumerian religious architecture. Uruk's innovations include monumental construction and urbanization.
The Nile River floods were essential for Egyptian agriculture. What term best describes this annual event?
Inundation
Monsoon
Deluge
Torrential
The Egyptians referred to the annual rise of the Nile as the Inundation (Akhet), which deposited nutrient-rich silt onto farmlands. This predictable flooding cycle divided the year into seasons for planting and harvesting. It underpinned the Egyptian economy.
The Harappan civilization traded extensively with which Mesopotamian polity?
Hittite Kingdom
Elam
Sumerian city-states
Akkadian Empire
Archaeological finds of Indus seals in Mesopotamia and Mesopotamian items in the Indus region attest to trade with Sumerian cities like Ur and Uruk around 2500 - 2000 BCE. They exchanged goods such as lapis lazuli, metals, and textiles. This early interregional commerce shaped both cultures.
Which ancient structure served a religious and administrative purpose in Mesopotamia?
Stela
Obelisk
Pyramid
Ziggurat
Mesopotamian ziggurats functioned as temples for the gods and centers for civic administration. They symbolized the connection between heaven and earth and housed priests who oversaw rituals and record-keeping. The Ziggurat of Ur is a prime example.
Which writing system uses wedge-shaped characters?
Anatolian
Linear B
Cuneiform
Hieroglyphics
Cuneiform script, developed by Sumerians, used a reed stylus to press wedge-shaped marks into clay tablets. Its name derives from the Latin cuneus, meaning 'wedge.' It evolved from pictographs into abstract signs used across Mesopotamia.
In what form was administrative control maintained in ancient Egypt?
Nome system
Satrapies
City-states
Feudal estates
Ancient Egypt was divided into nomes, regional districts each governed by a nomarch under the Pharaoh's authority. This enabled efficient tax collection, agricultural management, and local governance. The system persisted through various dynasties.
The Mandate of Heaven is associated with which Chinese dynasty?
Shang Dynasty
Zhou Dynasty
Han Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Zhou rulers introduced the Mandate of Heaven concept to justify their overthrow of the Shang around 1046 BCE. It held that heaven granted rulers moral authority, which could be revoked if they were unjust. This principle guided Chinese monarchy for centuries.
Which ancient civilization first domesticated the horse?
Botai culture
Indus Valley
Egypt
Sumer
Archaeological evidence from the Botai culture in present-day Kazakhstan indicates horse domestication around 3500 - 3000 BCE, including corrals and bit wear on teeth. These are the earliest clear signs of managed horse breeding.
The Rosetta Stone was crucial for deciphering which script?
Cuneiform
Sanskrit
Linear B
Egyptian hieroglyphics
The Rosetta Stone, discovered in 1799, contains the same text in Egyptian hieroglyphics, Demotic script, and Ancient Greek. Jean-François Champollion's work on its Greek inscription in 1822 enabled the decipherment of hieroglyphs.
Which ancient language is considered the earliest known written language?
Sumerian
Sanskrit
Arabic
Latin
Sumerian, used from around 3100 BCE in southern Mesopotamia, is the oldest known written language, recorded on clay tablets in cuneiform script. It later became a liturgical and scholarly language after being supplanted by Akkadian.
The Shang Dynasty used which material for ritual vessels?
Clay
Bronze
Gold
Iron
The Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 - 1046 BCE) is renowned for its sophisticated bronze casting, producing ritual vessels like ding and gui for ancestor worship. These bronzes feature intricate taotie masks and inscriptions. They reflect advanced foundry techniques.
Which code of law is one of the oldest deciphered writings of significant length?
Twelve Tables
Hammurabi's Code
Code of Lycurgus
Code of Ur-Nammu
The Code of Ur-Nammu, dating to around 2100 - 2050 BCE under King Ur-Nammu of Ur, is the earliest known law code surviving in full fragment. It predates Hammurabi's Code by several centuries. The laws cover penalties for assaults and property violations.
Mohenjo-Daro is famous for which urban planning feature?
Sophisticated drainage system
Monumental ziggurats
Columned palaces
Terraced agriculture
Mohenjo-Daro had covered drains and sewage channels beneath streets that connected to brick-lined soak pits. This sanitation system was unparalleled in the ancient world and reflects advanced civic engineering. Houses had private bathrooms linked to drains.
The Bactria - Margiana Archaeological Complex belonged to which region?
Middle East
Central Asia
East Asia
South Asia
The Bactria - Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC), dating to 2300 - 1700 BCE, lay in present-day Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. It featured fortified settlements, intricate art, and trade links with the Indus Valley. It's key to Bronze Age Central Asia.
The Indus Valley script remains undeciphered partly due to what limitation?
Lack of bilingual inscriptions
Too many dialects
Damaged tablets
Short inscriptions
Unlike the Rosetta Stone, no bilingual texts exist for the Indus script, making its phonetic values unknown. Many inscriptions are brief, but the main barrier is absence of a known reference language. This has thwarted definitive translation.
Which site presents earliest evidence of cotton cultivation circa 5000 BCE?
Lothal
Mohenjo-Daro
Mehrgarh
Harappa
Excavations at Mehrgarh in present-day Pakistan have yielded cotton fibers dated to around 5000 BCE. This predates widespread cotton use in other regions. The site reveals early agricultural and weaving practices.
The Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were abandoned around which period?
Circa 1500 BCE
Circa 1900 BCE
Circa 1200 BCE
Circa 2000 BCE
Urban decline at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro began around 1900 BCE, possibly due to climate change, river shifts, or trade disruptions. Populations dispersed into smaller villages, ending the mature Indus urban tradition.
The term 'Semitic' refers to which group?
A family of languages of West Asia
Indus Valley tribes
Chinese dynasties
North African kingdoms
Semitic denotes a branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family that includes Akkadian, Aramaic, Hebrew, and Arabic, originating in the Near East. It also refers to cultures speaking these languages. The classification is linguistic rather than ethnic.
0
{"name":"Where did the first known writing system, cuneiform, originate?", "url":"https://www.quiz-maker.com/QPREVIEW","txt":"Where did the first known writing system, cuneiform, originate?, Which river supported the ancient Egyptian civilization?, The Indus Valley Civilization was primarily located in which present-day country?","img":"https://www.quiz-maker.com/3012/images/ogquiz.png"}

Study Outcomes

  1. Understand Chronological Frameworks -

    Identify key dates and time periods of major early civilizations, from human origins through the development of river valley societies.

  2. Locate Ancient Civilizations Geographically -

    Pinpoint the geographical settings of early societies on a world map, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus River Valley.

  3. Analyze Indus River Valley Characteristics -

    Examine the social, economic, and technological features that best describe the Indus River Valley civilization.

  4. Compare Early Civilizations -

    Differentiate between the political structures, religious beliefs, and technological advances of various ancient societies.

  5. Apply Historical Reasoning -

    Use evidence-based thinking to answer quiz questions and strengthen your analytical skills for an early civilizations unit test.

  6. Assess Your Knowledge -

    Complete a scored AP World History When & Where Quiz to gauge your mastery of ancient civilizations and boost your confidence.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Early Civilizations Chronology -

    Review the sequence of the first river valley civilizations - the Mesopotamians (~3500 BCE), Egyptians (~3100 BCE), Indus Valley (~2600 BCE), and Yellow River societies (~2000 BCE). Use the mnemonic "M.E.I.Y." (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus, Yellow) to lock in the order. According to MIT's OpenCourseWare, this timeline is vital for any ancient civilizations quiz.

  2. Geographic Advantages of River Valleys -

    Recognize the role of rivers like the Nile, Tigris-Euphrates, Indus, and Yellow in providing fertile soil, transportation routes, and political unity. Remember "NITY" (Nile, Indus, Tigris-Euphrates, Yellow) when mapping locations for your early civilizations unit test. National Geographic maps show how these waterways shaped settlement patterns and state formation.

  3. Urban Planning in the Indus Valley -

    Study Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro's grid layouts, standardized brick sizes, and advanced drainage systems as examples of sophisticated city planning. Recognizing which best describes the Indus River Valley civilization - namely its grid-based layout and drainage network - strengthens your recall. Cambridge University research notes these innovations highlight social organization and centralized authority.

  4. Out of Africa Migration & Human Origins -

    Memorize the "OOA" (Out-of-Africa) framework showing Homo sapiens spreading from East Africa ~200,000 years ago into Eurasia by ~50,000 years ago. This core concept anchors many timeline questions in an ap world history when and where quiz. According to the Smithsonian Institution, genetic and fossil evidence support this model.

  5. Early Writing Systems -

    Compare cuneiform (Mesopotamia), hieroglyphics (Egypt), and undeciphered Indus script by their symbols: wedges, pictographs, and seals. A simple memory aid is "WPS" (Wedges, Pictographs, Seals) to categorize each writing form and ace an ancient civilizations quiz. UNESCO reports that the development of record-keeping marks the true shift from prehistory to history.

Make a Quiz (FREE) Copy & Edit This Quiz Create a Quiz with AI

Ancient & Medieval History Quizzes

Powered by: Quiz Maker