L4 Flashcards
City-state
An early city that was like a small, independent country with its own laws and government
Complex
Arranged in a difficult way
Constructed
To build; usually some kind of structure, such as a house
Dispute
A strong disagreement
Euphrates river
One of the two Largest rivers in Southwest Asia that flow from the mountains in Turkey to the Persian gulf
Irrigation
A means of supplying land with water
Layer
A substance that lies between or above other things
Levee
A wall of earth built to prevent a river from flooding its banks
Maintaining
To keep something in good condition by making necessary repairs
Material
A resource that can be used to make something else
Mesopotamia
In ancient times, the geographic area located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
Silt
Fine particles of rock
Sumer
An area in southern Mesopotamia, where cities first appeared
Tigris River
One of the two largest rivers in Southwest Asia that flow from the mountains in Turkey to the Persian Gulf
The environment of Sumer was
Low, flat, with little rain
The name of Mesopotamia comes from its location, which was between two
Rivers
What development caused food shortages in the Zagros foothills?
Population increased
What solution did people in the Zagros foothills find to fix the problem of food shortages
They moved south
Name the two factors that made farming difficult in the area of Sumer
There was an uncontrolled water supply
Why did the rivers flood in the spring?
Snowmelt from the mountains was flowing down
What was the chief purpose of dams and reservoirs
To store water for better use
If you were in ancient Sumer, you might see a levee beside a river. Why was the levee built?
To prevent the overflow of a river
Why was silt a problem for the people of Sumer?
It clogged canals and what they built to control water
Why did the villages of Sumer depend on each other?
Cooperated to keep the water system working
