Geography/climate
Ancient Mesopotamia was located in this present day region.
What is Iraq?
What is the Zagros foothills?
True or False: Ancient Sumer had a stable food supply
True.
The name of the Mesopotamian writing system
What is cuneiform?
Mesopotamia was located between these two rivers
What are the Tigris and the Euphrates?
What were some positive aspects of life in the foothills?
Mild weather
Plenty of rain
Resources like wood and stone for tools.
What are the 7 characteristics of a civilization?
Stable food supply
Social structure
Religion
System of government
Arts
Technology
Writing
Name four inventions from ancient Mesopotamia
Answers include:
plow
irrigation
arch
writing
irrigation
wheel
chariot
laws
What is hot and dry with no trees and lots of mud?
Explain how the Mesopotamian irrigation system worked
They made levees on the sides of the river to stop flooding. They poked holes in the levees to let water out when they needed it.
Later they constructed canals to control WHERE the water went, and they made dams to pool water and create reservoirs.
Top: Priests, landowners, public officials
Middle: merchants, artisans, farmers, fishermen
Bottom: slaves
Create a classroom rule that is written in the same structure as a law in the Code of Hammurabi.
If _____________, then ____________
(and it should include a harsh punishment!)
Gilgamesh was king of this city
What is Uruk?
Generate a topic sentence for this paragraph:
For one, people located upriver sometimes built new canals. They also damaged other peoples' canals. Both of these prevented water from reaching people downstream, and of course those people got angry. These conflicts often became bloody.
Possible answer:
Water started generating conflicts among ancient Mesopotamians.
Name THREE responsibilities of Sumerian kings
Answers include:
collect taxes
lead army
maintain irrigation
Build temples
Enforce laws
Many important inventions came from ancient Mesopotamia. They invented the plow, which they used to till the soil. Before this, they had to poke the ground with pointed sticks or animals horns, and this took a very long time. With the plow, they could plant much more efficiently. Mesopotamian plows were made out of bent pieces of wood that could cut into the ground. Farmers would pull these, or they would have animals pull these. Sumerians made wheels to shape clay pots. Later, they realized that if they turned these wheels on their side, they could roll! This was a big deal because, previously, people had to haul goods in flat-bottomed carts that got stuck in the mud. Wheeled carts and chariots allowed people and goods to move much more easily! Mesopotamian arches added strength to buildings. They also added beauty!
Many important inventions came from ancient Mesopotamia. For one thing, they invented the plow, which they used to till the soil. Before this, they had to poke the ground with pointed sticks or animals horns, and this took a very long time. With the plow, they could plant much more efficiently. Mesopotamian plows were made out of bent pieces of wood that could cut into the ground. Farmers would pull these, or they would have animals pull these. Sumerians also made wheels to shape clay pots. Later, they realized that if they turned these wheels on their side, they could roll! This was a big deal because, previously, people had to haul goods in flat-bottomed carts that got stuck in the mud. Wheeled carts and chariots allowed people and goods to move much more easily! Finally, Mesopotamians created arches added strength to buildings. They also added beauty!
Explain the challenges with water in Mesopotamia
Very dry for most of the year. Then massive flooding. Not good for growing crops!
Explain how water led to the rise of city states
People had to work together to clean the canals because a clog upstream would affect others downstream. They started interacting more and created larger communities. But as communities grew, they started fighting over water. These cities built walls around themselves and became city-states, which are cities that operate like independent countries with their own laws and governments.
What is a ziggurat, who built these structures, and how many stories high were the tallest ones?
Temple
The king
8 stories
What was one great achievement of EACH Mesopotamian empire (the Sumerians, the Akkadians, the Babylonians, the Assyrians, and the Neo-Babylonians)?
Sumerians - irrigation, writing, plow, arches, wheel
Akkadians - army, language, sculptures
Babylonians - laws! thriving agriculture/economy
Assyrians - palaces, sculptures, aqueducts
Neo-Babylonians - hanging gardens