Vocabulary Words
What is the Fertile Crescent?
a large arc of rich, or fertile, farmland. The Fertile Crescent extends from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.
Every year, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers would flood. How did this help the land?
The floods brought silt, which made the soil fertile and ideal for farming.
When Mesopotamia received a lot of rain, how did this affect the rivers and how did this impact hurt the civilization?
When a great amount of rain fell there, water levels got very high. Flooding destroyed crops, killed livestock, and washed away homes.
What did ancient people use to control the flow of water and hold back floodwaters when river levels were high?
canals, ditches, and dams
What does 'Mesopotamia' mean in Greek?
The land between two rivers
a mixture of fertile soil and tiny rocks that can make land ideal for farming
How did rivers ultimately lead to population growth?
Rivers led to fertile soil and farming, which led to more food production. Plentiful food led to population growth.
During a drought, what happened to the rivers? How did this hurt the civilization?
During a drought, a time of little or no rain, water levels became too low. Crops dried up, and there was little water for livestock.
What did the Mesopotamians use the clay from the riverbanks for?
they used clay from the riverbanks to create bricks for buildings. The construction of buildings and irrigation systems is another example of why early societies in Mesopotamia are considered civilizations.
Mesopotamia is located between two rivers. What are the names of the two rivers?
The Tigris and the Euphrates
What is a civilization?
an organized society that functions within established geographic boundaries
Why were river valleys good for farming?
The key factors that made river valleys good for farming included flat fields that bordered the river, soils that were nourished by flood deposits and silt, and a water source that farmers needed for irrigation.
When was famine possible?
Famine could therefore result from either too much or too little rain.
Mesopotamian kings had an obligation to construct and maintain what kind of systems?
Irrigation systems
What are some features of civilizations?
Writing, formal education, art, and architecture are features of civilizations.
Irrigation
a way of supplying water to an area of land
How did irrigation lead to new occupations?
Because irrigation made farmers more productive, fewer people needed to farm. Some people became free to do other jobs. As a result, new occupations developed. For the first time, people were able to focus on other technological improvements.
List all of the bad things that can happen if a river floods
crops destroyed, houses destroyed, resources destroyed, famine
Irrigation led to division of labor. What is division of labor?
an arrangement in which each worker specializes in a particular task or job
Mesopotamians ate a variety of foods. List some!
Fish, meat, wheat, barley, and dates were plentiful.
Canal
a human-made waterway
How did the development of new jobs and division of labor help Mesopotamian society?
Having people available to work on different jobs meant that society could accomplish more. Large projects, such as constructing buildings and digging irrigation systems, required specialized workers, managers, and organization.
What would have happened if Mesopotamia had not developed irrigation?
The rivers would have been uncontrolled and could have done a lot of damage
Why did people build canals?
to protect houses from flooding and to move water to the fields
Define surplus
more of something than is needed