Chapter 2.1

Question 1

Define Fertile Crescent

Answer 1

A crescent shaped area of land that includes land facing the Mediterranean Sea and a plain (Mesopotamia).

Question 2

Define Mesopotamia

Answer 2

Land between rivers

Question 3

Where is Mesopotamia located?

Answer 3

Between Tigris and Euphrates River

Question 4

What happens when the two rivers flood Mesopotamia?

Answer 4

They leave silt

Question 5

What is silt

Answer 5

Fertile soil that farmers planted grain in and irrigated the fields with River water creating large quantities of wheat and barley at harvest time.

Question 6

Three disadvantages to environment with good soil (Sumerians):

Answer 6

Unpredictable flooding co boned with no rain.

No natural barriers for protection

Natural resources of Sumer were limited.

Question 7

Solutions created by Sumerians to deal with environmental challenges:

Answer 7

To provide water they dug irrigation ditches that carried River water to fields.

They built city walls with mud bricks for defense.

They traded their grain, cloth, and crafted tools with people off mountain and deserts for raw materials aka stone, wood and metal.

Question 8

define city-state

Answer 8

3000 B.C. Sumerians had a number of cities surrounded by barley and wheat , although cities shared same culture they developed own governments with own rulers.

Question 9

Name Sumerian city-states:

Answer 9

Uruk 
Kish
Lagash
Umma
Ur.

Question 10

Who were sumer’s earliest governments controlled by?

Answer 10

Temple priests

Question 11

What did priests demand from farmers?

Answer 11

A portion of farmer’s crop as taxes.

Question 12

Who lead during time of war?

Answer 12

City chose a tough fighter who could command city’s soldiers.

Question 13

After 3000 B.C. Who was in charge of Sumer and why?

Answer 13

The commander bc wars happened frequently.

Question 14

Dynasty definition:

Answer 14

Passing rule through generations.

Question 15

After 2500 B.C. How were Sumerian city-states ruled?

Answer 15

Through dynasties

Question 16

As Sumer’s city-states grew where were they located?

Answer 16

All over Fertile Crescent which is now Syria, northern Iraq, and Turkey.

Question 17

Define cultural diffusion:

Answer 17

The trade of products and ideas with neighboring cultures.

Question 18

Define polytheism:

Answer 18

Believing in more than one God.

Question 19

List some Sumerian gods:

Answer 19

Enlil God of storms and air most powerful God feared as “raging flood that has no rival”

Demons known as Ugallu protected humans from the evil demons who cause disease, misfortune, and misery.

Question 20

Why were ziggurats built

Answer 20

To keep gods happy

Question 21

Where did the souls of the dead go?

Answer 21

To the land of no return a gloomy place between the earths crust and the ancient sea.

Question 22

Who made up the highest leve;l in social classes for Sumerians?

Answer 22

Kings, landholders and priests then wealthy merchants ranked next. Lowest level was the slaves

Question 23

How could you become a slave?

Answer 23

Foreigner who had been captured

Sold into slavery as children to pay the debts of parents.

Question 24

Role of women in Sumerian times

Answer 24

Work as merchants, farmers, or artisans. Could hold property in their on names. Could join priesthood. Learned to read and write.

Question 25

What did the Sumerians invent

Answer 25

Wheel sail and plow

Question 26

How was arithmetic and geometry used in SUmer

Answer 26

Developed number system in base 60 from which stem the modern units for measuring time 60 secs=1 min and 360=degrees of a circle.

Question 27

Architectural innovations

Answer 27

Arches columns ramps and pyramids

Question 28

When was the first known map made

Answer 28

2300 B.C.

Question 29

What happened between 3000 to 2000 B.C.

Answer 29

The city-states were weakened because they were fighting each other.

Question 30

When did Sargon of Akkad take power?

Answer 30

2350 bc

Question 31

What did Sargon of Akkad do?

Answer 31

He defeated the city-states of Sumer. The Akkadians spread Sumerian culture far and because he had control of both northern be southern Mesopotamia he created the world’s first empire.

Question 32

Define empire

Answer 32

Brings together several people’s, nations, or previously independent state under the control of one ruler.

Question 33

Sargon of Akkad created what empire?

Answer 33

The Akkadian empire.

Question 34

How long did Sargon’s dynasty last?

Answer 34

200 years

Question 35

How did Sargon’s dynasty decline

Answer 35

Internal fighting, invasions, and famine.

Question 36

How was the Babylonian empire established?

Answer 36

Around 2000 Bc Nomadic Warriors known as Amorites invaded Mesopotamia. They established their Capitol at Babylon on the Euphrates River.

Question 37

When did the Babylonian empire reach its peak?

Answer 37

During the reign of Hammurabi from 1729to 1750 bc.

Question 38

What is the Hammurabi’s code?

Answer 38

That a single, uniform code of laws would help unify diverse groups in the empire.

Question 39

How many laws were in the Hammurabi code and what did they deal with?

Answer 39

282 laws dealing with family relations, business conduct, and crime. Also mainly property issues.

Laws protected women and children.

Question 40

What happened nearly two centuries after Hammurabi’s reign?

Answer 40

The Babylonian empire which had become much smaller fell to the neighboring Kassites.

Question 41

What did the Hammurabi’s code reinforce?

Answer 41

That the principle government had responsibility for what occurred in society.