The Sumerians
Where was Mesopotamia located?
Mesopotamia was located in a river valley, in Southwest Asia, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. (p. 33)
Who was the leader of the Akkaians?
Sargon
Who was Hammurabi?
Hammurabi was the king who created the Babylonian Empire.
Where did the Phoenicians live?
The Phoenicians lived along the Mediterranean Sea in northern Canaan. The area is present day Syria, Lebanon, and northern Israel. (p. 55)
What is a tribute?
A forced payment made to a ruler (a sign of submission).
What was the most important factor in making Mesopotamia’s farmland fertile?
The most important factor in making Mesopotamia’s farmland fertile was the annual flooding. Flooded rivers were filled with silt which made its way to the plains making the soil fertile. (p. 34)
Who was Sargon?
Sargon was the leader and ruler of the Akkadians. He was known as the “King of Sumer and Akkad.” He conquered and united Sumer city-states. He formed the world’s first empire which lasted over 200 years. (p. 45)
Who was Nebuchadnezzar II?
Nebuchadnezzar II was the son of Nabopolassar and the King of Babylon.
How did Phoenicia’s location influence its development into a sea-trading civilization?
Access to the sea gave the Phoenicians fish for food, sand for glassmaking, and sea creatures that could be used to produce clothing dyes. Additionally, they had access to forests which gave them cedar wood for shipbuilding and exports. Since they were located next to the sea, trading and coastal colonization was easy for them. (p. 55-56)
Describe two accomplishments of the Assyrian Empire.
Two accomplishments of the Assyrian Empire are the creation of the first library by King Ashurbanipal and a powerful, well-trained military. (p. 47-48)
Why did farmers need to develop a system to control their water supply? What system did they create?
The farmers needed to develop a system to control their water supply because the rivers were low in the summer and flooded in the spring. They created irrigation canals from the rivers to the plains, and they built dams to control the water supply. (p. 34)
How did the empires of Mesopotamia, like Akkadia, acquire wealth?
The empires of Mesopotamia acquired wealth through tributes, taxes, and trade routes. (p. 45)
Name 1 of the accomplishments of Nebuchadnezzar II.
One of his accomplishments is building the Hanging Gardens of Babylon which is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. (p. 49)
Who did the Phoenicians trade with and what did they trade?
Phoenicia traded with Greece, Spain, Western Africa, Britain, and Northwest Europe. Phoenicia traded cedar, pine, glass, copper, bronze and purple cloth.
How was the Assyrian Empire organized politically?
The Assyrian Empire was organized into provinces or political districts, each governed by its own official. (p. 49)
What is cuneiform?
Cuneiform was the world’s first writing system. It was a method of writing created by the Sumerians. Cuneiform was written with a reed stylus on a clay tablet. (p. 37)
Who settled in Mesopotamia after the fall of Sargon’s empire?
The Amorites settled in Mesopotamia after the fall of Sargon’s empire. (p. 46)
Describe the city and society of Babylon under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar II.
Under King Nebuchadnezzar II the city of Babylon was wealthy through trade, skilled artisans, and marketplaces. Houses surrounded the center of town. The city was surrounded with high, decorated, brick walls. The streets were organized in a grid pattern. The city was over 4 square miles. There were many scientific achievements like the creation of the sundial. (p. 50)
Describe the Phoenician alphabet. How is it different from our alphabet today?
The Phoenician alphabet had 22 letters that represented sounds that could be used to spell out words. Our alphabet is different because it has 26 letters.
What is a colony?
A new territory under the rule of another civilization or country.
Why was the invention of the plow so important to the Sumerians?
The invention of the plow was important to the Sumerians because it allowed farmers to plant more seeds over a larger area of land. This led to an increase in crops with less labor. (p. 38)
The Amorites conquered the Akkadians after the fall of Sargon's Empire. What was the name of their biggest city?
Babylon
What caused the fall of the Neo-Babylonian Empire?
The Neo-Babylonian Empire fell because weak kings ruled after Nebuchadnezzar died. Additionally, there were poor harvests and slow trade. They were conquered by Persia around 500 BC. (p. 50)
Where was Carthage? Why was it important?
Carthage was Phoenicia’s most important colony. It was located on the north coast of Africa, along the Mediterranean Sea. Its location made it perfect for trade.
What was the social system of the civilizations of the Fertile Crescent?
The Fertile Crescent civilizations organized their societies into upper class (rulers and priest), middle class (artisans, farmers, merchants), and lower class (poor, slaves).