Vocabulary
a particular region with a society, culture, and way of life
What is Civilization?
Which leader founded the largest empire in the Fertile Crescent during ancient history?
Cyrus the Great
A person that believes in two or more gods.
What is Polytheism?
How were people in Mesopotamia successful when farming in the dry climate?
created canals and used irrigation to transport water from the rivers to their fields.
Why did the Sumerians originally use cuneiform?
used to record a variety of information such as temple activities, business and trade. Cuneiform was also used to write stories, myths, and personal letters.
cities that were independent, governed only itself and the surrounding countryside
What is city-state?
Which group of people were responsible for creating one of the first versions of the alphabet?
What are the Phoenicians?
pyramid-shaped temple tower
What is a Ziggurat?
Which group of people were the first to build city-states in Mesopotamia and live in the Fertile Crescent?
What is the Sumerians?
What was invented by the Assyrians?
iron weapons, chariot, the Lamassu statues
What is a chariot?
a wheeled cart horse-drawn by soldiers in battle
Which material did the Sumerians make out of copper and tin to produce better weapons?
What is Bronze?
What is a major belief in Zoroastrianism?
Zoroastrians believe that they are part of a cosmic battle to help good defeat evil in the universe.
How did irrigation lead to the growth of civilization in Mesopotamia?
Farmers were able produce a surplus of food.
He was the first leader to rule an empire.
Who is Sargon?
territories and groups of people from different lands under a single rule
What is an empire?
What projects were ordered by Darius I to improve the Persian Empire in Ancient Mesopotamia?
standardized currency, divided government into provinces that were each ruled by satraps, and affordable tributes, royal road,
Kings from Mesopotamia claimed that their authority over their people came from which source?
What is the Mesopotamian gods?
What is having a surplus?
having more than what is needed
Why did the Phoenicians depend on trade to grow their economy?
Phoenicia did not have much farmland or resources. They used land and sea routes near their location to trade across the Mediterranean Sea and Fertile Crescent.
Define Monarchy
a type of government/civilization that is ruled by a single king or queen
Why was Cyrus the Great able to grow the Persian Empire and keep the loyalty of his subjects?
He conquered their empire to keep their independent religions and customs.
How did religion affect Mesopotamia?
In early Mesopotamia, priests were the initial rulers as all authority came from the god. Religion was central to Mesopotamians as they believed the divine affected every aspect of human life.
What is a barter system?
trade or exchange of items without using money directly with another person
Why are the terms “Mesopotamia” and “Mesopotamian” misleading when talking about the people who lived there?
The Mesopotamians were not one unified group of people, but several civilizations who lived in Mesopotamia and across the Fertile Crescent area