LOCATION & ERA
What is the meaning of "Mesopotamia"
The land between two rivers
Each city-states has its own self-governed unit of civilisation.
True or False
Sumerian writing was written from right to left. True or False?
False. Left to right
The ‘Sanga’ was the person in charge of the temple
TRUE OR FALSE
Name two inventions created by the Sumerians.
Wheel, Time, Mathematics, Astronomy, Tools & Weapons, Loom, Farming Tools, Lyre & Harp (Any two)
What are the two rivers where Mesopotamia is located?
Tigris & Euprates
Why were large walls built around the city-states?
City States frequently warred with each other to gain glory, reputation and more land, so large walls were built all around the outskirts of the city states, and guards were employed to protect the people inside from attack.
The Sumerian writing system first started with pictures. What were those pictures called?
Hieroglyphs
A ziggurat had FIVE LEVEL (platforms), steep steps up the front and a temple at the top
TRUE OR FALSE
FALSE. Three level
In the beginning, what was the wheel used for?
It was used to improve the process of making clay pots by creating a potter’s wheel. Wheels were also used in mills.
Why did the Sumerians choose to build their cities and homes in that land?
The land between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers often flooded and left rich, fertile land for planting
Each city state was centred around a temple, built to honour the gods. What is this temple called?
Ziggurats
Name two types of documents the Sumerians might have written down:
Records of accounts, poems, stories, prayers and letters.
Sumerians believed in one God
TRUE OR FALSE
True
Explain the time created by the Sumerians.
The Sumerians had observed the moon and come up with a calendar of 12 lunar months. They also tracked the sun and divided the day into sections of 60-second minutes, 60-minute hours and 24-hour cycles. This included 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night
What year did the Sumerians invent the wheel
3500 BC
What were the houses made from?
Buildings were mostly made out of sun-baked mud bricks.
How did Sumerians write? Describe the materials used.
A blunt reed called a stylus was used to make marks on clay tablets, which were later fired to preserve them.
Name 3 musical instruments played by the Sumerians
They played a variety of instruments including reed pipes, drums, lyres, flutes and harps.
Describe in detail what was loom used for? What type of materials did the Sumerian wear?
Fragments of finely woven linen were found in royal tombs that showed the weavers were highly skilled. Linen would be reserved for the rich as it was more expensive than wool.