GEOGRAPHY
Mesopotamia developed between these two rivers.
Tigris and Euphrates
This word means belief in many gods.
Polytheism
This Mesopotamian writing system used wedge-shaped marks.
Cuneiform
This Babylonian king is famous for his written code of laws.
Hammurabi
Most Mesopotamians did this job to produce food.
Farming
The name Mesopotamia means this
Land between the rivers
These large, stepped temple buildings stood in Mesopotamian cities.
Ziggurats
Mesopotamians usually wrote on tablets made from this material.
Clay
A city that governs itself and the land around it is called this.
City-state
Trading goods without using money is called this.
Barter
This system brought water to fields when rainfall was not enough.
Irrigation
Myths helped people explain natural events. Name one event they might explain.
Floods, lightning, or earthquakes
These trained writers kept records for temples, rulers, and businesses.
Scribes
A group of lands and peoples controlled by one ruler is called this.
Empire
When people do different kinds of jobs, it is called this.
Specialization of labor
River floods left behind this, which helped crops grow.
Fertile soil or silt
In the Atrahasis story, humans were created to take over this responsibility from the gods.
Hard labor, including digging and maintaining waterways
Writing helped people keep track of trades. Name one thing they might record in Mesopotamia.
Amounts of grain, goods traded, payments, or debts
Under Hammurabi’s Code, punishments could depend on a person’s position in this system
Social class system
This shape is often used to show social classes, with a few powerful people at the top.
Pyramid
Explain how rivers could both help and harm Mesopotamian communities.
Rivers provided water and fertile soil, but floods could destroy crops and homes.
What can the Atrahasis story reveal about the importance of farming and irrigation in Mesopotamia?
They required hard work and were essential to survival. The story connects this work to why humans were created.
Explain how extra food allowed people to become builders, traders, or scribes.
A food surplus allowed some people to do other jobs because everyone did not have to farm
How could having the same written laws help unite an empire?
Shared laws established common rules and consequences across different cities
What does it mean to say Mesopotamia’s social class system was “rigid”?
It was difficult to move from one social class to another.