1. What contributions of the Hebrew culture were adopted by other cultures in the region? In your answer please address religion, sciences, arts, social structures, laws, and other features of a civilization. Make sure to provide examples.

2. We have seen that many religions have had significant political and social consequences in world history thus far, particularly when an empire supports a particular religion. Is the rivalry between Christianity and Islam similar to or different from the other major political-religious rivalries we have thus far studied? Is the effect on citizens similar or different to the effect on governments?

3. Before 1492, Europeans were either ignorant of or misinformed as to many of the peoples, practices, and political entities in Africa and the Americas. These views contaminated historical views on these areas until the 1960s when new ideas about African and American history before imperialism emerged.

Choose two groups from the list below (one from the Americas and one from Africa). Then choose one practice from the list below. Pretend you are advising someone who believes that there was nothing of value or importance in Africa and America before 1492. Construct an argument that shows him/her the sophistication of Africa and the Americas before European imperialism.

Topics (choose one from Africa and one from America):

Africa

America

Benin

Anasazi (Ancestral Pueblo)

Axum

Hopewell

Swahili Coast

Cahokia

Zimbabwe

Maya

Ghana

Moche

Mali

Teotihuacan

Practices (choose one):

Community organization, settlement patterns, and/or governance
Religion and rituals
Structures, architecture, or earthworks
Foodways (what did they eat) and agriculture systems
Trade – be specific about the kinds of items traded, with whom and from where items originated
Migrations
Reasons for the decline of this people—what do we know about what led to their demise (if known)?

Include in your initial post of 3-4 paragraphs:

Significant dates and geographic locations for your topics.
Your post should use specific information from your books or valid sources.
Make sure that you paraphrase the material so as to demonstrate your ability to comprehend the author’s main points.
Cite your material in Turabian format.