Geography
The rich soil along the rivers was very FERTILE, which helped the farmers grow big crops of wheat and barley.
What is FERTILE?
Rich soil that is great for growing food.
In the center of the city stood a giant step-pyramid called a ZIGGURAT, built to honor the city’s primary god.
What is a ZIGGURAT?
A giant step-pyramid temple built to honor gods.
Farmers dug canals and ditches for IRRIGATION to bring river water straight to their dry farming fields.
What is IRRIGATION?
A way to move river water to dry farm fields using canals.
Mesopotamia became a great early CIVILIZATION because it had cities, a government, writing, and organized laws.
What is CIVILIZATION?
A group of people with cities, writing, and government.
Mesopotamian society was STRATIFIED into social classes, with kings and priests at the top and enslaved people at the bottom.
What is STRATIFIED?
Divided into different social levels or classes.
Mesopotamia had a hot, dry CLIMATE with very little rain, so farmers had to find smart ways to get water to their plants.
What is CLIMATE?
The regular weather in a place over a long time.
The people practiced POLYTHEISM because they believed in many different gods for the sun, rain, and rivers.
What is POLYTHEISM?
Believing in many gods and goddesses.
Because irrigation worked so well, farmers grew a SURPLUS of extra food to feed people who were not farmers.
What is SURPLUS?
Having extra food left over after everyone has enough.
Each Mesopotamian CITY-STATE was like a small country with its own ruler, walls, and farmlands.
What does CITY-STATE mean?
A city that has its own rules, like its own country.
The government was a PARTRIARCHY, which meant men held all the political power and made decisions for their families.
What is PARTRIARCHY?
A society where men hold the main power and make laws.
Mesopotamian farmers planted CROPS like wheat, barley, and dates in the soft, rich river soil.
What does the word CROPS mean?
Plants grown by farmers for food (like wheat).
Priests performed a sacred daily RITUAL inside the temple to keep the gods happy and protect the city.
What is RITUAL?
Special action or ceremony done for religious reasons.
Scribes made CUNEIFORM by using sharp reeds to press wedge-shaped symbols into wet clay in .
What is CUNEIFORM?
The world's first writing system made by pressing wedge shapes into wet clay.
Ancient Sumer was ruled by a MONARCHY, meaning a single king held power and passed his crown down to his child.
What does MONARCHY mean?
Government ruled by one king or queen.
King Hammurabi wrote down the Code of Hammurabi on stone pillars so all citizens knew the strict laws and punishments.
What was the Code of Hammurabi?
A written set of 282 laws known for "an eye for an eye."
Mesopotamia means "the land between two rivers" WHY?
It was located between the TIGRIS and EUPHRATES rivers
People brought gifts of food and animals as SACRIFICES to thank the gods for a good harvest.
What were SACRIFICES?
Gifts (like food) given to gods to make them happy.
Mesopotamias made many significant achievements in a variety of areas including writting, agriculture, architeture, mathematics, astronomy, and technology. These achievements had a profound impact on the development of human civilization. Their inventions were all adopted and adapted by other cultures around the world.
Name as many as you can... each one will be worth 100 points!
(Hint the answer is in your ACHIEVEMENTS graphic organizer!)
first to develop a writing system called cunieform; developed irrigation technologies that allowed them to grow crops in the hot, dry climate;The Mesopotamians built impressive cities, temples, and other structures. One of their most famous achievements is the ziggurat, a stepped pyramid that was used for religious purposes;
As skilled mathematicians and astronomers, they developed a number system based on 60, which is still used today for measuring time and angles. They also developed a calendar system based on the lunar and solar cycles.
The Mesopotamians invented a number of important technologies, including the wheel, the plow, and the sail. They also developed new techniques for metalworking and pottery making;
King Sargon created the world’s first EMPIRE when he conquered many different city-states and put them under one rule.
What is EMPIRE?
Many different lands ruled by one strong leader.
Mesopotamia was divided into many different city-states, the earliest city-state.The king or queen was the most powerful person in the city-state and had the final say on all matters. In addition to the king or queen, the Mesopotamian governments also included a number of other officials, such as ___________, __________, and __________. These officials helped the king or queen to run the city-state and to make decisions.
advisors, generals, and priests.