What device did Mesopotamians use in order to prevent high floods from entering their crop fields?
A dike.
100
What is a social hierarchy?
A system of ranking.
100
When was writing invented and what was its initial purpose?
3500 BCE
It's purpose was to keep track of trade and transactions.
100
What is a ziggurat?
A ziggurat is a Mesopotamian temple that was dedicated to one god.
100
Hammurabi's code of laws were based on which principle?
Hammurabi's code of laws were based on the principle of "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth".
200
What did the Mesopotamians invent in order to irrigate the crops and control floods?
Canals.
200
What did the king represent in the social hierarchy?
The king represented the gods on earth.
200
What are pictographic signs?
Pictographic signs were symbols that represented an image instead of a sound. There were 1200 pictographic signs.
200
Where would a ziggurat be found and how many of them were there in each city?
A ziggurat would be found in the center of the city. It would be the tallest building.
There was only 1 ziggurat in each city-state, as each city honored one god.
200
If a son strikes his father, _________________.
...... his hands shall we cut off.
300
What does the word urbanized mean?
Urbanized means to work and live in the city.
300
How were slaves identified in Mesopotamian society?
Slaves were identified by having a specific haircut.
300
What is Mesopotamian writing called and what tool is used in order to write it?
Mesopotamian writing was called cuneiform.
A stylus was used in order to write it on clay.
300
What would happen to people's spirits in the after-life if they had not received a proper burial ritual?
Mesopotamians believed that if you did not give someone a proper burial, they would come back to haunt the living as ghosts in the after-life.
300
How many laws did Hammurabi have?
282 laws.
400
The Mesopotamians created ______________ in order to store water when they needed it during droughts.
Reservoirs.
400
What is a monarchy?
A monarchy is a system of government with the king at the head.
400
What was the number system called and what number was it based on?
The number system was called the sexagesimal system and it was based on the number 60.
400
Describe the 11 day new year.
During the 11 day new year, the Mesopotamians would sacrifice a sheep by cutting its head off and would put it on display for 11 days. They believed that the sheep's head would absorb all the evil around them. At the end of the 11 days they would throw the sheep into the river.
400
Why do we know more about Hammurabi's laws than of other forms of government?
Hammurabi was the first king to write down and record his laws.
500
What is a civilization?
A civilization is an organized society with developed knowledge of farming, crafts, trade, government, art, and science.
500
What is an hier?
A person who inherits power, rank, or property?
500
Cuneiform is made out of _____________ symbols that stand for sounds.
Phonetic.
500
Who was Gilgamesh? Tell me one version of the "Epic of Gilgamesh".
Gilgamesh was Mesopotamian king that sought out the key for immortality.
One version of the "Epic of Gilgamesh" was that Gilgamesh went out to find the plant that would grant him immortality. He jumped into the waters of death and retrieved the plant. A snake though snatched it away from him on his way home.
500
If a person was falsely accused of a crime, what is the one thing they could do in order to prove their innocence?
They could jump into the Euphrates river. If they survived they would be considered innocent. The accuser would be put to death and accused person would take their property.