Vocab
a period when not enough rain
drought
What is the fine and fertile soil deposited after the rivers flooded in Mesopotomia called?
silt
What actions did Sumerians take to keep the gods pleased?
made sacrifices, built temples, and held ceremonies.
Who were the two groups that were at the top of the social class?
Kings and priests
What did traders and scribes write on to keep records of goods?
clay tablets
A community that included a city and its nearby farmland
city-state
Name the two main rivers that supported agriculture?
Tigris and Euphrates
Define polytheistic.
Belief in more than one god
Name two groups that were at the bottom of the social classes in Mesopotamia
Slaves and farmers
What is the world's oldest set of laws?
Hammurabi's Code
more than is required or necessary
surplus
What is the area between the Tigris and Euphrates River called?
Fertile Crescent
In order to become a priest, you had to first become a ____________.
scribe
Why were priests important to Mesopotamians?
Other than cunieform, what did the Sumerians invent?
wheel and axle
Explain irrigation
the supply of water to fields using human-made systems
Describe the climate of Ancient Mesopotamia
Hot & Dry Climate
What was the main purpose of the ziggurat?
To serve as temples to honor the gods
Who was allowed to go to school in Ancient Mesopotamia?
boys from wealthy families
What were the Babylonians credited for inventing?
Signs of the Zodiac
Explain cultural diffusion
culture or ideas is spread from one area to another
There were five major cities in Mesopotamia. Name 2 of them.
Akkad, Assur, Babylon, Nineveh, Uruk
Name 1 additional purpose the ziggurats were used for other than religious purposes.
storage, market place, housed government officials
Social classes were based on two things, what were they?
power and wealth
What did the Assyrians invent?
libraries