Mesopotamia 1
Vocabulary question:
What is irrigation?
The use of water for farmlands (canals, storage reservoirs, etc.)
Vocabulary Question:
What is cuneiform?
A writing done on clay tablets with a stylus developed in Mesopotamia
Vocabulary Question:
What is a city-state?
An area in Mesopotamia made up of a city (urban) and surrounding countryside (rural)
Vocabulary Question:
What is a ziggurat?
A pyramid-shaped temple built in Mesopotamia for a particular God
Vocabulary Question
What is a chariot?
A wheeled vehicle driven by a horse and used in wars
What does the word Mesopotamia mean?
Land between two rivers
What type of soil gave Mesopotamia fertile farmland?
Silt from the rivers
What two rivers flowed southeast into the Persian Gulf through Mesopotamia?
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
How did Mesopotamians solve the problem of flooding (and sometimes droughts)?
The used irrigation (building canals to prevent flooding, storing water for use in farm fields)
What is the Fertile Cresent?
An arc of fertile farmland in southwest Asia (the Middle East)
Social Hierarchy Question:
Which social class interacted with the Gods?
Priests
Social Hierarchy Question
Which social class grew much of the food in Mesopotamia?
Farmers
Which social class was the largest in Mesopotamia?
Slaves
Social Hierarchy Question
Which social class made the laws in Mesopotamia?
Monarch or King
Social Hierarchy Question
Which social class would you find at the market place in Mesopotamia? (Hint: These people made up the middle class)
Craftsmen, traders, merchants
There were often conflicts between city-states over what two things?
Farm land and rights to the rivers
What is polytheism?
Worship of many gods
What did a surplus of food lead to in Mesopotamia?
A division of labor, people specializing in other jobs, people having more free time
How did cuneiform writing help Mesopotamians?
It allowed them to: keep records, record history, write laws, and communicate in many ways
The wheel-vehicles like chariots, water wheel
Plow-made farming easier
Math- made record-keeping easier
Sailboat-travel and trade
What is a civilization?
An organized, complex society with religion, art, education, writing, etc.
Why did city-states in Mesopotamia choose a monarchy as their government?
A monarch (king) offered a strong leader
How did people believe that religion and agriculture connected in Mesopotamia?
IF the gods were happy, there would be a good havest
What was the purpose of a zigguart?
It was a temple at the center of a city-state built for a particular god. Only priests could enter.
One example of a law from Hammurabi's Code is "An eye for an eye". Why did Hammurabi enact such a strict code of laws? What does this say about Mesopotamian society?
-He believed in strict control of others, especially the lower levels of society, and wanted to keep his people safe
-Mesopotamians believed in a harsh set of laws, but you were treated differently depending on your level in society