Geography & Cities
Which two rivers define the region known as Mesopotamia?
What are the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
Who was the first ruler to create a large Akkadian empire and unite the Sumerian city‑states?
Who is Sargon
What is Hammurabi best remembered for?
What is "A code of laws" (Hammurabi’s Code)
The Assyrians were famous as strong fighters. Which of these did they mainly use to gain power over other cities: military strategy, religious teachings, or building great artworks?
What is Military Strategy
What famous garden did Nebuchadnezzar plant, and where were the gardens located?
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon; planted high on the royal palace
Which city was the capital of the Assyrian Empire and famous for its library?
What is Nineveh
Which ruler is best remembered for creating a written code of laws for Babylon?
Who is Hammurabi
Compared to many other societies at the time, how was Babylon’s legal system more advanced for women?
It gave women some rights (for example, some legal protections and the ability to own property or make certain claims)
What was the purpose of Assyrian aqueducts?
To bring water to the city
Name one important achievement of the Akkadian Empire
Uniting city‑states under one government; established a centralized government; built standing armies; developed a postal system; used steles to record important events
Name the capital city of the Neo‑Babylonian Empire, where Nebuchadnezzar built walls and gardens.
What is Babylon
Which ruler conquered the land of the Israelites and took many captives to Babylon?
Who is Nebuchadnezzar II
What is a stele, and what did ancient Mesopotamians use it for?
A stele is a carved stone pillar used to record important events or laws.
Name two tools or technologies the Assyrians used to conquer cities.
Examples: chariots, iron/bronze weapons, siege techniques, well‑trained armies
Name one major achievement of the Babylonian Empire.
Hammurabi’s code (law), major trade/products, or impressive public works (walls, canals, Hanging Gardens).
Why did Mesopotamian cities build walls, towers, and moats around their capitals? Provide one clear reason.
What is to protect the city from attacks (defense)
Put these leaders in chronological order from earliest to latest: Nebuchadnezzar, Sargon, Hammurabi, Ashurbanipal.
Chronological order: Sargon → Hammurabi → Ashurbanipal → Nebuchadnezzar
Describe one way that having a central government rule many groups (an empire) differed from independent city‑states like Sumer.
Empires had one government ruling several groups; city‑states were independent with their own rulers.
Describe one problem all four Mesopotamian empires had when they controlled large areas.
Controlling a large area — difficulty keeping order and managing distant regions.
Explain why the Hanging Gardens of Babylon would have required advanced irrigation or water systems. Give one detail about how water might have been delivered.
Because gardens were planted high on palace terraces, water would need to be raised from rivers or canals using pumps, aqueducts, or irrigation systems to reach upper levels.
This southern city served as the capital for both the Old Babylonian Empire under Hammurabi and the Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II, while this northern Assyrian capital was famed for its grand library and was located on the Tigris River.
What are Babylon and Nineveh
Explain how the Akkadians gained resources to build their capital. Give one example of how they obtained those resources.
The Akkadians collected tribute (taxes, goods, resources) from conquered peoples to obtain materials and wealth.
Explain why written laws (like Hammurabi’s code) helped rulers govern large empires. Give two reasons.
Reasons: Laws created clear rules everyone had to follow; they helped settle disputes and keep order across diverse peoples.
Explain how conquest and tribute helped empires like the Akkadian and Assyrian states become wealthy. Provide specific examples
Conquest allowed rulers to take tribute (money, crops, materials) from conquered peoples; tribute and plunder funded public works, palaces, and armies.
Compare two important achievements — one from the Assyrian Empire and one from the Neo‑Babylonian Empire — and explain why each was important for people at the time
Assyrian achievement — military organization and road/bridge building that allowed fast troop movement; Neo‑Babylonian achievement — large public works and cultural projects like the Hanging Gardens and city fortifications, which improved defense and prestige