Ancient Wonders Quiz

Test your knowledge of ancient wonders and monuments: the Pyramids, Parthenon, Colosseum, Petra, and more. 10 questions.

1. Which of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the only one still standing today?
   Answer: Great Pyramid of Giza
   The Great Pyramid of Giza (c. 2560 BCE) is the sole survivor of the original Seven Wonders — it stood for over 3,800 years before the list was even compiled by Antipater of Sidon.
2. The Parthenon in Athens was built primarily from stone quarried at which location?
   Answer: Mount Pentelicus
   The Parthenon is built from Pentelic marble, quarried from Mount Pentelicus about 16 km northeast of Athens — the same source used for most major Athenian monuments.
3. In which year was the Colosseum in Rome officially completed?
   Answer: 80 CE
   The Colosseum was completed in 80 CE under Emperor Titus, who inaugurated it with 100 days of games. Construction began under his father Vespasian around 70 CE.
4. Petra's iconic Treasury (Al-Khazneh) is carved into the cliff face — which architectural style does its facade display?
   Answer: Hellenistic
   The Treasury's facade is Hellenistic in style, carved by the Nabataean people around the 1st century BCE — columns, pediments, and urns all drawn from the Greek architectural vocabulary.
5. Approximately how many spectators could the Colosseum hold at one time?
   Answer: 50,000–80,000
   The Colosseum could hold an estimated 50,000–80,000 spectators, with a sophisticated ticketing and crowd-management system that used numbered gates and seating tiers segregated by social class.
6. What was the original function of the Pantheon in Rome?
   Answer: A temple dedicated to all the gods
   Built by Emperor Hadrian (c. 125 CE), the Pantheon was a temple dedicated to all the gods of ancient Rome — 'Pantheon' derives from Greek words meaning 'every god'. It was later consecrated as a Christian church.
7. Stonehenge's massive sarsen stones were transported from which location?
   Answer: Marlborough Downs, Wiltshire
   The larger sarsen stones at Stonehenge originate from Marlborough Downs, about 25 km to the north — each stone weighs up to 25 tonnes and was moved without wheeled vehicles around 2500 BCE.
8. Which ancient site is slightly older: the Great Pyramid of Giza or Stonehenge's sarsen circle?
   Answer: The Great Pyramid of Giza is older
   The Great Pyramid was completed around 2560 BCE, while Stonehenge's sarsen stones were erected around 2500 BCE — making Giza approximately 60 years older, though both were raised in the same remarkable era.
9. Which ancient site was famously rediscovered by American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911?
   Answer: Machu Picchu
   Hiram Bingham III, a Yale lecturer, was led to Machu Picchu in 1911 by local Quechua guides — though the site was never truly 'lost' to surrounding indigenous communities.
10. Which of these monuments was NOT included on the original ancient Seven Wonders list compiled by Hellenistic writers?
    Answer: Stonehenge
    Stonehenge was built in prehistoric Britain and was entirely unknown to the ancient Greek and Roman writers who compiled the Seven Wonders list — it was not part of the Hellenistic world.