Questions
What was Mesopotamia?
-Mesopotamia is between 2 rivers, The Euphrates and Tigris. This explains the meaning of Mesopotamia “between rivers”. It was a historic region located in West Asia.
What were Ziggurats?
-Ziggurats were pyramidal stepped temple towers that were used for religious practices.
The ruler of the Akkadian Empire was ________.
Sargon
What were the two rivers that ran through Mesopotamia?
-The Tigris and Euphrates rivers ran through Mesopotamia.
Importance of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
The southern part of Mesopotamia owes its good soil to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. These rivers begin in the mountains of southeastern Turkey and flow south and east, through present-day Iraq. The rivers carry fine, fertile soil called silt down from the hills. The rivers flood their banks each spring, spreading floodwaters and silt across the plain. When the floods end, they leave a fresh layer of moist, fertile earth perfect for growing crops. Of course, it also came with many challenges, such as the
heavy spring floods washing away the crops and even whole villages.
____ means to write back then on a stone tablet. It was also the writing on it.
scribe
Who was Sargon?
-Sargon was the ruler of the Akkadian Empire. He ruled for over 50 years, appointing local rulers who served as kings of lands that they oversaw. He was first the king of a city-state in Sumer, but he quickly solidified power and united most of Mesopotamia under his rule. After the death of Sargon, chaos occurred and there were many rebellions and riots.
Importance of Hammurabi’s Code
Hammurabi’s code ensured that all the citizens obeyed and understood, and created common rules for the diverse people of the society, keeping order in his empire. Hammurabi’s code strengthened social hierarchies and created unity in the Babylonian empire as well. It also reinforced the king, who claimed the laws were handed down to him by the gods.
The ______ Crescent was a crescent-shaped region (due to the rivers) located in West Asia
fertile
What was the writing form of Mesopotamia?
Cuneiform, the ancient Mesopotamian writing system, was created using clay tablets and reed styluses.
Role of Religion in Mesopotamia Life:
: Like most ancient people, the Sumerians practice polytheism, the belief in more than one god. They believed that the gods controlled every aspect of life, including rain,