Lesson 5 - The rise of Sumerian city-states
What does Mesopotamia mean?
The land between the rivers
What is the name of the written language the Sumerians created?
Cuneiform
Who was the ruler of the Akkadian empire?
Ruler Sargon
What is an irrigation system?
a way of supplying water to land
What is a stele?
What was the environment of Sumer like?
low and flat, with little rain
What is a ziggurat?
An ancient Mesopotamian temple tower with outside staircases and a shrine at the top
What was Hammurabi known for?
What are the names of the two rivers in Mesopotamia?
Euphrates & Tigris River
Why did the rivers flood in the spring in Sumer?
Snow melted in the mountains where the river began
Why were levees built?
To prevent flooding
Who are scribes?
A person who writes
What were the Assyrians feared for?
Their military
Why were Sumerian communities called city-states?
Each of them had its own ruler and farmland.
What is a social structure? Give an example
the way a civilization is organized.
Example) Higher Class, Middle Class, Lower Class
All four empires had difficulty in...
controlling such a large area
Sun dial, the plow, wheel, etc.
Which empire eventually took over the last empire (The Neo-Babylonian Empire)
The Persian Empire
What was a problem caused by Sumerian city-states' independence from one another?
They could not defend themselves against larger groups.
Name the seven characteristics of a civilization.
1. Stable food supply 2. Social Structure
3. Government 4. Religion
5. Arts 6. Technology
7. Writing
How did the Akkadians gain power over Sumer?
Military strategy
Where were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon planted?
High on a royal palace
Who instructed Hammurabi to create the laws for the empire?
He claimed the gods did.