Sumerian Inventions
How did sumerian farmers control water?
They invented levees and irrigation canals.
Why did people settle the lands between he Tigris and Euphrates rivers?
Floods made the land fertile or good for farming.
What was the most important building in Ur, located in the middle of the city-state?
the ziggurat, or temple
What is the name of the first epic written?
The Epic of Gilgamesh
What was one of responsibilities of the scribes?
They kept track of taxes, created contracts, and kept trade records.
What led to the decline of Sumer?
Fighting among city-states weakened them, so that outsiders could take over.
What does Mesopotamia mean in Greek?
The land between the rivers.
The middle class was made up of?
farmers, artisans, merchants
A wall buildt along a river or sea to hold back the water from low land is called....
levee
Why was writing important to Sumerians?
Writing kept track of what they owned; writing led to the invention of a way to measure land, scribes became rich and powerful.
What were the highest classes of people in Sumerian society?
priests, scribes, warriors and government officials.
What is a city-state?
It has its own government and surrounding land, makes its own laws, and has its own army.
Who went to school in Sumer?
Boys
What are two things the Sumerians study to learn to measure?
astronomy and mathematics
Why was each Sumerian village built around a ziggurat?
The people believed a god or goddess lived in the temple and protected the village.
How do you think the Sumerians might have been able to prevent the fall of their cities?
Build relationships to have alliances, peace treaty, and trade agreements.
Building used to honor and priase a god or gods
ziggurat