Vocabulary
What does Mesopotamia mean?
The term Mesopotamia means the land between rivers.
Which class is the largest class?
The middle class was the largest class.
Why was Mesopotamia called the cradle of civilization?
They are called the cradle of the civilization because it was considered the beginning of organized human society.
Why did Sumerians rely so heavily on trade?
Sumerians relied heavily on trade because they didn't have all the resources they needed. They traded for strong metals to create tools.
What does ziggurat mean?
It means a pyramid shaped structure with a temple on top.
What does polytheism mean?
This term means worshiping many different gods.
What were women responsible of doing?
Women were responsible for running the home, They taught their daughters to do the same and cared for children.
How did city states operate independently from one another?
They were independent from each other because they formed their own governments. This is due to the harsh of environments cutting them off from neighbors. They went to war with each other for territory, glory, and resources.
Why did they go to war against each other?
They went to war for more resources and territory.
What does silt mean?
This means the soil left after a flood. It is very good for farming.
What does irrigation mean?
This means the system that supplies the dry lands with water through ditches pipes and streams.
What were men responsible for doing?
Men are responsible for leading their home. They went to school to get trained for a specific job. Helping the civilization.
What were crops grown by Sumerians?
Crops consist of wheat, barley and dates.
What were some good and bad effects of a flood.
Some good and bad effects are that, when the flood comes in it could destroy many homes, crops, and animals. Some good effects are that after the flood the ground is covered in silt, really good soil for planting.
What are Sumerians?
What does surplus mean?
This term means additional food, more than needed.
Who are in the upper class?
People in the upper class of the Mesopotamia people are kings, priests, warriors, and government officials.
What were the two rivers that were parallel?
The two rivers were the Tigris and the Euphrates.
Why did they form city states?
They formed city states because they wanted to be more independent to each other.
How did better technology improve the Sumerians life?
What does a city state mean?
Who are in the middle class?
People that are in the middle class of Mesopotamia people are merchants, farmers, fishers, and artisans
What were some of the inventions?
They invented the wheel, the plow, bronze, math, and a twelve months calendar based on the cycles of the moon.
What were city states surrounded by?
They were surrounded with mud flats and deserts.
It means a person who copies or writes documents often a record keeper.