Mesopotamia Environment
In what modern country is Mesopotamia located in?
Iraq
The population grew rapidly in the foothills. This led to...
food shortages
The name "Mesopotamia" comes from its location, which was...
between two rivers
When farmers cleaned the canals, they were working for...
the common good.
Sumerian city walls were made of...
bricks using local mud.
Between what two rivers was Mesopotamia located?
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Why did people begin moving out of the foothills to the plains of Sumer?
They needed food.
The key to successful farming in Sumer was...
controlling the water supply.
Why did farmers clean canals regularly?
A clogged canal could spoil the entire system.
What first caused Sumerians to build larger communities?
they needed to maintain irrigation systems
The first people to begin farming in Mesopotamia lived where?
Zagros Mountains
Since the foothills had good conditions for farming and building shelters, the population....
grew
One way that the Sumerians controlled the water supply was to...
build levees
dig canals
build reservoirs
A Sumerian farmer doesn't like having to clean out canals. What might happen if he refused to help?
The system could clog up and ruin everyone's crops.
Why did Sumerians build walls around their cities?
To protect themselves against attacking neighbors.
What were the earliest settlements in Mesopotamia called?
city-states
What made Mesopotamia a difficult environment to live in?
It was hot, not much rain.
What was the chief purpose of dams and reservoirs?
To store water for later use.
What was the major flaw in the system of canals that flowed through many different cities? (hint: river flows downhill)
Cities upriver could block the water flow for cities downriver.
What caused the Sumerian city-states to fight against each other?
When one city kept water away from another city.
rain
In Sumer, the water supply was....
Unreliable. Farmers had either too much water or too little.
What three things did Sumerian farmers "build" to control the water supply?
Levees
Canals
Reservoirs
In order to store water for later use, the people built dams and ________.
Reservoirs
When Sumerian city-states sought independence from one another, it created a problem. What problem was created?
They could not defend themselves against stronger groups.