Geography & Environment
What does “Mesopotamia” mean?
“Land between two rivers”
Who ruled most Mesopotamian city-states?
Kings
What does polytheistic mean?
Belief in many gods
Who were the scribes in Mesopotamia?
Writers who recorded trade, laws, and events
Name one Mesopotamian invention.
Wheel / plow / sailboat / cuneiform
Name the two rivers that formed Mesopotamia.
Tigris and Euphrates
What was Hammurabi most remembered for?
Creating Hammurabi’s Code / laws
What was a ziggurat used for?
Religious ceremonies / worship
Name one job or role in the upper class.
King, priest, or wealthy landowner
What is cuneiform?
One of the first writing systems
Why was silt important for Mesopotamian farming?
It made the soil fertile for crops
What was the main purpose of Hammurabi’s Code?
To keep order / maintain justice
Why did Mesopotamians build ziggurats in the center of cities?
To show the importance of religion and the gods
Who made up the lower class in Mesopotamia?
Farmers, laborers, slaves
How did the wheel help Mesopotamians?
Improved transportation and trade
Explain one way the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers helped daily life besides farming.
Provided water for drinking, transportation, and trade
Why was it important that Hammurabi’s Code was written down and publicly displayed?
So everyone could see the laws and follow them
How did religion influence Mesopotamian daily life?
People tried to please gods; affected farming, laws, and rituals
Explain why farmers were important even though they were considered lower class.
They produced food that everyone depended on
Name two goods Mesopotamians traded and explain why they traded.
Grain, wool, pottery, metals, wood; traded to get resources they lacked
Describe one geographic challenge Mesopotamians faced and how they solved it.
Flooding or dry areas; solved with irrigation and levees
How did laws in Hammurabi’s Code differ for upper and lower classes?
Punishments varied by social class; higher classes got lighter penalties
Explain one way religion affected laws or government in Mesopotamia.
Priests advised kings; laws reflected religious beliefs
Describe the Mesopotamian social pyramid and how it influenced daily life.
Upper: rulers/priests; Middle: merchants/artisans/scribes; Lower: farmers/slaves; social class determined jobs, privileges, and rights
Choose one Mesopotamian invention or innovation and explain two ways it changed life.
Example: Irrigation — helped water crops and allowed larger populations; Cuneiform — kept records and helped trade/government