Fertile Crescent
What made Mesopotamia a good place to grow crops?
Silt/flooding
What is irrigation?
a way of supplying water to an area of land
What was the result of having a food surplus?
more jobs and larger populations
Government
What was the fertile crescent?
a large piece of rich, fertile land
What is a food surplus?
having more food than needed
What was the basic political unit of Sumer?
City-state
Who was the first to create a permanent army and empire?
Sargon
What kinds of crops did Sumerians grow?
wheat, barley, and other grains
What is cuneiform?
The worlds first writing system
What materials were used to write in Mesopotamia?
wedges and styluses were used to make shapes and lines in clay tablets
What job helped people move up in their social class?
a scribe
What are the names of the rivers that helped the Mesopotamian region?
Euphrates and Tigris
What does it mean to be Polytheistic?
the belief in many gods
Name 3 jobs that emerged from having a food surplus
crafters, religious leaders, government workers
Name 3 types of art Sumerians created
sculptures, jewelry, pottery, cylinder seals, music
What kinds of animals were used for food?
livestock, fish, and birds
What is a ziggurat?
a large pyramid shaped temple
What was the social order in Mesopotamia?
Kings
Priests
Merchants
Farmers
Slaves
Name 3 important Sumerian inventions:
wheel, plow, clock, underground sewers, bronze