Mesopotamia Flashcards
Q: What is Mesopotamia and where was it located?
A: Mesopotamia was an ancient region in the eastern Mediterranean, mostly in modern-day Iraq, also parts of Iran, Syria, and Turkey. It was located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Q: What does the word “Mesopotamia” mean?
A: “Meso” means middle, and “Mesopotamia” refers to “the land between the rivers.”
Q: What civilizations emerged in Mesopotamia?
A: Sumerian, Assyrian, Akkadian, and Babylonian civilizations.
Q: What major technological advancements were made by the Mesopotamians?
A: Metalworking, glassmaking, textile weaving, food and water control, the wheel, chariot, sailboat, plow, division of time into 60 parts, map creation, astronomy, and astrology.
Q: What was the first form of writing developed by the Mesopotamians?
A: Cuneiform.
Q: What was the Mesopotamian base number system and what did it help develop?
A: The sexagesimal (base 60) system, which helped develop the 360-degree circle and the 12-month year.
Q: What is the significance of the Sumerians in Mesopotamian history?
A: They were the first civilization in Southern Mesopotamia (4000 BCE), credited with creating the wheel, writing the “Epic of Gilgamesh,” and developing cuneiform.
Q: What was the “Epic of Gilgamesh”?
A: One of the world’s first greatest pieces of literature, written by the Sumerians.
Q: Who were the Assyrians and what language did they create?
A: The Assyrians were the second civilization in Northern Mesopotamia (3000 BCE). They created the Semitic language, related to Hebrew and Arabic.
Q: How long did the Assyrian civilization last and what region did they rule?
A: The Assyrians lasted 180 years and ruled over Akkadian and Sumerian speakers in Mesopotamia and the Levant.
Q: Who was Hammurabi and what did he achieve?
A: Hammurabi was the 6th king of the first Babylon Dynasty, who freed Babylon from foreign rule and conquered southern Mesopotamia.
Q: What is the Code of Hammurabi?
A: A set of 282 laws created by Hammurabi, one of the oldest deciphered writings, inscribed on stone slabs.
Q: What major trade achievement is credited to the Sumerians?
A: They built sailboats and traded with the Harappans (Northern Indians).
Q: What was Babylon’s role before Hammurabi’s rule?
A: Babylon was a minor city-state in central Mesopotamia before being unified by Hammurabi.
Q: How long did the Babylonian Empire last after Hammurabi’s reign?
A: The empire lasted for 260 years until it was invaded in 1531 BCE.
