Mesopotamia: A Difficult Environment
What modern country is Mesopotamia located in?
Iraq
Where did the first people to begin farming in Mesopotamia live?
In the Zagros Mountains
What was the water supply in Sumer?
There was sometimes too much water and sometimes not enough
Farmers cleaned canals regularly because?
A clogged canal could spoil the entire system
Sumerians fought when one city kept water away from another city
True
What ancient land was Mesopotamia located in?
In southwest Asia between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
The major disadvantages to the rapid population growth in the foothills is?
Food Shortages
The key to successful farming in Sumer was?
Controlling the water supply
When the farmers cleaned the canals, they were working for?
The common good
The Sumerians built walls around their cities, why?
To protect themselves against attacking neighbors
In Mesopotamia what were the small independent countries called?
City-states
Why did people move out of the foothills to the plains of Sumer?
The need for food
How did the farms in Sumer control the water supply?
They built levees to prevent flooding, they dug canals to shape the paths the water took, and they built reservoirs to store water for later use
How did the walls that the Sumerians built relate to the environment?
The walls were made out of mud and bricks
Why was Mesopotamia so difficult to live in?
It was hot and there was little rain
The foothills had conditions that were good for building shelters and farming. What conclusion can you draw from this statement?
People settled in one place, and the population grew
Water is to reservoir as money is to?
Bank
What might happen if you are a Sumerian farmer and refuse to clean out the canals?
The system could/will clog up and ruin everyone's crops
The major flaw in the Sumerian system of canals that flowed through many different cities was what?
Cities located upriver could block the water flow for cities downriver
Why was it hard to live in the Fertile Crescent called Mesopotamia?
The northern part was hilly and received rain and the southern part had low plains, or flat land.
What made the foothills a good place to farm?
Mild weather and plentiful rains
What caused the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to flood across the plains?
Rain and melted snow from the mountains
Irrigation systems provided enough water for Sumerian farmers to grow plenty of food?
True
As Sumerians cities grew, what did they fight over?
They fought over the right to use more water