Chapter 2.1 Flashcards
Define Fertile Crescent
A crescent shaped area of land that includes land facing the Mediterranean Sea and a plain (Mesopotamia).
Define Mesopotamia
Land between rivers
Where is Mesopotamia located?
Between Tigris and Euphrates River
What happens when the two rivers flood Mesopotamia?
They leave silt
What is silt
Fertile soil that farmers planted grain in and irrigated the fields with River water creating large quantities of wheat and barley at harvest time.
Three disadvantages to environment with good soil (Sumerians):
Unpredictable flooding co boned with no rain.
No natural barriers for protection
Natural resources of Sumer were limited.
Solutions created by Sumerians to deal with environmental challenges:
To provide water they dug irrigation ditches that carried River water to fields.
They built city walls with mud bricks for defense.
They traded their grain, cloth, and crafted tools with people off mountain and deserts for raw materials aka stone, wood and metal.
define city-state
3000 B.C. Sumerians had a number of cities surrounded by barley and wheat , although cities shared same culture they developed own governments with own rulers.
Name Sumerian city-states:
Uruk Kish Lagash Umma Ur.
Who were sumer’s earliest governments controlled by?
Temple priests
What did priests demand from farmers?
A portion of farmer’s crop as taxes.
Who lead during time of war?
City chose a tough fighter who could command city’s soldiers.
After 3000 B.C. Who was in charge of Sumer and why?
The commander bc wars happened frequently.
Dynasty definition:
Passing rule through generations.
After 2500 B.C. How were Sumerian city-states ruled?
Through dynasties
As Sumer’s city-states grew where were they located?
All over Fertile Crescent which is now Syria, northern Iraq, and Turkey.
Define cultural diffusion:
The trade of products and ideas with neighboring cultures.
Define polytheism:
Believing in more than one God.
List some Sumerian gods:
Enlil God of storms and air most powerful God feared as “raging flood that has no rival”
Demons known as Ugallu protected humans from the evil demons who cause disease, misfortune, and misery.
Why were ziggurats built
To keep gods happy
Where did the souls of the dead go?
To the land of no return a gloomy place between the earths crust and the ancient sea.
Who made up the highest leve;l in social classes for Sumerians?
Kings, landholders and priests then wealthy merchants ranked next. Lowest level was the slaves
How could you become a slave?
Foreigner who had been captured
Sold into slavery as children to pay the debts of parents.
Role of women in Sumerian times
Work as merchants, farmers, or artisans. Could hold property in their on names. Could join priesthood. Learned to read and write.
