Mesopotamia Flashcards
Definition: Polytheism
The belief in many gods.
Definition: Monotheism
The belief in one god.
Definition: Specialization
The focus on a specific aspect of a larger topic. In Mesopotamia, people started to focus on specific jobs which led to the development of society.
Definition: Trade
The commercial exchange of goods and services. Many trade routes existed connecting the cities in Mesopotamia.
Definition: Sumerians
The population of Sumer which was a mixture of ethnic groups.
Definition: Sumer
Sumer is the ancient name for southern Mesopotamia.
Definition: Agriculture
Agriculture describes the practice of growing crops or raising animals. In Mesopotamia, fertile lands allowed for agriculture to develop.
Definition: Paleolithic
The era when humans hunted and gathered, lived in bands and made tools out of wood and bone.
Definition: Neolithic
8000–3000 BCE
Definition: Nomadic
Moving from place to place as part of the lifestyle.
Definition: Migration
The movement of either people or animals from one area to another.
Definition: Irrigation
The watering of land to make it ready for agriculture.
Why was farming a challenge in Mesopotamia and how did people overcome it?
The climate was not ideal for farming. Summers were hot, long and dry and crops could not grow. The rivers Euphrates and Tigris flooded often and forced people to develop agricultural techniques to manage it.
How did the invention of a writing system affect Sumerian society?
The Sumerians were able to pass on complex agricultural techniques to the following generations, which led to improvements in agricultural production. They were also able to develop literature and with that intellectual sophistication.
Identify the characteristics of civilization.
There are 8: Stable food supply, government, writing and language, religion, social structure, art & architecture, technology, job specialization.
