Definitions I
A system of writing developed in Mesopotamia using wedge-shaped characters.
Cuneiform
A person trained to write and keep records.
Scribe
What are two main rivers of Mesopotamia?
Tigris and Euphrates
Who developed the first civilization in Mesopotamia?
Sumerians
Hammurabi’s laws are best described as __________.
Harsh
A pyramidal temple built in ancient Mesopotamia.
Ziggurat
A person who believes in or worships more than one god.
Polytheistic
Crops were so abundant in the shaded area on the map that it became known by what name?
Fertile Crescent
How many laws were in Hammurabi's Code?
282
How are people brought into the slave class?
Captured in battle.
Fine sand, soil, or clay carried by running water and deposited on land.
Silt
The division of labor where individuals focused on specific trades or skills.
Specialization
How did the surrounding desert and mountains help the advancement of civilization in Mesopotamia?
They protected it from invasion.
Name the first and longest poem written by the Sumerians.
The Epic of Gilgamesh
What type of government did the Sumerians have?
Monarchy
A self-governing region (called a state), consisting of a city and surrounding territory.
City-state
A man made system for moving water from its source to where it can be used for growing crops.
Irrigation
Which label on the map shows the location of Mesopotamia, the world’s earliest civilization?
B
Which two items are associated with the Mesopotamian writing system?
Cuneiform and clay tablets
What was the main purpose of Sumerian scribes?
They kept records.
An extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme authority.
Empire
Able to support the healthy growth of many things, especially plants.
Fertile
Which geographic characteristics promoted the growth of ancient Mesopotamia by allowing the first settlers to grow crops?
1. Fertile soil
2. Access to water
Hammurabi’s code supports what concept in the law?
Punishment should fit the crime.
How was Sumerian civilization structured?
A single city-state ruled by one king.