A
the region between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Mesopotamia
Name the two rivers surrounding ancient mesopotamia
Tigris and Euphrates
An ancient region/civilization in southern Mesopotamia
Sumer
later, language was used for....
telling history
Initially, language was used for.....
record keeping
members of the upper class
Kings / Priest
an amount of a good, such as food, in excess of what is needed
Surplus
used to make planting crops easier, better water supply to the plants
Plow
used to move large loads easily
Wheel
a political unit that includes a city and its nearby farmlands
City-State
A mix of copper and Tin
Bronze
Person who specializes in writing and serves as a record keeper
Scribe
Sharpened reed used to press markings into clay tablets (ancient pen)
Stylus
a belief in many gods or goddesses
polytheism
for what initial purpose did the Sumerians develop the world’s first writing system?
record keeping
What did Sumerians build with?
Clay/ Mud bricks
Period of little rainfall in which growing crops becomes difficult
Drought
Fine, fertile soil deposited by a river
Silt
members of the middle class
Artisans / farmers
What did they do to get resources that they needed but did not have in Mesopotamia?
Trade the surplus grain
what was the Sumer's biggest surplus
Grain
What makes a civilization?
1. Advanced Cities
2. Specialized Workers
3. Complex institutions
4. Record Keeping
5. Advanced Technology
define Pictograph
a picture or drawing that represents a word or idea
What natural resources did Mesopotamia not have
Wood, Stone
members of the lower class
slaves