Geography
Resources and Technology
Sumer- the first civilization
Religion/Social Classes
Inventions/Writing/Misc.
100
What two rivers flow through Mesopotamia?
The Tigris and the Euphrates.
100
What two resources did Mesopotamia lack?
Wood and metals/minerals
100
What were benefits of advanced cities?
Large temples, many different types of work, trade and surplus
100
What is polytheism?
A belief in many gods and goddesses
100
The first form of writing was callled...?
Piktographs
200
What is a floodplain?
The flat land bordering the banks. It carried soil onto the land.
200
What did Mesopotamians originally use to build houses and walls?
Mud
200
What are examples of specialized workers?
Building houses, making jewelery, sewing clothes, or creating pottery.
200
What role did priests play in society?
They were leaders because they were claimed to have influence with the gods.
200
A wedge shaped writing system that was more advanced
Cunieform
300
What is a semiarid climate?
A type of climate that has some rain, but remains fairly dry.
300
What did Mesopotamians do to get resources they lacked?
Trade
300
What are complex institutions?
A group of people who have a specific purpose: army, school system.
300
Who was at the bottom of the social class?
Slaves
300
The most important Sumerian invention was...
The wheel
400
What is silt and why was it important?
Silt is the fine soil deposited by rivers. Silt is important because it is fertile, and easy to grow crops with.
400
What did they build to carry water to their fields?
Canals
400
In Sumer, they used record keeping to measure the food supply. What are two methods of record keeping they used?
Counting sticks and early writing such as piktographs or cunieform
400
What is a ziggurat?
A temple and the center of city life in Sumer. The largest and most important structure in the city.
400
Why did Sumerians use bronze over copper?
Bronze was stronger so it lasted longer.
500
What is a drought?
A period of time when there is not enough rain or snowfall.
500
What did they build to hold back excess water during floods?
Dams
500
What is a city-state?
A community that included a city and its nearby farmlands.
500
What was the role of a king during this time?
The highest ranked leader. They acted as judges and worked to protect their city-state.
500
Why was the role of slaves unique in Sumer?
They had some rights: could conduct business, borrow money, buy their freedom.
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