Red
What is a river basin?
A river basin is the area drained by a river that leaves nutritious soil for farming.
What is the system of a controlled water supply called?
Irrigation system.
What does the Epic of Gilgamesh depict?
The power of the gods.
Which structure was built in the center of the city?
The Ziggurat. Each city had a Ziggurat which was a temple dedicated to a specific god or goddess. The temple functioned like a large household- engaging in productive and commercial activities. Everything was done for the gods. Basically the ziggurat was not just a temple but it was the center of city life!
What was the first writing system called? This was the first intellectual breakthrough in Mesopotamia.
Cuneiform.
Laborers, these were not enslaved people!
Why were rivers crucial for survival in Mesopotamia?
Rivers provided good soil for farming, offers transportation and a trade route, the river has fresh water, etc.
Who was the dominant political figure chosen for his military skill?
Warrior Chief.
Where was the palace located?
On the outskirts of the city, far from the city center. The palace was off-limits to most citizens, unlike the Ziggurat.
What was the marital contract?
The wife would provide children and the husband would provide support and protection.
Their religious and socioeconomic hierarchies. Or in simpler terms, their POWER/INFLUENCE
Why were walls in Uruk important?
People were now removed from the natural world and no longer had to worry about surviving in their environment as much as the hunter and gatherers. They could focus on their job specialization.
Who could use the tools for writing?
Scribe. Scribes worked with the priests and kings at the very top of the social ladder. They kept records, recored messages, and later changed the human experience of communication through literature.
How did engineers manage the turbulent rivers? (when the rivers overflowed or dipped too low)
What is a bureaucracy?
a bureaucracy is a well organized government where power is passed down to various people who would be in charge of specific offices.
For example in the United States we have the Census bureau, Bureau of Budget and Planning, Bureau of Global Food security.
Explain the urban-rural divide
The city dwellers relied on farmers for food but the farmers lived outside of the city limits. The farmers were connected but separate. They were NOT isolated!
What was a dowry?
When the daughter entered her marriage, she had to bring with her a gift or a payment with her from her family to her new husband's family.
Could people move around the social hierarchy?
Yes. It was rare but not impossible.
How did the family structure or hierarchy mirror, strengthen, and reflect the social structure or hierarchy of the city?
Like the family hierarchy, in order for the city to run properly, there needs to be order. The Father is similar to the King who protects the city dwellers. When there is order in the home, there is order in society.
The Tigris and Euphrates rivers were turbulent and needed to be controlled whereas the Nile river was calm. The annual flooding of the Nile was predictable and helpful for farmers because it brought a new layer of topsoil each year. Egypt also formed a common culture because of the ONE river.
Who was the center of all Egyptian life?
In Egypt The King, later called the Pharaoh was at the center. His job was to bring stability and order and that the forces of of nature would occur without interruption. Thus the Pharaoh had to please the gods.
How does the bureaucracy have anything to do with the Giza pyramids in Egypt?
The Giza pyramids represents the accomplishments of the bureaucracy. In order for such a great project to work, a well organized government is behind it. They kept bureaucratic records of all materials needed, hired a labor force, etc.
Who was Sargon the Great?
He was the King of Akkad who unified the southern cities of Mesopotamia through an alliance.
Which city was the first urban center?
Uruk
Was culture spread through trade?
Yes! This is part of what shaped the world we have today! When people travel, they spread their ideas, experiences, and culture.