Geography
Define Mesopotamia.
Land between rivers.
Define Social structure
The way a civilization is organized.
What did Sumerians use to make cuneiform?
A wedge-shaped stylus.
What is King Hammurabi best remembered for?
A code of laws.
Define Ziggurat
A Sumerian religious temple.
What caused food shortages in the Zagros foothills?
Increase in population.
What were a king’s responsibilities?
Lead the army, enforce laws, have temples built.
Describe the seven characteristics of a civilization.
Technology, Stable food supply, social structure, Government, Religion, language, & arts.
Who conquered the land of the Israelites and took many of them to Babylon as captives?
King Nebuchadnezzar
What was the purpose of dams and reservoirs?
To store water for later use.
Why did the villages of Sumer depend on each other?
To keep their water systems operational.
Describe how the legal system of Babylon was more advanced than other societies at the time.
It gave women some rights.
What forms of entertainment were popular among Mesopotamians?
Drums, Pipes, and Lyres.
What did the Akkadians use to gain power over Sumer?
Military strategy
Define levee and what was the purpose of one?
To prevent floods.
What feature did the Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian empires have that Sumer did not?
One government ruled several groups.
How did the Sumerian king strengthen his rule?
His people believed he was supported by the gods.
What did the Akkadians use steles for?
To record important events.
How did King Nebuchadnezzar protect his people in the capital city?
He built two walls, some towers, and a moat around his capital city.
How did the Akkadians get resources to build up their capital city?
They collected tribute from conquered people.
Why did the Euphrates and Tigris rivers flood in the spring?
Snow melted in the mountains where the rivers began.
What evidence shows that the Sumerians were not prehistoric?
Written records.
What invention added strength and beauty to Sumerian buildings?
Arches
What invention most affected the food supply in Sumer?
The plow
What did the Assyrians use to conquer cities?
Siege warfare: battering rams, and movable towers.