Mesopotamia Study Guide Flashcards
Agriculture
The business of farming, growing crops and raising animals
Domesticate
To train a wild animal to be useful to humans
Nomad
One who moves from place to place with no permanent home
Trade
The business of buying and selling or exchanging items
Irrigation
A means of supplying land with water
Silt
Fine particles of rock
City-state
An early city that was like a small independent country with its own laws and government
Social Structure
The way a civilization is organized
Scribe
A person who writes
Merchant
A person who makes money by selling goods
Artisan
A crafts person
Cuneiform
Writing that uses wedge shaped characters
Levee
As wall of earth built to prevent a river from flooding its banks
Economy
The way a region of country uses resources to produce a sell or trade goods and services to meet the needs and wants of the people.
Tribute
Wealth sent from one country’s ruler to another as a sign that the other is superior
Empire
A large territory in which several groups of people are ruled by a single leader or government
Capital
A city that is the center of government
Monotheism
They believe in one god
Polytheism
They believe in many gods
What are the 2 rivers around Mesopotamia?
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Why did Mesopotamia get its name?
It means the land between the rivers
Explain the season weather changes in Sumer
It is hot and dry most of the year, except during the spring where it rains a lot
What did the Sumerians invent?
The plow, complex irrigations systems, canals, dams, and reservoirs
They also invented the wheel and the Ark
What were the 5 social classes?
- Priests and Kings
- Scribes and Government officials
- Wealthy Merchants
- Working Class
- Slaves
What was the name of Sumerian writing?
Cuneiform
What empire rose to power in Mesopotamia after the Assyrian Empire?
The neo-Babylonian empire
Which empire was the world’s first?
The Akkadians
Who was the Akkadians ruler?
Sargon
Who was known for his severe laws?
King Hammurabi
How did the Akkadians get the resources they needed?
By collecting tribute from those they conquered
What were the religious beliefs in Mesopotamia?
They believed in gods and Mande ziggurats for them
Describe the different ways Sumerians controlled the water supply
They built levees, complex irrigation systems, canals, dams, and reservoirs
What are the 7 characteristics of a civilization?
- Geography
- Religion
- Achievements
- Politics
- Economics
- Society
- Stable food supply
Which characteristic of a civilization must happen first?
Stable food supply
List the pros and cons of Hammurabi’s code
Pros: equal punishment
Cons: Punishments seems scary and too harsh
The agricultural revolution was one of the most important eras in human history. What are the three results of the agricultural revolution that changes human life forever?
- People could stay in one place, no longer nomadic
- Growing food led to surplus or extra
- Led to increase in populations
Why did most civilizations develop near a large supply of fresh water?
They needed the water to grow crops
