Social Studies
a complex society with cities, a government, religion, a writing system, different jobs, and advanced technologies, all developed by people living together in settled communities.
Civilization
people who bought and sold goods, traveling along established trade routes to move from one place to another
Merchant
a written legal code created by the Babylonian King Hammurabi. It was one of the first written legal documents and contained 282 laws
Code of Laws
one of the two major rivers, alongside the Tigris, that formed the fertile land between them
Euphrates River
one of the two major rivers, alongside the Euphrates, that formed the fertile land between them
Tigris River
a group of people with similar amounts of power and money due to their birth job
Social Class
an ancient writing system that was used in the Middle East over 3,000 years. The word cuneiform comes from the Latin word cuneus, which means "wedge"
Cuneiform
highly educated professionals who were responsible for writing, reading, and interpreting text
Scribe
an independent, self-governing city that functioned as a small nation, with its own ruler
City-State
a painting and drawing on stone or cave walls that depict words or ideas
Pictograph
a rich and nutritious soil (fertile) that was deposited on the land by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers when they flooded
Silt
the system of producing, distributing, and consuming goods and services within a society, primarily focused on agriculture, household production, and limited trade, often characterized by bartering ( exchange a good for another good
Economy
a tiered, pyramid-shaped temple built that served as a religious and architectural structure
Ziggurat
a large area of land with multiple city-states, where a single ruler, usually a powerful king, held full political control
Empire
an ancient civilization founded in the Mesopotamia region of the Fertile Crescent situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
Sumer
the geographical region where the Mesopotamian civilization developed, it's the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Today it's a modern-day Iraq, parts of eastern Syria, and southeastern Turkey or known as The Middle East
Southwest Asia
the practice of directing water from the Tigris and Euphrates, through a network of canals, onto agricultural fields to provide a controlled water supply for growing crops
Irrigation
earth walls built along the sides of rivers to prevent flooding and to provide water for irrigation
Levee
a skilled worker who made goods such as tools, cloth, and weapons
Artisan
the practice of developing farm crops like barley and beans, raising sheep, and utilizing sophisticated irrigation systems to farm
Agriculture