Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent Flashcards
What is Monotheism?
A belief in one god.
What is Polytheism?
A belief in many gods.
Define Please:
To try to make someone else happy.
Define Appease:
To make someone happy by meeting their demand.
What are some pros of perment settlement?
- Stronger relationships and communities
- Local Jobs/Businesses (More people to work)
What are some cons of permanent settlement?
- Overpopulation (Too many people with more people coming in)
- Social Inequality (People who have stayed there longer think they are better than the newbies)
What are the Characteristics of Civilizations?
Architecture, Religion, Cities, Language/Writing System, Art, Job Specialization, Social Hierarchy, and Government.
Explain floods in Mesopotamia:
Floods could be unpredictable and very violent and destructive. Farmers were never sure when to plant their crops because of the risk of a flood.
What does “Mesopotamia” mean?
“Land Between the Rivers”
Where is Mesopotamia located?
In modern-day Iraq, in between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
What is cuneiform?
The first written language made by the Sumerians in 3200 BCE. It uses wedge-shaped marks and is enscribed on clay tablets. It was initially used for record keeping, and later developed for many Mesopotamian languages.
What is slavery?
Slavery is when a person is stripped of their freedom and forced to work with no wage under a master’s commands.
Why did slavery develop in the ancient world?
So slaves could do people’s work for cheap wage.
What does Hammurabi’s code tell us about the Babylonian society? (Be able to write 2-3 sentences on this)
Men were favored over women and people were placed in a social hierarchy.
What are some geographic features that surround most Babylonian cities?
The Tigris and Euphrates rivers, semiarid flat-land, and many rivers.
Why would people settle in Babylonia?
People would settle in Babylonia because of the fertile land, the jobs, the stable government, and the natural resources (water and crops).
Did Hammurabi’s territory grow or shrink by 1750 BCE?
Hammurabi’s territory grew by 1750 BCE because he had a stable law code and he had ruled for many years so people worshipped him.
How was King Hammurabi king for so long?
King Hammurabi stayed a king for so long because he had a very stable law code that kept people in order. Also, he made many infuencial changes in Babylonia and untmately gained much of southern Mesopotamia.
What led to the rise and fall of Mesopotamian city-states? (Be able to write 2-3 sentences about this)
Wars. The city-states were constantly fighting each other so that would weaken them when they lost and strengthen them when they won.
How did the wheel benefit Sumerians? (Be able to write 2-3 sentences about this)
The wheel gave transportation and helped agricultural systems (plows).
