VOCABULARY
What is a ziggurat?
A temple where Sumerians believed their gods lived. Located at the center of the city-state.
who had the lowest rank?
slaves and farmer slaves
what does Mesopotamia mean?
land between the rivers
What is cuneiform?
the first writing system
what is Hammurabi's code
a harsh code of laws
What is polytheistic?
to worship many gods.
who had the highest authority?
kings nobles wealthy land owners
between which two rivers does Mesopotamia lie?
Tigris and Euphrates
what does cuneiform look like?
Wedge-shaped writing
what does eye for an eye mean?
what you do to other shall be done to you.
what is monotheistic?
to worship one god.
who had middle rank authority?
Merchants freemen fishers craftsmen
where did this civilization start?
in the fertile crescent.
Who is Gilgamesh?
a king who seeks immortality
what did the Sumerians invent that we still use today
the wheel
what is Akkad?
the world's first empire
what percentage of citizens had the lowest rank?
90%
what was sumer?
first known civilization, a collection of city-states
What is Epic of Gilgamesh?
A poem that is one of the first pieces of literature.
what is mesopotamia known for?
creating the first writing system
what is the fertile crescent?
an area a fertile land in the Middle East located by two rivers
Why is the social structure look like a pyramid?
There are more people with low authority than high authority. At the bottom are the many slaves while at the top are few nobles.
what is the economy of Sumer like?
a sophisticated and centralized system based on agriculture, trade, and state control.
Who sent what to defeat Gilgamesh?
The gods sent a bull to defeat him.
What did Sumerians create the we still have today?
they created the first libraries