Mesopotamia
The "Land Between Two Rivers"
What type of writing system did the Sumerians develop?
Cuneiform
What was the Fertile Crescent?
A region of fertile land stretching from Mesopotamia to Egypt
Who was Hammurabi?
A Babylonian king who created a law code
What type of government did Sumerian city-states have?
Theocracy led by priest-kings
Which two rivers surround Mesopotamia?
Tigris and Euphrates.
What material did Mesopotamians use to write on?
Clay Tablets
What major flood story appears in Mesopotamian literature?
The story of Utnapishtim in the Epic of Gilgamesh
What principle is Hammurabi's Code famous for establishing?
An Eye for an Eye
What contribution did Mesopotamians make to astronomy?
Identified constellations and tracked planetary movements.
What number system did the Mesopotamians use?
Base-60
What invention is credited to the Sumerians that revolutionized transportation?
The wheel
Which empire conquered Mesopotamia and established a library at Nineveh?
Assyrian Empire
What was the Epic of Gilgamesh?
An ancient Mesopotamian poem about a legendary king
Which modern measurement comes from the Mesopotamian counting system?
60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour
Which civilization is the earliest in Mesopotamia?
Sumerians
What was the main building material in Mesopotamia?
Mud bricks
Which social class in Mesopotamia could read and write?
Scribes
What was the primary religion of Mesopotamia?
Polytheism with many gods
What eventually happened to Mesopotamian civilizations?
They were conquered by various empires including Persians and Greeks
What was the main agricultural challenge in Mesopotamia?
Unpredictable flooding and lack of rain
What innovation did Mesopotamians develop to control water for farming?
Irrigation Systems
Which Mesopotamian city is famous for its Hanging Gardens?
Babylon
Who was the chief god of Babylon?
Marduk
What is a Ziggurat?
A temple for the Gods.