Characteristic of Civilization
This is a settled society with shared customs, language, beliefs, and forms of government.
What is a civilization
The first farmers in Mesopotamia lived near these two rivers.
What are Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (Pg. 22)
Early people practiced this belief system, which means they means they believed in many gods
What is polytheism
Every civilization had this form of communication, even if it did not have writing
What is shared language
What did farmers and their families sometimes gather around at the end of a day of celebrating the harvest
What is communal fire
These are the small villages and towns built when people began settling in one place
What are settlements
When floodwaters fried up, what did the minerals and other nutrients make good for farming.
What is soil
pg. 27
These religious leaders were believed to work closely with the gods.
Who were priests
This was one of the first forms of writing and helped people communicate
What is cuneiform
This group included artists, builders, and people who made tools, and other items for everyday needs
Who were craftspeople
This characteristic refers to the style and construction of buildings.
What is architecture
The earliest civilization developed near large rivers because the rivers supplied people with food and this.
What is water. Page 26
Priests often served as these when conflicts arose in early settlements
What are mediators
This is the oldest written language on record and developed in Mesopotamia around 3100 BCE
What is Sumerian
These people sold and traded goods and ere near the top of the early social structure
Who were merchants and traders
This means that work is divided into specific tasks performed by different people.
What is division labor
This is a system used to provide water to crops.
What is irrigation. Page 27
When settlements became larger city-states, each city-state was governed by this type of leader
Who was a king
Early written Sumerian used many different symbols to keep track of these
What are taxes and laws
In the early social structure described in the chapter, these people were at the bottom
Who were farmers
Historians study these characteristics of civilizations to learn how people lived long ago.
What are settlements, architecture, division of labor, government, communication, and religion
Farmers were able to practice larger-scale agriculture after developing irrigation and this invention
The Wheel Pg. 27
As rules and laws developed, this type of structure emerged in the settlements.
political structure
What technology did people in Mesopotamia develop to control floodwaters
What are dams and canals
Gathering around a fireplace or hearth, celebrating a harvest with dancing and singing, is an example of this part of culture
What is a custom