Mesopotamia Geography
The land of Ancient Mesopotamia is between what two rivers?
Tigris & Euphrates River
What was built in Ancient Mesopotamia to honor gods?
The Ziggurats
The system of controlling the flow of water to bring it to plants is called...
irrigation
An early city, surrounded by farmland, operating as a small, independent country with its own laws and government is known as a what?
City-state
What led to the creation of non-farming jobs in ancient Mesopotamia?
Food surplus
The shape of Mesopotamian social structure?
a triangle, with the one most powerful person at the top and the least powerful group of people at the bottom
What is this area of land called?
Fertile Crescent
Ancient Mesopotamian religion worshipped many gods. This is called...
Polytheism
What innovations or inventions were created in Mesopotamia?
The plow, irrigation, lock and key, 60-minute hour, the wheel, writing, sailboats, cities
Who conquered all of Mesopotamia and created the first empire that lasted more than 200 years?
Sargon, King of the Akkadians
People who traveled to other places to get wood, metal and other necessary things were called
Traders
Who makes up the Upper Middle Class of Ancient Mesopotamia?
Priests, priestesses and military leaders
What does Mesopotamia mean?
Between two rivers
What does "Polytheism" mean?
The belief in multiple gods
What was one of the world's oldest laws called?
Hammurabi's code
Who created the first set of written laws?
Hammurabi, king of the Babylonian empire
What is someone called when they go to school to learn to write?
Scribes
The dividing of society based on people's status or wealth is known as
a social class or social structure
What made the Fertile Crescent so great for farming?
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flooded and left fine particles of nutrients and minerals behind on the soil.
The oldest written epic was about this king
Gilgamesh
Why did Mesopotamians build walls around their cities?
for protection
The name of a governing state or country that contains and controls several countries or territories is an
empire
What did Scribes go to school for in Ancient Mesopotamia?
To learn to write
Who makes up the Lowest Class of Ancient Mesopotamia?
enslaved people
Some problems with living in "between two rivers" are...
The religious leaders of Mesopotamia
priests and priestesses
What written language did Ancient Mesopotamians Create?
Cuneiform
Who was the king of the Akkadians?
Sargon
What were three of the jobs a person could have in ancient Mesopotamia?
Merchants, artisans, farmers, scribes, soldiers, etc..
This type of government means rule by one, and the power was inherited or passed down.
monarchy
Cuneiform was written on _____________ using ____________ as a writing tool
clay tablets and a stylus made from sharpened reeds
What was the purpose of the ziggurats?
It was believed to be the home of the god that protected the city. It was also a place of worship for the priests and priestesses.
Cuneiform (with letters and numbers) is based on an earlier, simpler form of writing that used _______?
Pictographs/pictures
A type of government led by a king or a queen
Trading with nearby lands brought goods, and also what???
ideas, language, religion, and technology
What are some examples of artisans?
potters, jewelry makers, weavers, blacksmiths, metal workers, carpenters, house builders, traders, merchants, brick makers