Vocabulary
Large pyramid-shaped temple at the center of each city-state
Ziggurat
Area of good farmland between the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf
Fertile Crescent
Used to make pottery and was attached to vehicles for transportation
The Wheel
Told people how to act to make the gods happy
Priest & Priestesses
How did kings receive their power in Mesopotamia?
Sumerians believed their kings were sent from the gods
The belief in more than one god
Polytheism
Large body of water located west of Mesopotamia
Mediterranean Sea
Allowed the Mesopotamians to separate the soil and plant seeds for growing crops
Plow
Enforced laws, collected taxes, organized building projects such as ziggurats or irrigation canals, and was the head of the army
Kings
Where was ziggurat located?
In the center of the city-state
Person responsible for writing down government information such as laws and taxes
Scribe
River to the east of Mesopotamia
Tigris River
Used to keep track of the number of days and help predict the flooding of the rivers
Lunar Calendar
Prisoners of war or people who owed debts who helped with building in the city-state
Slaves
What made the soil in the Fertile Crescent perfect for farming?
flooding from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
Group of city-states in southern Mesopotamia where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers meet
Sumer
Body of water the Tigris and Euphrates flow into
Perian Gulf
Used for keeping business records and tax collections. Triangular shaped.
Cuneiform
Helped write down laws
Scribes
Asia Minor is what modern day country?
Turkey
System that supplies water for farming
Irrigation
Desert located south of Mesopotamia
Syrian Desert
Allowed the Mesopotamians to travel across rivers and other large bodies of water to trade
Sailboat
Helped the kings collect taxes and organize building projects such as ziggurats and irrigation canals
Government Officials
What river is sometimes considered part of the Fertile Crescent
The Nile