Mesopotamia Flashcards
Why do you think the worlds first civilizations developed near rivers?
I think the world’s first civilizations developed near rivers because it gave them plenty of natural resources. One thing that helped life in Mesopotamia was each spring, the rivers flooded which caused the water to spread across the plains. This left rich, fertile soil which was amazing for farming.
What does the Fertile Cresent?
An area of land in the Middle East that has rich soil from the surrounding rivers.
Why was the Fertile Cresent a good place for people to settle?
This was a good place for people to settle for many reasons. Irrigation, fertile and rich soil, etc.
Which rivers is Mesopotamia located in between?
Tigris and Euphrates.
Why do you think the invention of tools like irrigation is revolutionary?
I think the invention of tools like irrigation is revolutionary because without tools and material to help farming and growing crops, it would be very hard to grow food and would have resulted in lots of death.
What could be some pros of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flooding?
Left behind rich soil
Helped grow crops which attracted life
Supplied water for irrigation
What could be some cons of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flooding?
Could ruin plants that arent ready
Could flood towns and shelter
Ruin their next prediction in the weather
Provide two examples of Sumerian Inventions.
The wheel and invention of writing.
Explain how those inventions improved the lives of the Ancient Mesopotamians.
The wheel and the writing system improved the lives of ancient Mesopotamians many ways. The wheel helped with irrigation which attracted life and helped supply water to their crops. Eventually, the wheel created the chariot which was revolutionary. It was one of the first concepts of personal transportation. The writing system was also an amazing invention. It helped Mesopotamians keep track of many things that helped evolve ways and techniques. For example, they kept track of taxes, people, laws, etc.
Do you think it’s important for a society to have written laws?
I think it’s important for a society to have written laws because it creates discipline, respect, and maturity.
If you were creating laws for a society, what would your top 3 laws be?
If I were creating laws for a society, my top 3 laws would be following under respect. I would make sure that everyone had peace and was doing their part in the society, worked hard and got the correct reward, and no matter what, everyone had food, shelter, and water.
What are somethings we can learn about the ancient Mesopotamians from Hammurabi’s Code?
They were treated based on their position or job in the society
They believed in an eye for an eye
They were hard workers
They had to provide for their family
They were very smart and had certain ways of doing things
Based on what you know about the Assyrian Empire, why do you think they would have been the largest of the Mesopotamian Empires?
I think they would have been the largest of the Mesopotamian Empires because they were very dangerous and had great resources. They took men captive, burnt Babylon, and built a library instead.
Sumer was a collection of independent, self governing cities with a farm land around them. The term for this is:
City-state
Akkadian Empire
-Ended the era of independent city-states of Sumer
-First empire in the world
-Led by Sargon of Akkad
