history
civilization
complex society
city-state
a city that is independent and has its own government
empire
a group of many lands under one ruler
parallel
side by side
Consist
to be made up of
Patriarchy
a society dominated by men
Polytheism
a belief in more than one god
Ziggurat:
a pyramid-shaped structure with a temple at the top
Cuneiform
a writing system developed by the Sumerians that used wedge-shaped marks
Scribe
an official record keeper
Tribute
a forced payment made to a ruler
Where in the world is the Fertile Crescent located?
The Fertile Crescent is located near the Mediterranean Sea, in Western Asia. It is also known as the Middle East.
Why was the Fertile Crescent a desirable place to live?
The Fertile Crescent was a desirable place to live because the land was good for farming. This is because it was close to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
What is irrigation, and how did it benefit people living in the Fertile Crescent?
Irrigation is a system that supplies dry land with water through ditches, pipes, or streams. It benefited people in the Fertile Crescent by giving them water for crops, which led to more food supply.
How were ancient city-states structured? How are they similar to and different from our cities now?
Ancient city-states were built of mud brick. Their city-states were monarchies (ruled by kings), and governed themselves with codes.
How was Sumerian society structured? Which kinds of people were high status, and which were low status?
Sumerian society was hierarchical. Kings, priests, and warriors had high status, merchants, farmers, and artisans, and slaves were low status.
How did Sumerian religion function?
Sumerians were polytheistic in religion (believed in many gods). They had statues of their gods, which they kept in ziggurats.
What important inventions did Sumer create?
Sumer created the wheel and plows. They also invented cuneiform writing.
How is cuneiform different from our writing?
Our writing uses letters to form words. Cuneiform writing uses characters to represent names, objects, and numbers (pictographs).
What was the first empire in the Fertile Crescent, and how did it come to be?
The Akkadian Empire was the first one. The Sumerian city-state had become weak, so King Sargon of Akkad and his army took over, and he declared himself king of both places.
What was Hammurabi’s code, and why is it important?
Hammurabi’s Code was the first set of laws. It was important because it helped many people. It laid the foundation for modern-day laws (innocent until proven guilty, need evidence to convict someone of a crime, trial in front of a judge).
What was the Library of Ashurbanipal, and why was it important?
The Library of Ashurbanipal was the first library, located in the Assyrian City of Nineveh. It contained over 25,000 tablets of information about medicine, war, history, and religion.
How did the Assyrians control the Fertile Crescent?
The Assyrians controlled the Fertile Crescent by defending it with armies, charging high taxes, and removing people from their homelands. They terrified the people so much that some city-states surrendered without fighting back.
Who was Nebuchadnezzar, and why was he important?
Nebuchadnezzar was the king of the Neo-Babylonians (new Babylonians). He is important because he made many scientific discoveries and built the city of
Babylon.
Why is the Phoenician writing system important?
The Phoenician writing system was important because it used an alphabet, which is more flexible than a pictograph system. It is especially important because it eventually evolved into our modern alphabet.