Geography
Mesopotamia is the land the between which two rivers?
Tigris and Euphrates
What does polytheism mean?
Belief in many gods
What was the name of the first society, a group of city-states with separate kings?
Sumer
Which two inventions helped Mesopotamians transport more things faster and improve trade?
the wheel and the sail
How did early humans get their food?
Hunting and gathering wild foods to survive; this is called foraging
Explain why this region is called the Fertile Crescent
curved area of land with soil good for farming
What is cuneiform, and how was it used?
Mesopotamian writing using symbols carved into clay tables and stone
Name the first emperor and empire of Mesopotamia
Sargon of the Akkadian Empire
What is a surplus, and how did having one change Mesopotamian society?
It means having more crops stored for food; (1) not everyone needs to farm, so more time for other jobs and things, (2) more food = larger population
What is the difference between history, geography, and archaeology? (Define all three!)
Answer should say a version of: history is the study of the past, geography is the study of places on earth's surface, and (double points!) archaeology is the study of human remains (ex. bodies, objects, buildings, etc.)
What is irrigation, and how did it help Mesopotamians?
systems of managing water that they invented to protect from flooding, improve farming, grow more food, etc.
What measurement system did Mesopotamians invent that we still use today?
base-60 system to divide time into seconds, minutes, hours, etc. (also used to measure degrees/angles)
What was Hammurabi's Code, and how can you infer it affected people?
Code of laws by Hammurabi, emperor of Babylon; inferences may address impact of strict and violent punishments on the people
Which groups belonged to the four classes of the social pyramid?
(1) royal family; (2) priests and military commanders; (3) farmers, artisans, scribes, and merchants; (4) enslaved people
How do humans use symbolic language for collective learning?
Answer should explain some of the following: Collective learning means sharing and improving knowledge. Humans use symbolic language to represent and communicate complex ideas; humans can tell each other things in words, which means humans can learn about the world through words and symbols even if they haven't experienced it. Humans can develop a large knowledge base across time and place because they can pass on ideas through language; this means we can learn and grow together etc., etc.,