Mesopotamia 1
small particles of soil
silt
a payment made to a ruler or state as a sign of surrender
tribute
a Sumerian writing system that used wedge-shaped marks made in soft clay
cuneiform
a belief in more than one god
polytheism
an amount that is left over after a need has been met
surplus
a long poem that tells the story of a hero
epic
a pyramid-shaped tower with a temple at the top
ziggurat
a group of merchants traveling together for safety, usually with a large number of camels
caravan
a group of many different lands under one ruler
empire
a person who copies or writes out documents; often a record keeper
scribe
an independent nation made up of a city and the land around it
city-state
Although most Sumerians were farmers, many made metal, cloth, and pottery because they were skilled
artisans
a way to supply dry land with water through ditches, pipes, or streams
irrigation
a person who studies planets and stars
astronomer
a territory governed as a political district of a country or empire
province
The calendar developed by the Sumerians was based on
the cycles of the moon
Mesopotamia means
“the land between two rivers”
Secret BONUS question for the test:
What was the first band Ms. Bayer saw LIVE in concert?
The Who
The few Sumerians who learned how to write often held high positions in society as what?
scribes
The first Sumerian kings were probably
war heroes
Who wrote a legal code that covered most areas of daily life?
Hammurabi
Which group rebelled against the Assyrians?
the Chaldeans
Which part of Babylon was known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?
The Hanging Gardens
A Sumerian temple to honor their chief god was called a
ziggurat
Which mountain people captured Babylon in 539 B.C.?