Chapter4 Flashcards
Greek for “the land between the rivers”. It is located between the Tigris and EuphratesRivers in the Middle East.
Mesopotamia
A crescent shaped area where one of the first civilizations began. It covers the present day countries of Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel. Has been called the “cradle of civilization”.
Fertile Crescent
Rich soil. Good for farming.
Silt
An amount that is left over after a need has been met.
Surpluses
A system that brings water to land through ditches, pipes, or streams.
Irrigation
A region in southern Mesopotamia that was divided into city-states
Sumer
A city that governs itself. It has its own government but is not part of any larger unit. It is small, like a city and has its own government, like a state.
City-state
A belief in many gods.
Polytheism
A square, pyramid-shaped structure with a temple at the top. A Sumerian temple to honor their chief God.
Ziggurat
A way of writing developed by the Sumerians. It was written by cutting wedge-shaped marks into damp clay with a sharp reed.
Cuneiform
Official record keepers. Wrote documents that recorded much of the everyday life in Mesopotamia. Only a few Sumerians, mostly boys from wealthy families, learned how to read and write. Held high positions in society.
Scribes
A long poem that tells the story of a hero.
Epic
World’s oldest long story. Hero of an epic who travels the world performing great deeds
The epic of Gilgumesh
Civilizations
Complex societies with organized governments, classes, culture and writing.
A two wheeled vehicle pulled by a horse
chariots
