CH2 Flashcards
(40 cards)
Which two rivers were important in the development of civilization in southwest Asia?
Tigris and Euphrates
The region where these two rivers flow was called _______, which means “land between two rivers”
Mesopotamia
Fertile soil that is deposited on the land by a river during a flood is called _______.
Silt
Why was Mesopotamia easy to invade?
Flat land / no natural barriers
Why was it possible for Mesopotamians to trade for the resources that they lacked?
Surplus
An advanced form of culture is called _______.
Civilization
The world’s first known civilization that developed in southern Mesopotamia was called _______.
Sumer
Sumerians created bronze tools by mixing _______ and _______.
Copper and tin
A community that includes a city and surrounding farmland is called a _______.
City-state
How did the Sumerians protect their cities?
Building large walls
Sumerian temple is known as _______.
Ziggurat
What did the Sumerians believe about the afterlife?
Bad, miserable
What type of religion did the Sumerians practice?
Polytheism
Which two groups were at the top of the Sumerian class system?
Kings and priests
Sumerians are believed to have invented which two items that made farming easier?
- Wheel
- Plow
How did the Sumerians solve the problem of limited rainfall for agriculture?
Irrigation canals
For what purpose did the Sumerians invent a mathematical system?
To measure and count
For what purpose did the Sumerians invent a writing system?
To keep records of business transactions
The Sumerian number system was based on which number?
60
Early writing in Mesopotamia took this form: _______.
Pictograph
The world’s first official writing system of wedge-shapes was known as _______.
Cuneiform
The world’s first empire was _______.
Akkad
A person who rules an empire is called an _______.
Emperor
Name given to the area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf.
Fertile Crescent
