Vocabulary
a written set of laws
a. the Tigris and Euphrates carried silt from the mountains
b. the yearly flooding deposited silt on the land
c. silt was good for farming
How did leaders become kings?
leaders would keep their powers and become kings.
Cuneiform comes from where?
Sumer
Define barbarian
someone without civilization
b. Most of the region beyond the rivers was a desert where nothing grew.
c. Storm winds filled the air with sand and dust.
How did the sail and the wheel help the Sumerians?
with sail and the wheel the Sumerians could trade in more areas.
17. Where was the first written language that our modern alphabet is based on?
Egypt.
Population
a number of people
What did irrigation canals allow?
The introduction of irrigation canals allowed the Sumerian farmers to plant their crops away from the floodplains.
Who were the lowest class order in the Sumerians city-states?
Slaves.
Why didn't armies want to live in defeated cities?
Many armies chose not to live in a defeated city because they might not be able to defend their city.
Define cultural borrowing
a shift of ideas or customs from one culture to another
The advances of the furrow was made more useful by...
hitching oxen to the plow.
What did the Sumerians believe about their gods?
gods lived forever.
Why is written language an important sign of civilization?
I'll write it on the board.
Define polytheism
the worship of many gods
What were food surpluses in the Sumer a direct result of?
improved technology in farming.
What were Ziggurats?
multi-level religious building in the largest cities.