Geography
What does "Mesopotamia" mean?
Land between the rivers
City-states in Mesopotamia were ruled by these.
Kings
What groups of people were in the highest class of Mesopotamian society?
Kings, high ranking government officials, priests
What does polytheistic mean?
Worshipping multiple gods and goddesses
Term for an independent, self-governing community that features a city and the land around it.
City-state
Name two modern-day countries that located in the same area as Mesopotamia.
Name two of the following: Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey
How were most Mesopotamian kings chosen to rule?
They inherited the position from family members (usually father to son).
Which class were merchants and artisans part of?
Middle class
What did Mesopotamians believe the gods controlled?
Everything that happened in their lives.
Term for the wedge-shaped writing that was invented in Mesopotamia.
Cuneiform
What are the two main rivers in Mesopotamia?
The Tigris and Euphrates rivers
Mesopotamian kings believed their power came from who?
The gods
What was the most common occupation in Mesopotamia and was also the lowest class in society (other than slaves)?
Farmers
Each city-state had one of these dedicated to the primary god of their city.
A ziggurat
Fertile soil that was deposited by floods in Mesopotamia.
Silt
The Fertile Crescent borders which two large bodies of water?
The Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf
Name two responsibilities Mesopotamian kings had.
Name the two most common ways someone became enslaved in Mesopotamia.
Captured in warfare; enslaved to pay off debts.
What was the goal of Mesopotamian religions?
To keep the gods happy.
A collection of people and lands under the control of one ruler.
Empire
The first civilizations in Mesopotamia appeared in a region known as what?
Sumer
Which Babylonian king was famous for being one of the first to write down his laws?
King Hammurabi
Name two rights that women had in Mesopotamia
Women could buy, own, and sell property and could operate their own businesses.
Who is the main character of the oldest epic poem in the world and was a demi-god?
Gilgamesh
Schools that taught people to become scribes.
Edubbas