Question 1: Today we’re at the Neolithic site of Skara Brae. What country are we in?
- Scotland
- England
- Wales
Correct Answer: Scotland
Fact: Nestled along the windswept coastline of the Orkney Islands in Scotland lies one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in Europe. Skara Brae, a cluster of 10 stone houses, connected by covered passageways, is thought to have been occupied from roughly 3180 BCE to 2500 BCE. It was buried beneath sand for centuries until it was uncovered by a storm in 1850.
Question 2: Which archaeologist discovered and excavated Tutankhamun’s tomb?
- Arthur Evans
- T. E. Lawrence
- Howard Carter
Correct Answer: Howard Carter
Fact: In 1922, British Egyptologist and archaeologist Howard Carter and his team of excavators discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun. Inside the pharaoh’s burial site there were over 5,000 artifacts, including a gold burial mask. The discovery came over 3,300 years after Tutankhamun’s death.
Question 3: What was the writing system used by the Sumerians?
- Proto-Sinaitic
- Hieroglyphs
- Cuneiform
Correct Answer: Cuneiform
Fact: Cuneiform is one of the earliest known writing systems, originating in Mesopotamia around 3500 BCE. It was used by several ancient civilizations, including the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Akkadians. The term ‘cuneiform’ comes from the Latin words ‘cuneus,’ meaning wedge, and ‘forma,’ meaning shape, reflecting the wedge-shaped characters used in the script.