Vocabulary

Geography
Mesopotamian Contributions
Empires
Government/Religion/Social Structure
100

Fine particles of fertile soil.

Silt

100

This area lies between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Mesopotamia

100

One contribution of the Sumerians was initially used for pottery, but was later used to build chariots.

The Wheel

100

The first Mesopotamian Empire, ruled by King Sargon.

The Akkadian Empire

100

If you were a slave, debtor, or war criminal living in Mesopotamia, you would be in this social class.

The Lower Class

200

The Sumerian system of writing made up of wedge-shaped markings made in soft clay.

Cuneiform

200

A curving, moon-shaped strip of farmland extending from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.

The Fertile Crescent

200

A set of rules based on "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth".

The Code of Hammurabi

200

This Mesopotamian empire was known for its fierce rule and strong military.

The Assyrian Empire

200

Kings, priests, and government officials make up this social class.

The Upper Class

300

A system that supplies dry land with water through ditches, canals, or streams.

Irrigation

300

The largest and richest city in the world during this time.

Babylon

300

A system of tracking time that the Sumerians invented based on the cycles of the moon.

12 month calendar

300

The second Mesopotamian Empire is known for its king, Hammurabi, and his code.

The Babylonian Empire

300

This type of religion involved worshipping many gods.

Polytheism

400

A city that governs itself and its surrounding territory.

City-state

400

This region in southern Mesopotamia had a harsh landscape that was difficult to travel through.

Sumer

400

A mathematical place value system that the Sumerians invented based on this number.

60

400

King Nebuchadnezzar and his empire rebuilt Babylon, making it large and rich.

The Chaldean Empire

400

If you were a farmer or a merchant in Mesopotamia, you would be in this social class.

The Middle Class
500
A payment made to a ruler or state as a sign of surrender; forced payment.
Tribute
500

Assyrian leaders divided their land into_________

Provinces

500

An invention of the Sumerians that helps to work the ground for planting crops.

Wooden Plow

500

This Empire was known as the New Babylonian Empire because its people were related to the first Babylonians.

The Chaldean Empire

500

This type of building was built to honor the Mesopotamian gods. They were religious sites called...

Ziggurats