Geography of Mesopotamia
What two major rivers define Mesopotamia?
Tigris and Euphrates.
Name one of the earliest major civilizations or city-states in Mesopotamia (any correct).
Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, Assyria.
Who usually held the most power in a Mesopotamian city-state?
King.
Were Mesopotamian religions monotheistic or polytheistic?
Polytheistic.
What is the name of the writing system developed in ancient Mesopotamia?
Cuneiform.
What does the name "Mesopotamia" literally mean?
"Land between rivers."
What is a "city-state"?
A city-state is a city that governs itself and surrounding land.
What is a theocracy? Give a simple definition and say whether Mesopotamian governments had religious influence.
Theocracy = rule where religious leaders or gods are central; Mesopotamian rulers often claimed divine support.
What is a ziggurat and what was its main purpose?
A stepped temple—used for worship and ceremonies.
What material did scribes usually write on and what tool did they use to make marks?
Clay tablets and a reed stylus.
Explain one way the rivers affected farming and settlement in Mesopotamia.
Flooding deposited silt making soil fertile; irrigation allowed consistent farming.
Which famous king created a code of laws in Babylon and is often associated with a famous set of laws?
Hammurabi.
How did law codes, like Hammurabi’s Code, help rulers maintain order? Give one example of what such a law might do.
Law codes set rules and punishments to keep order—example: rules about theft or property disputes.
Name one type of god or goddess from Mesopotamia.
Example: Sky, harvests, love, crops, flooding, weather, etc.
Give one reason why writing was important in Mesopotamian cities.
To record trade, laws, taxes, etc.
Name the two main regions often used to describe Mesopotamia (one to the north, one to the south).
Upper (Assyria/Northern Mesopotamia) and Lower (Sumer/Southern Mesopotamia/Babylonia).
Identify one major achievement of the Sumerians and explain why it mattered.
Example: invention of the wheel, development of writing (cuneiform), or advances in mathematics—matters for transport, record-keeping, laws.
Explain one way rulers in Mesopotamia showed their power using buildings or public works.
Building temples/ziggurats, city walls, irrigation projects.
Explain why priests were important in Mesopotamian cities beyond performing religious rituals.
Priests managed temple wealth, kept records, advised rulers.
Describe one task a scribe would perform in daily life and why scribes were valued.
Keeping accounts, writing letters, copying texts; scribes trained for years and were literate in a mostly illiterate society.
Describe one environmental challenge Mesopotamians faced and one technological response they developed to solve it.
Challenge: unpredictable flooding or drought/salinization; Response: irrigation canals, levees, dikes, drainage.
Compare two Mesopotamian civilizations (choose any two) in one sentence: list one similarity and one difference.
Example: Both Sumer and Akkad used cuneiform; Sumer had city-states while Akkad formed an empire under Sargon.
Describe how government and religion were connected in Mesopotamia and give one classroom-friendly example.
Rulers claimed support of gods; priests advised rulers and temples held economic power.
Describe how religion influenced both daily life and the political power structure in Mesopotamia
Daily life: rituals, offerings, festivals; Political: temples owned land and resources, and rulers often were seen as chosen by gods.
Explain how cuneiform changed over time in purpose and why that change matters for historians.
Early: record-keeping for trade and taxes.
Later: literature and legal codes—this helps historians learn about everyday life and government.