Mesopotamia Geography
What does Mesopotamia mean?
Between two rivers
Ancient Mesopotamian religion worshipped many gods. This is called...
Polytheism
The system of controlling the flow of water to bring it to plants is called...
irrigation
An early city, surrounded by farmland, operating as a small, independent country with its own laws and government is known as a what?
City-state
People who traveled to other places to get wood, metal and other necessary things were called
Traders
The land of Ancient Mesopotamia is between what two rivers?
Tigris & Euphrates River
What was the purpose of the ziggurats?
It was believed to be the home of the god that protected the city. It was also a place of worship for the priests and priestesses.
What innovations or inventions were created in Mesopotamia?
The plow, irrigation, lock and key, 60-minute hour, the wheel, writing, sailboats, cities
Who conquered all of Mesopotamia and created the first empire that lasted more than 200 years?
Sargon, King of the Akkadians
What is someone called when they go to school to learn to write?
Scribes
This type of government means rule by one, and the power was inherited or passed down.
monarchy
The religious leaders of Mesopotamia
priests and priestesses
What was one of the world's oldest laws called?
Hammurabi's code
Who makes up the Lowest Class of Ancient Mesopotamia?
enslaved people
The dividing of society based on people's status or wealth is known as
a social class or social structure
What made the Fertile Crescent so great for farming?
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flooded and left fine particles of nutrients and minerals behind on the soil.
Name two of the main crops harvested in Mesopotamia’s economy.
Cereals (wheat and barley); vegetables (onions, garlic, beans, pumpkins); and fruit trees (date palms, almond trees, fig trees, peach trees) were the main crops.
Why did Mesopotamians build walls around their cities?
for protection
The name of a governing state or country that contains and controls several countries or territories is an
empire
What were three of the jobs a person could have in ancient Mesopotamia?
Merchants, artisans, farmers, scribes, soldiers, etc..
The Mesopotamian people did not use coins. Commercial transactions were made by ________
bartering
The oldest written epic was about this king
Gilgamesh
What written language did Ancient Mesopotamians Create?
Cuneiform
Who was the king of the Akkadians?
Sargon
What are some examples of artisans?
potters, jewelry makers, weavers, blacksmiths, metal workers, carpenters, house builders, traders, merchants, brick makers
Cuneiform was written on _____________ using ____________ as a writing tool
clay tablets and a stylus made from sharpened reeds
What was the job of the high priest?
The high priest led religious ceremonies and took care of the temples and their property.
Cuneiform (with letters and numbers) is based on an earlier, simpler form of writing that used _______?
Pictographs/pictures
Who created the first set of written laws?
Hammurabi, king of the Babylonian empire
Who makes up the Upper Middle Class of Ancient Mesopotamia?
Priests, priestesses and military leaders