Mesopotamia Study Guide Review STUDY GUIDES ARE DUE ON THE DAY OF THE TEST!
1. How did the Mesopotamians use AND control the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers? Flood Control Built levees and storage basin to store excess flood water and to protect fields and homes. Irrigation Built irrigation canals to bring water to the fields.
2. Why did people settle in Mesopotamia? Fertile Crescent: Silt from Tigris & Euphrates Rivers made the land good for farming. The location of the rivers allowed for irrigation. There was enough room for growing a surplus of crops. Rivers provided transportation and trade routes Rivers provided fish for food
3. What were the major inventions and advancements of the Sumerians? Wheel Irrigation Plow Cuneiform Hammurabi s Code (Babylonian) Epic Poems(hero) Potter s Wheel Math- Base 60 (circles) Astronomy 12 Month Calendar Ziggurat Lyre Chariot (Hittites) Ironworking (Hittites) Alphabet (Phonecians)
4. What does Mesopotamia mean? What part of the word Mesopotamia means middle? Land between the rivers. Meso means middle
5. Who was Hammurabi? What was the name of his empire? What did he create? Hammurabi was a king from Babylonia. He developed the first set of written laws called, Hammurabi s Code.
6. What is a Ziggurat? What did they look like? Ziggurats were temples for the gods of Sumer.
7. What is division of labor? Why was it important? Division of labor: when each worker specializes in a particular task or job. Because of the plow and irrigation, not everyone had to be farmers, so people could have other jobs and specialize in particular tasks.
8. What are the GRAPES of Civilization? Look at your GRAPES Graphic Organizer 1. Geography 2. Religion 3. Achievements 4. Politics 5. Economics 6. Social Structure
9. How does Sumer meet these? 1. Geography= Fertile Crescent, stable food supply 2. Religion= polytheism, ziggurat 3. Achievements= cuneiform, irrigation, wheel, etc. 4. Politics= King, empire 5. Economics= Trade, barter 6. Social Structure= social classes reflect power
10. What is cuneiform? Why was it first used? What does it look like? Cuneiform was the world s first system of writing. It was first used to keep business records. It looks like
11. What type of religion did the Sumerians have? The Sumerians were polytheistic, they believed in many gods.
12. What did Sargon & the Akkadians build? King Sargon built the world s first empire, or land with different territories and people under a single rule. The Akkadians were the first people to create an empire.
13. What advances in military strategies allowed other empires to conquer Mesopotamia? Akkadian: Soldiers fought in tight formations with spears/shields, destroyed the walls of the city-states. Assyrians: Siege Warfare, iron weapons, horses in battle, battering rams, siege towers.
14. What was the Social Structure in Sumer? Social Structure=Social Hierarchy The division of society by rank or class. King Priests and Government Officials Merchants, Traders, and Scribes Farmers and Laborers Slaves
15. Did Hammurabi s Code provide due process & equality before the law? Equality before the Law: This means regardless of race, gender, age, social class, etc. that all people are to be treated equally under our federal, state, and local laws. Due Process: Everyone is innocent until PROVEN guilty. You are allowed to have a lawyer and witnesses to defend you. You must be given a trial. Did Hammurabi s Code protect these rights? Not Exactly
Equality before the Law: If you were of low social class or a slave your punishments would be more harsh than if you were a government official. This means people were NOT equal before the law. Due Process: Accused persons were guilty until proven innocent and did not have rights like trial by jury, no cruel or unusual punishments, or a Bill of Rights protecting them. Eye for an eye remember?
Exit Share two important points about Ancient Mesopotamia with a buddy nearby. You cannot use the same point as your partner.