1. A basalt slab, unearthed by Napoleon Bonaparte's troops in 1799, was the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics. What is the name of this priceless stone?

2. In addition to the process of preserving the dead and installing their departed rulers in elaborate mausoleums, what was unusual about the surroundings provided by the Egyptians within the pyramids?

3. This city in Tennessee shares a name with the first capital of ancient Egypt. Name the city.

4. Mesopotamia means "the country between the rivers." Can you name the rivers?

5. Many civilizations were founded along rivers and in valleys because of their proximity to water and eventual travel. What two rivers — one in Pakistan and one in China — were the birthplaces of civilization in those two countries?

ANSWERS

1. Rosetta Stone.

2. Tombs of Egyptian rulers were decorated with furnishings, musical instruments and in some instances even bathrooms.

3. Memphis, Tennessee, was named after Egypt's first capital.

4. The rivers are currently called the Tigris and Euphrates.

5. The Harappa civilization began in the Indus River Valley and in China; the first-known civilization began near the Huang He, or Yellow River.

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