Chapter 4 Flashcards
City-state
An independent nation made up of a city and the land around it
Silt
Small particles of fertile soil left after floods
Polytheism
The belief in more than one god
Ziggurat
A pyramid shaped tower with a temple at the top
Cuneiform
A Sumerian writing system that used wedge shaped marks made in soft clay
Scribe
A person who copies or writes out documents; often a record keeper
Epic
A long poem that tells the story of a hero
Civilization
A group of people who have a high level or culture and order
What does a civilization have?
Science, art, government, values, and beliefs
When did the first people stay in the Mesopotamia?
Around 7000 BC
The first people in the Mesopotamia __________.
Hunted
Why is the date 4000 BC important?
That is when people began farmi.
Where did the people farm?
Between the two rivers (Tigris and Euphrates)
What created large amounts of surpluses?
Irrigation
What did each city state have?
A government
What do historians believe surrounded city states?
Large walls
Each city state _____________________.
Claimed one god as its own
The Upper class includes
Kings, priests, Warriors, and government workers
The people in the upper class were….
Powerful and wealthy
The middle class includes:
Farmers, fishers, and artisans.
The middle class ________________.
Was the largest group.
The lower class includes:
Enslaved people.
The lower class_____________.
Had no money and no power.
Sumerian city states were……
- ruled by a king
- had its own government
- grew its own crops
- worshiped many gods but claimed one as their own
- formed alliances with other city states
- owned surrounding land
Who created the cuneiform?
Sumerians
Who learned how to write cuneiform?
Very few people, some because scribes.
What was cuneiform’s use?
Recording data
What is the oldest known story?
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Who were the first to use the wheel?
Sumerians
Name 3 Sumerian inventions.
- sailboats
- wooden plows
- bronze
What was bronze made out of?
Copper and Tin
Empire
A group of many different lands under one ruler
How did the city states weaken?
By fighting each other.
What kingdom was in the northern Mesopotamia?
The kingdom of Akkad
Who was Akkad’s leader?
Sargon
What was Sargon the leader of?
Akkad
(True or False) all at once Sargon defeated the Cory states of Sumer
False
Sargon united ———– and ————– to form an empire.
Akkad and Sumer
What was the firm ever known empire formed?
The empire of Sargon
Eventually the empire included_____________.
All of the Mesopotamia
How long did Sargon’s empire last?
More than 200 years
Who was located in west Mesopotamia?
A group called the Amorites.
When did the Amorites take over Mesopotamia?
1800s BC
Who was king for Babylon?
Hammurabi
How was the Babylonian empire formed?
- the Amorites took over the Mesopotamia
- the Amorites build cities in the Mesopotamia, including Babylon
- Hammurabi conquers the Amorites and forms the Babylonian empire then becomes king
(True or False) Hammurabi was an unfair ruler.
False
What was hammurabi’s code called?
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
Around 900 BC who began to take over the Mesopotamia?
The Assyrians
Where were the Assyrians located?
Northern Mesopotamia
What was the major city of the Assyrian empire?
Nineveh
4 things the Assyrian empire did/had
- divided into provinces
- ruled by a king
- used law codes
- roads connected provinces
About how long did the Assyrian empire last?
300 years
What weakened the Assyrian empire?
Fights about who would be the next ruler.
Who defeated the Assyrians?
The Chaldeans
What did the Chaldeans make their capital?
Babylon
Who was the first ruler of the Chaldeans or new Babylonian empire
King Nabopolassar
Who took control after Nabapolassar?
King Nebuchadnezzar
What surrounded the city of Babylon after it was rebuilt by Nebuchadnezzar?
Large walls
Who built the hanging gardens?
King Nebuchadnezzar
Babylon. Grew rich in the trade of _________.
Cloth, baskets, and jewelry
The Chaldeans were the first to _____ and ________.
First sundial to measure time and they invented the seven day week system.
