Mesopotamia
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Vocabulary
Civilization- A complex society
Sumer- The earliest-known civilization in the Fertile Crescent
Fertile Crescent- Area of fertile land in the Middle East
Mesopotamia- Land between the Rivers
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers- Rivers that surround Mesopotamia
Irrigation- Moving water to grow food
City-State- Isolated cities that functioned like small countries
Ziggurat- Mountain of god
Artisans- Skilled workers that made useful products
Cuneiform- First form of writing; uses wedged -shaped symbols
scribes- Record Keepers; Those that could write
Epic of Gilgamesh- The world's oldest known story; comes from Sumer
Sargon- King of the Akkadians; first to all of Mesopotamia
Empire- A group of different lands under one ruler
Babylon- City built by Hammurabi
Hammurabi- King of Babylonian Empire; famous for his Law Codes
Hammurabi's Code- First organized and written code that all could see
EQ How did the Mesopotamia civilization develop?
They developed when Hammurabi built Babylon
Problem: What were City-States?
Solution: Sumerians cities were isolated from each other by geography. Beyond the areas of settlements lay mudflats and patches of scorching desert. this terrain made travel and communication difficult. Each Sumerian city and the land around it became separate city-state. It had its own government and was not part of any larger unit. Sumerians city-state often went to war with one another. they fought to gain glory and to control more territory. For protection, each city-state surrounded itself with a wall. Because stone and wood were in short supply, the Sumerians used river mud as their main building materials. They mixed the mud with crushed and reeds, formed bricks, and left them in the sun to dry. The hard waterproof bricks were used for walls, as well as comes, temples, and other buildings. Some still exist today.
Civilization- A complex society
Sumer- The earliest-known civilization in the Fertile Crescent
Fertile Crescent- Area of fertile land in the Middle East
Mesopotamia- Land between the Rivers
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers- Rivers that surround Mesopotamia
Irrigation- Moving water to grow food
City-State- Isolated cities that functioned like small countries
Ziggurat- Mountain of god
Artisans- Skilled workers that made useful products
Cuneiform- First form of writing; uses wedged -shaped symbols
scribes- Record Keepers; Those that could write
Epic of Gilgamesh- The world's oldest known story; comes from Sumer
Sargon- King of the Akkadians; first to all of Mesopotamia
Empire- A group of different lands under one ruler
Babylon- City built by Hammurabi
Hammurabi- King of Babylonian Empire; famous for his Law Codes
Hammurabi's Code- First organized and written code that all could see
EQ How did the Mesopotamia civilization develop?
They developed when Hammurabi built Babylon
Problem: What were City-States?
Solution: Sumerians cities were isolated from each other by geography. Beyond the areas of settlements lay mudflats and patches of scorching desert. this terrain made travel and communication difficult. Each Sumerian city and the land around it became separate city-state. It had its own government and was not part of any larger unit. Sumerians city-state often went to war with one another. they fought to gain glory and to control more territory. For protection, each city-state surrounded itself with a wall. Because stone and wood were in short supply, the Sumerians used river mud as their main building materials. They mixed the mud with crushed and reeds, formed bricks, and left them in the sun to dry. The hard waterproof bricks were used for walls, as well as comes, temples, and other buildings. Some still exist today.