Geography
Mesopotamia means this.
Land Between the Rivers
People believed __________ controlled every aspect of life, the natural world, and that they could punish people when displeased.
the gods
3 inventions that improved transportation and agriculture in Mesopotamia were...
The wheel, sail, and plow.
Sargon was the king of the world's first empire. A king leads this type of government.
Monarchy
These were the lowest class of people on social pyramid. But they could buy their __________.
Slaves / Freedom
The names of the two primary rivers in Mesopotamia
Euphrates River and Tigris River
Mesopotamian religion was _____________, and had many gods.
polytheistic
____________ systems provided water for crops.
____________ were human made waterways to help control flooding.
Irrigation / Canals
Sargon created the Akkadian Empire. After he created this, he moved South to conquer ___________.
Sumer
These people made items and sold them (2 different titles).
Artisans / Craftsman and Merchants
The western side of Mesopotamia is bordered by what body of water? (lots of other civilizations are too...)
Mediterranean Sea
The largest, most impressive buildings in Sumer, that served as temples to the gods.
Ziggurats
Metallurgy was the process of combining 2 or more metals together (like copper+tin=?). Why was this important to ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia?
Bronze / made stronger tools /stronger tools=more production (of crops and other goods).
What prevented Sargon and his empire from growing past Mesopotamia?
Natural barriers, especially the Syrian Desert.
Were (some of the few) important people who knew how to read and write.
Scribes
These are the two natural barriers of Mesopotamia. One is to the east, the other is to the southwest.
These people were most respected and were thought to communicate with the gods for the people.
Priests
The world's first written epic poem-a major development of ancient literature.
The Epic of Gilgamesh
a King of Babylon known for establishing the world's first set of written laws.
Hammurabi
These people were religious officials who communicated with the gods.
Priests
Why is this region known as the "Fertile Crescent?"
Flooding from the rivers causes nutrient rich silt to cover the land. This makes agriculture/farming much better.
The only person above priests on the social hierarchy chart were ___________.
Kings
What was the first written language called? What shapes did it use?
What was it's purpose? What was the job title of the person who wrote it?
Cuneiform, wedge shapes
Record trade, Scribes.
What principle was the Code of Hammurabi founded on?
Were people treated the same under the law?
*Equal Justice-"an eye for an eye."
*If you belonged to a lower class, you received different (harsher) punishments for similar crimes.
On a similar tier with priests and were often members of the king's own family
Nobility