Mesopotamia 1
The word, Mesopotamia means between two rivers. What are the two rivers it was between?
the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
What was the chief purpose of dams and reservoirs?
to store water for later use
Artisan
A skilled worker
Irrigation System
Bringing water to crops
Ziggurat
A pyramid shaped temple tower
Why did the world’s first civilizations developed in the Fertile Crescent?
The rivers created very rich farmland
What evidence found by archaeologists shows that Sumerians were not prehistoric?
written records
City-state
The city and its surrounding farmland
Merchants
people who buy and sell goods
Silt
fine particles of rock/soil
Why did the villages of Sumer depend on each other?
They cooperated to keep the water systems working.
Describe the water supply for Sumerian farmers
Farmers either had too much or too little water
Hammurabi's code
An organized list of laws and rules
Pictographs
a symbol that stands for and object
Fertile Crescent
Rich farmland that had plenty of water
What was a development that caused food shortages in the Zagros foothills?
An increase in population
Which invention most affected the food supply in Sumer?
the plow
Domestication
To take plants or animals for human use
Social Class
The order divisions within a civilization, based on wealth and power (Upper, Middle, Lower)
Technology
The use of tools and other inventions for practical purposes
Sumerians built strong walls with
bricks made of mud
Cuneiform was the written language of the Sumerians. What did Sumerians use to produce cuneiform?
clay from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Levee
Dirt bank on the side of the river to prevent it from overflowing
Tigris and Euphrates
Two rivers that form the outer border of Mesopotamia
Civilization
A complex society characterized by having art, religion, city-states, government and a written language