Civilization & Society
Food & Inventions
Kings & Beliefs
Arts & Writing
Artifact Detectives
100
What term describes a society with organized government, different jobs, arts, technology, and writing?
Civilization
100
What does it mean to have a stable food supply?
Having enough food reliably to feed the people.
100
Who ruled each Sumerian city-state?
A king
100
What was the Sumerian writing system that used wedge-shaped signs?
Cuneiform
100
A clay tablet records an exchange of grain. Which characteristic is shown by the cuneiform signs?
Writing
200
What characteristic describes a society’s different jobs and social levels?
Social structure
200
Which invention turned the soil so farmers could prepare fields for planting faster?
The plow
200
What temple tower had outside staircases and a shrine at the top?
A ziggurat
200
Name BOTH:
- The tool Sumerians used to press writing marks
- The surface they wrote on
- A stylus
- A clay tablet
200
An artifact shows people guiding an ox that pulls a plow. Name ONE characteristic and the detail that supports it.
Answer: Stable food supply—plowing helps grow crops.
Also accept: Technology—the plow is a tool that helps people farm.
300
A Sumerian family lives in a small mud-brick house near the city’s edge. Are they more likely farmers or government officials?
Farmers
300
Canals, dams, and reservoirs worked together to provide crops with water. What was this system called?
An irrigation system
300
Who helped the government by keeping written records of laws and contracts?
Scribes
300
Drums, pipes, and lyres provide evidence of which characteristic of civilization?
The arts
300
A decorated gold cup was used at banquets for the upper classes. Name TWO characteristics it supports.
Answer: The arts and social structure
Also accept: Technology
400
Why would a Sumerian government official likely have a larger home than a farmer?
The official held a higher social position and had greater wealth.
400
Name BOTH:
- The invention that made carts and chariots possible
- The building feature that added strength above doorways
- The wheel
- The arch
400
How did the belief that gods supported the king strengthen his power?
People believed obeying the king followed the gods’ wishes.
400
Which discovery shows that Sumerians had developed beyond the Stone Age: a stone statue or copper jewelry? Explain briefly.
Copper jewelry—it shows metalworking.
400
A scene shows soldiers riding a wheeled chariot. Identify ONE characteristic and explain the connection.
Answer: Technology—the wheels make the chariot possible.
Also accept: Government—an organized army defends the city-state.
500
Identify the characteristic for each example:
- Farmers produce enough grain to feed the community.
- People worship at a temple.
- Artisans carve decorative statues.
- Stable food supply
- Religion
- The arts
500
Why could oxen transport more goods using wheeled carts than sledges?
Wheels made heavy loads easier to move.
500
Name THREE responsibilities of a Sumerian king.
Enforce laws, collect taxes, build or maintain temples, oversee irrigation maintenance, lead the army.
500
Why do written records show that Sumerians were no longer prehistoric?
Prehistoric means before written records.
500
A statue shows a king carrying bricks to represent his responsibility for temple building.
Explain how this connects to BOTH government and religion.
Government: the king oversees construction.
Religion: the temple honors the gods.