Neolithic
what is a surplus?
More than you need, extra
What is irrigation?
moving water from one location to another using canals, sprinklers or any other method
Who controlled Sumer's city states at the beginning?
priests
Who controlled everything that happened in Mesopotamia?
the gods
Who was at the top of the social class pyramid?
kings
what is domestication?
the controlling of plants and animals to help people
why was irrigation important for farming?
it brought water to locations that didnt have it
Who took control of the city states after the priests had it for a while?
military leaders
what is polytheism? (define)
the belief in many gods
who was at the bottom of the social class pyramid?
slaves
what is the neolithic revolution?
the time period when people went from hunter and gatherers to farmers
how do rivers help transportation and trade?
they help move goods, people and ideas quickly
Why did military leaders take control of the city states?
violence between the city states
What do we call the large temples built to show love for the gods?
ziggurat
what is a social class?
a way of organizing people based on wealth, power or importance
they stayed in one location, gave up the hunter gatherer lifestyle, more people (population), civilization
which two rivers were the important ones in Mesopotamia?
Tigris and Euphrates
What is a city state? (Definition)
a large city that operates like a country and controls land in and around the city
Why was it important to keep the gods happy?
they controlled everything. If something good happened its because they were happy, if something bad happened it was because they were not happy.
why did the priests and kings work closely together even though they were not in the same social class?
because the priests were experts in keeping the gods happy
Why does flooding help people grow crops?
Flooding leaves behind nutrients that turn the soil into good farmland