Geography
Spread of Civilization
Sumer
Leaders
Miscellaneous
100
What are the two major rivers that cradle Mesopotamia?
The Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
100
What are Nomads and why do they keep moving?
Nomads are people who are not settled in one concentrated area. They constantly keep moving because they have to find new pastures for their animals.
100
Name one invention that Sumerians contributed to the Western world (and still exists today).
Wheel, farming calendar, etc.
100
Who is Hammurabi and what is he most known for?
Hammurabi was the King of Babylon and he is most known for his Code of Laws.
100
Name the major contribution that the Hittites introduced to warfare.
Iron.
200
Why is Mesopotamia called the Fertile Crescent?
Mesopotamia is called the Fertile Crescent because the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that cradle it provide a plentiful supply of water and silt, which allowed farmers to settle and grow a surplus of food.
200
Name the eight features of civilization.
1. Cities 2. Well-organized central government 3. Complex religion 4. Job specialization 5. Social classes 6. Arts and architecture 7. Public works 8. Writing
200
What is the Sumerian social hierarchy and who consists in each rank?
Upper, middle and lower class; Upper=royalty, vizier, Middle=artisans, merchants, Lower=farmers
200
Darius, the Persian King, pursued a policy of ___________.
Tolerance.
200
Why were Phoenicians called "Carriers of Civilization"?
They were called this because they traveled the seas, bringing with them goods and ideas (tyrian purple dye, alphabet, etc.). They were great promoters of cultural diffusion.
300
What is the definition of a city-state?
A political unit that includes a city and its surrounding lands and villages.
300
What is cultural diffusion and give an example (ancient, not modern).
Cultural diffusion is the spread of ideas, customs, and technologies from one group of people to another. An example would be how the Phoenicians traveled the seas, bringing with them Tyrian purple dye, the alphabet, etc. (other examples will vary).
300
Where do Sumerians worship the gods and goddesses, and how was it built?
Ziggurat; they were built from mixing mud, clay, and straw and it was baked in the sun.
300
Why did Nebuchadnezzar build the Hanging Gardens, and how did he do it?
He built the Hanging Gardens to please his wife, who was homesick for the hills where she had grown up. He built the Gardens by planting trees and flowers on the steps of a huge Ziggurat.
300
What is the difference between a barter and money economy, and which one works better for a civilization? Why?
Bartering is trading, while money is exchanging currency. The money economy works better in a civilization because it is easier to regulate the financial income.
400
How did geography influence the city-states of Sumer (both positive and negative)?
Positive- The geography, the two rivers, brought nomadic people to its region and allowed these people to settle. Once these people settled, farmers began using the water and silt to grow a surplus of food. This, in turn, led to a population rise. Negative- Flooding; irrigation ditches needed to be built.
400
What are three causes of cultural change?
Warfare, natural disasters, and cultural diffusion.
400
What is cuneiform and list a pro and con of this.
Cuneiform is a type of writing using pictograms. A pro is that it was a form of communication in which Sumerians could codify their laws. A con would be that a reed pen was used to write into the clay tablet (this is very time-consuming and difficult), and the pictograms represented words, NOT letters (very difficult to translate).
400
Who is Sargon and what did he do?
He is the leader of Akkad and he was the first ruler to build an empire.
400
Who did the "Eyes and Ears of the King" have to visit, and why?
They had to visit the satraps (leaders of the provinces) in order to ensure that the satraps were collecting taxes for the empire.
500
What modern day countries do the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flow through?
Turkey and Iraq, into the Persian Gulf.
500
How did job specialization lead to the emergence of social classes?
Every job was different from another in the sense that one was more highly regarded than the other. Therefore, if you worked a job that was important and respected, then you earned more money and the status of being an upper class citizen (vice versa).
500
What is a vizier, and how do those leaders rule differently than ours do today?
A vizier is an advisor to the ruler. Rulers in ancient times had power passed down to them through birth, whereas power today is handed down differently (through voting, etc.).
500
What is autonomy and how does Darius promote this?
Autonomy is independence of a region, and Darius promotes this through creating provinces in which they each have autonomy.
500
What is Zoroaster, and what modern religions are similar to it?
A Persian religion that rejects the idea of polytheism and instead, worships one god. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are similar to this religion.
M
e
n
u