Akkadian Empire
What was the Akkadian Empire?
An empire that united Akkadian and Sumerian speakers.
What was a siege?
Surrounding a town and cutting off essential supplies to force it to surrender.
Who were the Gutians?
Nomadic invaders from the mountains who took advantage of Akkadian weakness.
Where was Babylon located?
In modern-day Iraq.
Which number system helps explain 360 degrees in a circle?
The base-60 number system.
Who was the first ruler of the Akkadian Empire?
Sargon the Great.
What kind of army did the Akkadians develop?
A professional standing army.
What did prolonged droughts cause?
Crop failures, famine, economic hardship, population decline, and civil unrest.
Why did Hammurabi create his code of laws?
To establish justice and order, protect the weak, and organize his empire under written laws.
What did Babylonian astronomers record?
Celestial events and planetary movements, which helped create early calendars.
What was a bureaucracy?
A government administration made up of non-elected officials.
Name one region connected to Akkadian long-distance trade.
The Indus Valley, the Persian Gulf, or Anatolia.
Name one internal problem that weakened the empire.
Rebellions by conquered people, local governors, or conquered city-states challenging Akkadian authority.
How many laws were included in the Code of Hammurabi?
282 laws.
What was special about the Ishtar Gate?
It used glazed bricks and showed lions, dragons, and bulls. It displayed Babylon's wealth and power.
Name one way Sargon expanded or organized the empire.
He conquered Sumerian city-states and united Akkadian and Sumerian speakers under one empire. He also used officials to administer the empire.
Why were trade and diplomacy important to the Akkadian Empire?
They brought goods such as timber, metals, and precious stones and helped the empire make alliances and avoid conflicts.
Describe two factors that contributed to the fall of the Akkadian Empire.
Possible answers include internal rebellions, Gutian invasions, drought and crop failures, famine, and the rise of competing powers.
What kinds of issues did the code address?
Criminal, civil, family, labor and economic issues, and slavery.
What happened in the Tower of Babel story?
People who once spoke one language had their languages confused and were scattered across the world.