Vocab
This word literally means, "The Land Between Two Rivers".
Mesopotamia
An advanced form of culture, you need to have 8 traits to be considered one.
A civilization
The earliest civilizations formed in ____________
_____________ usually because they were a source of fresh water and had good soil from flooding.
River Valleys
Most civilizations had one of these, which was a way for people in that civilization to share in rituals or beliefs. These were usually run by priests.
Religion
What are the names of the two rivers that Mesopotamia is located between?
Tigris and Euphrates
A period where not enough rain or snow falls.
Drought
A Region in southern Mesopotamia and the site of the very first civilization.
Sumer
Give three reasons why civilizations all began near river valleys.
Answers may vary, (Fresh Water, Fishing, Farming, Cleaning, Defenses, Transportation, Trade, etc).
Civilizations allowed for large numbers or people to live together. Many people meant many jobs. What are three jobs that people in a civilization might have had (other than farming or hunting).
Answers may vary. Builders, Soldiers, Metalworkers, Merchants, artisans, scribes, etc.
Because the flooding of these rivers was so irregular and unreliable, Farmers in Mesopotamia had to learn how to use ___________, or the ability to move water from a source to where they needed it most.
Irrigation.
The fine soil deposited by rivers after a flood.
Silt
The largest and most important structure in a Sumerian City, these were usually a palace or a temple.
Ziggurat
This is the first trait of civilizations; somewhere to live and defend.
Cities
King-High Priest
Nobles or Low Priests
Merchant Class/Soldiers
Artisans
Peasants
Slaves
This is an example of what trait of civilizations?
Social Classes
More often than not, Sumerian Kings had another job as well as a _______________ because Sumerians believed their leader needed to be able to communicate with the gods.
Priests, High Priests
What is a surplus?
To have more of something than needed.
to believe in many gods
Civilizations require a _____________ to help maintain order, establish laws, and distribute resources.
Government
A major requirement for civilization is the development of _____________, which allowed people to record information for the first time ever.
Writing (Written Language)
Sumerians early form of writing was a type of pictograph called what?
Cuneiform.
A type of community that included a city and the nearby lands surrounding it.
The earliest forms of written language were not done with words, but instead used symbols and images. These are called...
Pictographs
When the Government orders a road, building, bridge, or monument constructed it is an example of _______________ _________________
Public Works
Civilizations also developed their own cultures. They would build buildings in a certain way, or create objects to reflect their needs or beliefs. This is an example of ____________ & ____________
Art and Architecture.
The most famous King of Sumer was _____________ who was famous not just as a great leader, but was also written about in one of the oldest surviving stories in history.
Gilgamesh