The area of Mesopotamia is sometimes called the Fertile Crescent because the soil is so ____________ and good for growing crops. _______________ increased the amount of usable farmland or the Fertile Crescent.
Rich or fertile
Irrigation
The Fertile Crescent was home to the world’s first civilization called ______________.
Sumer
Northern Mesopotamia includes the foothills of the _________ and _____________Mountain chains.
Taurus and Zagros
The two rivers, the _______________ and _____________ were extremely important to Sumerian farming.
Tigris and Euphrates
The Sumerians developed a new way to plant; it was called a _____________.
Seed Funnel
The steady food supply allowed people to stay in one place so this led to the development of ____________.
City-states
The Sumerian religion was polytheistic and the priests role was to ______________ with the gods.
Communicate
Sumerian priests created a new writing system called _____________.
Cuneiform
Cuneiform was a system of writing that use _________________ symbols to stand for things and ideas.
Triangular-shaped
__________________ was written in cuneiform on clay tablets.
The Epic of Gilgamesh
As the city-states grew they fought and argued so the first kings of Sumer were ________________.
Military leaders
The fighting amount the ________________ eventually lead to the conquest of Sumer.
City-states
The Sumerians made many advancements. They created sculptures that were _______________. They developed ____________ which helped them make stronger weapons.
Realistic (human-like)
Bronze
Fighting continued between city-states for many years while a new society arose _______________.
Akkadian
A man from this new society named _____________ became ruler.
Sargon
Sargon conquered and controlled Sumerian states and eventually created an ___________.
Empire
This Akkadian empire lasted for more than ______ years.
50
A new empire arose under Hammurabi with its center in ___________.
Babylon
Hammurabi was an excellent military leader, and he was also a _____________.
Skilled ruler
He set up a set of laws called ________________ that followed the “offense, punishment” pattern.
Hammurabi’s Code
The idea that everyone must obey the law, including powerful proletarians is found in _______________.
Rule of Law
Assyria lay _______ of Babylon and they used ________ to make their weapons stronger.
North
Iron
An Assyrian ruler named ___________ made the city if Ninevak his capital.
Ashurbanipal
After he dies, ________________ became king of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar II