Location and Physical Setting
Sumer was located in __________________________.
Mesopotamia
Why were Sumerian towns called city-states?
Each had their own laws and government
The main purpose for building dams and reservoirs was to
Store water for later use
Why were people facing food shortages in the mountains?
Increase in population
Mesopotamia translates to what?
"between two rivers"
Describe the climate of northern Mesopotamia.
hilly (mountains), frequent rain, mild weather
To prevent flooding, Sumerians built what?
levees
To fix the food shortage problem, Mesopotamians did what?
Moved to the plains (south)
What two rivers are located in the Fertile Crescent?
Tigris and Euphrates
Describe the climate in southern Mesopotamia.
low plains, little rain
Why did Sumerians construct moats?
to prevent attacks on cities
Why did the villages of Sumer depend on each other?
They had to trust each other and cooperate to keep the water system running
The climate for a majority of the year in Mesopotamia would be described as...?
Hot, dry, and windy
Farming in Sumer was difficult because of...
The lack of rainfall
Strong Sumerian walls were built with what
Natural Resource - bricks made of mud
Due to successful irrigation systems, Sumer saw the first _____________________.
Cities
How did Mesopotamia leave Sumerian city-states unprotected?
No natural barriers (mountains, rivers)
Why did the rivers flood in the spring?
Snow melting in the mountains where rivers began
Why was the buildup of silt a problem?
It blocked irrigation canals
BONUS
GOOD LUCK TOMORROW ON YOUR TEST!!!