Geography of Mesopotamia
What is a floodplain?
the flat land bordering a river
What is a civilization?
an advanced form of culture
What is a pictograph?
a picture or drawing that represents a word or an idea
What is a drought?
period of little rain
What is a surplus?
an amount of a good such as food in excess of what is needed
What was Sumer?
an ancient region of southern Mesopotamia
What was a stylus?
a sharpened reed used to press markings into clay tablets
What is a ziggurat?
an ancient Sumerian or Babylonian temple that rose in a series of step like levels
What common item of life today was invented by Ancient Sumerians?
the wheel
What was the main purpose of a ziggurat?
a place for religious service
What is cuneiform?
a type of writing made up of wedge shaped markings
What is a scribe?
a person who specialize=s in writing and serves as a record keeper
Where did most Sumerians live after about 2000 B.C.?
in city-states
For what initial purpose did the Sumerians develop the world's first writing system?
to keep business records
What role did the gods play in Sumerian society?
they protected people from troubles and dangers.
Who had the most power in Sumerian society?
priests
What name have historians given to the land that lies between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers?
the Fertile Crescent or Mesopotamia
On what did Sumerian farmers depend in order to grow crops?
canals they built to bring river water to their fields
What was the main building material of the ancient Sumerians?
mud
Which group of people was in the middle class of Sumerian society?
farmers