Geography
Mesopotamia is bordered by two rivers. Which one was on top.
T for Tigris
What is the belief in many gods called?
Polytheism
What was the world’s first writing system invented by the Sumerians?
Cuneiform
What type of government is ruled by a single king?
Monarchy
surplus
Who usually had more power in Mesopotamian society: men or women?
men
How many laws were there in Hammurabi's Code?
282
What does the word “Mesopotamia” mean in Greek?
Land between the rivers
What is the name of Mesopotamia’s pyramid-shaped temple?
Ziggurat
What mathematical system did Mesopotamians create that we use to measure time?
Base-60 number system
Who was the Babylonian king that wrote a famous law code?
Hammurabi
What system of trade existed before money was invented?
Barter system
The enslaved
How many Persian Provinces were there?
20
What region of rich farmland included Mesopotamia and parts of the Middle East?
The Fertile Crescent
Which epic story tells of a king who wanted to live forever?
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Which culture created the first alphabet?
The Phoenicians
Who was the first leader to rule an empire in Mesopotamia?
Sargon of Akkad
Mesopotamians traded their grain for these two ingredients used to make bronze.
copper and tin
Women were typically not taught to read and write. One notable exception was the first known author in history. What was her name?
Enheduanna
How many sections was the Mesopotamian year divided into?
12
This sea to the west of Mesopotamia was used by the Phoenicians to create an extensive trade network.
Mediterranean Sea
What two things was Ishtar/Inanna the goddess of?
Love and war
What tool did scribes use to write on clay tablets?
Reed stylus
Cyrus the Great allowed people to keep their religion and customs. What effect did this have?
Fewer rebellions, they could concentrate on the economy.
Why was purple dye so expensive in Phoenicia?
It came from rare sea snails and was difficult to make
One form of Mesopotamian entertainment was listening to stories and poems. A famous one was the Epic of Gilgamesh. Who was the real Gilgamesh?
A king of Uruk
(Probably a real person, but the epic has many mythical elements)
When was money invented?
About 600 BCE
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers connect to the P__________ Gulf
Persian
Who was the god of sun and Justice?
Shamash/Utu
Was paper money invented in Mesopotamia?
No (China)
What was a Persian governor called?
A satrap
How did Darius I improve the Persian economy? (At least two things)
1) Standardized coins
2) The Royal Road (trade)
3) He collected tribute (taxes) from every province
How did Hammurabi’s laws treat people differently depending on their class?
Punishments were harsher for lower classes and more lenient for higher classes
When was the agricultural revolution?
About 8,000-10,000 years ago
Which mountain range is located in modern-day Turkey?
Anagram hint: ratusu
Taurus
Which Mesopotamian religion influenced Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?
Zoroastrianism (monotheism)
Cuneiform was a key innovation. What other specific achievements did reading and writing lead to? (List 3)
1) It allowed people to keep business records
2) create law codes
3) preserve knowledge
4) complex government and trade possible.
5) writing literature such as the Epic of Gilgamesh
This Assyrian king built a huge library of clay tablets.
Ashurbanipal
Having a food surplus led to
1) D________ of L__________
and this led to a
1) S___________ H______________
1) Divison of labor
2) Social hierarchy
Put these civilizations in order: Persians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Phoenicians, Sumerians.
Sumerians → Akkadians → Babylonians → Assyrians → Phoenicians → Persians
How many civilizations did we study?
6
Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, Assyria, Persia, Phoenicia