In Neolithic times, the first people to begin farming in Mesopotamia lived
in the Zagros Mountains
100
In Sumer, farmers had too little or too much ____
Water
100
Why did farmers clean canals regularly?
A clogged canal could spoil the entire irrigation system.
100
What did Sumerian city-states fight over?
water
200
Where was the ancient land known as Mesopotamia?
Between the two rivers: Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
200
What was the major disadvantage to the rapid population growth in the foothills?
A. crowded living conditions
B. food shortages
C. lack of job opportunities
D. competition for land
200
What was the key to successful farming in Sumer?
controlling the water supply
200
When farmers cleaned the canals, they were working for
The common good.
200
Why did Sumerians build walls around their cities?
to protect themselves against attacking neighbors.
300
The earliest settlements in Mesopotamia were like small, independent countries called
city-states.
300
What drove people to move out of the foothills to the plains of Sumer?
the need for food
300
How did Sumerian farmers control the water supply?
They built: levees, dug canals, built reservoirs, and other types of irrigation systems.
300
What caused Sumerians to build larger communities?
The need to maintain irrigation systems.
300
What is the major flaw in the Sumerian system of canals that flowed through many different cities?
A. Cities located upriver could block the water flow for cities downriver.
B. Water was only available to the lucky few who lived next to the canals.
C. No one could make money from the water because it was freely available to everyone.
D. People who lived downriver could use all the water before it reached the cities upriver.
400
Why was there a food shortage in the foothills?
The population was increasing and they were running out of land to grow food.
400
The foothills provided conditions that were good for farming and building shelters unlike the plains which lacked what?
materials for building tools and shelter.
400
Describe what levee's are designed to do?
Prevent flooding
400
How did people make sure their water levels in reservoirs were balanced?
they would have to scoop water from one reservoir into another.
400
How did the Sumerian city walls relate to the environment?
A. The walls were made of wood cut from trees in the foothills.
B. The walls were made of bricks using local mud.
C. The walls were made of stones from a quarry in the Zagros Mountains.
D. The walls were made of steel obtained through trade with Egypt.
500
What did Mesopotamians do in order to solve the problem of food shortages in the foothills?
They moved down to the plains in the area called Sumer and began farming by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
500
Describe the environment of the foothills.
Adequate rain and and weather that would support farming.
500
Describe what irrigation systems are supposed to do?
They are designed to supply water to things which do not have a water supply near by.
500
Suppose you are a Sumerian farmer, and you don’t like having to clean out canals. What might happen if you refused to help?
They system could clog up and ruin everyone's crops.
500
What is a city-state? Describe it's characteristics.
It is a city of several thousand that is ran like an independent country with its own government, laws, and taxes.