Achievements
world’s first system of writing
cuneiform
worship of many gods
polytheism
had its own rules to live by and a separate government with a king
city-state
fertile soil found along the river banks in Mesopotamia
silt
division of society that is based upon one’s class rank or job
social class or structure
wheeled, horse-drawn cart used in battle
chariot
pyramid-shaped temple tower built for the Gods
ziggurat
Which group of people were the first to build city-states in Mesopotamia and live in the Fertile Crescent?
Sumerians
method of supplying water to an area of land or crops
irrigation
The first form of economics in ancient Sumer began with the trading of goods.
True or False
True
the wheel, the plow, and the sailboat
Sumerian inventions
Why did the Sumerians build ziggurats?
To honor their city’s god or goddess
Why is Sargon considered an important figure in world history?
He was the first leader to rule an empire.
How did irrigation lead to the growth of civilization in Mesopotamia?
It helped produce a surplus of food.
Who is at the top of the social pyramid?
kings
What tools did scribes use to write in cuneiform?
reed stylus & clay tablet
Many kings in Mesopotamia claimed that their authority over their people came from which source?
gods
famous collection of 282 written laws that governed Babylonian society
How did people successfully farm in the dry climate of Mesopotamia?
They made canals to transport water from the rivers to their fields.
Who is at the bottom of the social pyramid?
enslaved people
Why did the Sumerians originally use cuneiform?
They used cuneiform to keep business records like a receipt for trading goods.
What is the name of one of the oldest written stories in world history, which is about a superhuman king who fights demons for glory and wants to live forever?
Epic of Gilgamesh
Why is Hammurabi considered an important figure in world history?
He made one of the oldest written law codes.
large region of rich farmland near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea
Fertile Crescent
Name an empire from Ancient Mesopotamia.
Assyrians, Babylonians, or Akkadians