Stone Age & Early Humans
Early humans who moved continuously from place to place without a permanent home to follow animal herds.
What is a nomad?
The rich farming region in the Middle East shaped like a curved crescent moon where early civilization began.
What is the Fertile Crescent?
The world's first writing system developed by the Sumerians, made by pressing wedge-shaped marks into clay tablets.
The world's first writing system developed by the Sumerians, made by pressing wedge-shaped marks into clay tablets.
The religious belief in more than one god (worshipped by the Sumerians).
What is polytheism?
To maintain social control, Sumerian priests claimed that the gods chose and authorized these specific political leaders to rule over the people.
What are kings?
The early period of human history when people used simple stone tools and lived as hunter-gatherers.
What is the Paleolithic Era (Old Stone Age)?
The two major rivers that ran through southern Mesopotamia, providing the water and silt needed for farming.
What are the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers?
YOUUUU get water for your crops and YOUUUU get water for YOUR crops! Euuuuuuuuphrates Rivers.
Tigris River- Roarrrrr
Skilled workers who made crafts, tools, and physical goods (like pottery or bronze items) by hand.
Who are artisans?
Massive, towering brick pyramid-temples built in ancient Sumerian cities to honor their gods.
What is a ziggurat?
... just think about zig-zagging up that beautiful pyramid shaped tower!
This powerful military leader conquered the independent Sumerian city-states and united them under his control.
Who is Sargon?
The massive turning point when humans finally learned how to farm and tame animals, leading to permanent villages.
What is the Neolithic Revolution (or Agricultural Revolution)?
Using man-made ditches, canals, and gates to bring river water out to dry farming fields.
What is irrigation?
open the gate, for WATER coming in.
Traders who traveled and exchanged goods to make a living as society grew more complex.
Who are merchants?
...Every hear of MERCHandise?
An organized system splitting society into different classes based on wealth and power (with kings and priests at the top).
What is social hierarchy?
Think- - some people are "higher up" than others. Get it? HIER... higher.
When Sargon united the different city-states under a single ruler, he created the world's very first one of these.
What is an empire?
( not being tested on that yet!)
Taming wild plants and animals so humans can control them for food, milk, or work.
What does domesticated mean?
A man-made water channel cut into the earth to help direct water to growing crops.
What is a canal?
Trading items directly with someone else without using any money (exchanging goods for goods).
What is barter?
Sumerians worshipped specific storm and water deities like Ishkur and this god of water and wisdom.
Who is Enki?
( no you don't have to memorize this)
People did specific jobs other than farming (like carpentry or metalworking) because farming created this extra food supply.
What is job specialization?
Having extra food or supplies, which is the key factor that allowed human populations, trade, and permanent cities to grow.
What is a surplus?
Instead of being nomads who constantly moved around, river silt and farming allowed these permanent settlements to form in southern Mesopotamia.
What are city-states
Originally, writing was invented because these temple record-keepers needed a way to keep track of stored grains and taxes.
Who are scribes?
Sumerians believed that if they didn't keep their gods happy through prayers and ziggurats, terrible events like floods or this would strike their city.
What is war?
Constant warfare and outside threats forced early communities to put these specific types of leaders in charge, leading directly to the rise of kings.
Who are military leaders?