Geography
Why is Mesopotamia called the Fertile Crescent?
It is located between two rivers, making the soil idea for farming
What is polytheism?
Believing in more than one god
What is the difference between city-states in Sumer vs. city-states in Akkad and Babylonia?
Sumerian city-states were independent; Akkadian and Babylonian city-states were united as part of an empire
Who was always at the bottom of the social hierarchy?
Slaves
What is cuneiform and who invented it?
First form of writing; invented by Sumerians
What are the two rivers of the Fertile Crescent?
Tigris and Euphrates?
What is a ziggurat?
Mesopotamian temples with flat roofs
What is a theocracy?
Religious leaders rule
What is social mobility?
Moving between social classes
Who was Sargon? What did he do?
Akkadian king; conquered Sumerians
What is Ur?
Important Mesopotamian city-state
The Sumerians believed that the high steps of the ziggurat would:
Bring them closer to god
How were rulers viewed in a theocracy?
God-kings or demigods
Define hierarchy
Hierarchy and social structure are the same thing!
Who was Gilgamesh?
King of Ur
What is a city-state?
What is a patron god/goddess?
The god/goddess who protected a city
What were the forms of government in Sumer, Akkad, and Babylon?
Sumer - theocracy
Akkad and Babylon - dynastic monarchy
Which civ had gender equality?
Babylonia
What is an empire? What was the first empire?
A group of nations/city-states ruled by a king/emperor
The Akkadians were the first empire
Describe Mesopotamian slavery
-slaves captured during war
-slaves not enslaved for life
-children not born into slavery
-slavery not based on racism
What is a dynastic monarchy, and who had this form of government?
Kings pass on power through their families; Akkad and Babylonia
What is patriarchy?
A social system in which men are considered superior and hold all the power
What is Hammurabi's code?
Why is it important?
First written code of laws