Mesopotamia 1
small particles of soil
silt
Double Jeopardy!
a way to supply dry land with water through ditches, pipes, or streams
irrigation
an amount that is left over after a need has been met
surplus
an independent nation made up of a city and the land around it
city-state
a belief in more than one god
polytheism
a pyramid-shaped tower with a temple at the top
ziggurat
Double Jeopardy
a payment made to a ruler or state as a sign of surrender
tribute
a Sumerian writing system that used wedge-shaped marks made in soft clay
cuneiform
a territory governed as a political district of a country or empire
province
a person who copies or writes out documents; often a record keeper
scribe
a group of merchants traveling together for safety, usually with a large number of camels
caravan
a long poem that tells the story of a hero
epic
The calendar developed by the Sumerians was based on
the cycles of the moon
Double Jeopardy
a group of many different lands under one ruler
empire
a person who studies planets and stars
astronomer
Double Jeopardy!
The few Sumerians who learned how to write often held high positions in society as what?
scribes
A Sumerian temple to honor their chief god was called a
ziggurat
Although most Sumerians were farmers, many made metal, cloth, and pottery because they were skilled
artisans
Which part of Babylon was known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?
The Hanging Gardens
Mesopotamia means
"the land between two rivers"
Who wrote a legal code that covered most areas of daily life?
Hammurabi
Which group rebelled against the Assyrians?
the Chaldeans
Double Jeopardy!
Which mountain people captured Babylon in 539 B.C.?
the Persians
How did floods sometimes help farmers?
Rich silt, which helped crops grow, was left behind by floodwaters
The first Sumerian kings were probably
war heroes