SS - Unit 1 - Chapter 1 - Sections 2 & 3

Question 1

Definition: a political district

Answer 1

province

Question 2

Definition: a complex society with cities, organized government, art, religion, class divisions, and a writing system

Answer 2

civilization

Question 3

What region is sometimes known as the Fertile Crescent?

Answer 3

Mesopotamia

Question 4

Where is the Mesopotamia located?

Answer 4

It reaches from present day Israel to the Person Gulf and lies between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

Question 5

What region is known as a center for early civilizations?

Answer 5

Mesopotamia

Question 6

Definition:

a method of bringing water to a field from another place to water crops

Answer 6

irrigation

Question 7

Definition:

a person who studies stars, planets, and other heavenly bodies

Answer 7

astronomers

Question 8

Definition:

a group of traveling merchants and animals

Answer 8

caravan

Question 9

Definition:

a group of territories or nations under a single ruler or government

Answer 9

empire

Question 10

Definition:

a record keeper in ancient times

Answer 10

scribe

Question 11

Scribes often held ___________ and were often from ________ families.

Question 12

Definition:

a skilled craftsperson

Answer 12

artisan

Question 13

Definition:

an independent state made up of a city and its surrounding land and villages

Answer 13

city-state

Question 14

Definition:

the Sumerian writing system based upon wedge-shaped symbols written on clay tablets

Answer 14

cuneiform

Question 15

Due to the their success with farming, the Sumerian people created a _______, or extra supply, of food.

Answer 15

surplus

Question 16

Definition:

the spread of ideas from one place to another

Answer 16

cultural diffusion

Question 17

Where did the civilizations in Mesopotamia begin and why?

Answer 17

The civilizations began in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers because it had fertile soil.

Question 18

List 3 reasons why river valleys were ideal places for early civilizations to begin?

Answer 18

1. good farming
2. travel and trade
3. cities

Question 19

What does the name Mesopotamia mean when translated to English?

Answer 19

“The land between the rivers”

Question 20

What did the Sumerians develop or do in order to handle the seasonal flooding of the rivers?

Answer 20

built dams and channels to control the seasonal floods

Question 21

How were the city-states of Sumer separated from one another?

Answer 21

geography

Question 22

Describe Sumer’s social class listed below:

Upper Class

Answer 22

• Kings
• priests
• government officials

Question 23

Describe Sumer’s social class listed below:

Middle Class

Answer 23

• artisans
• merchants
• farmers
• fishers

Question 24

Describe Sumer’s social class listed below:

Lower Class

Answer 24

• enslaved people who worked on farms or in temples

Question 25

The Sumerians believed in many \_\_\_\_\_\_\_.

Answer 25

gods

Question 26

Believing in many gods is known as \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.

Answer 26

polytheism

Question 27

Each god was thought to have power over a _________ or \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.

Answer 27

Each god was thought to have power over a ***_natural force***_ or _***human activity_***.

Question 28

The people of Sumer people built temples called _______ in honor of their gods.

Answer 28

ziggurats

Question 29

What was the greatest invention of the Sumer people?

Answer 29

writing

Question 30

Why is writing important?

Answer 30

Writing is important because it helps keep records and pass on their ideas to others.

Question 31

What is an epic?

Answer 31

a long poem that tells a story of a hero

Question 32

List 4 Sumerian inventions / innovations.

Answer 32

1. wagon wheel 2. plow 3. sail boat 4. writing

Question 33

What is Hammurabi best know for?

Answer 33

Hammurabi is best known for his law code -- The Code of Hammurabi

Question 34

Why was Hammurabi's innovation important?

Answer 34

His laws mark an important step towards a fair system of justice.

Question 35

List and explain 3 reasons why the Assyrian Empire was strong during the height of its power.

Answer 35

1. They had a well organized army. 2. They used iron weapons 3. Anyone who resisted their rule was punished.

Question 36

Assyrians laws and writings were based on the laws and writings of the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.

Answer 36

Babylonians

Question 37

What were some of the Assyrian innovations?

Answer 37

They had one of the first libraries in Nineveh.

Question 38

Why did the Assyrians lose power in Mesopotamia?

Answer 38

They had cruel punishments and fought against each other.

Question 39

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ rebuilt the city of Babylon as the center of their empire.

Answer 39

Chaldeans.

Question 40

The rebuilt city of Babylon became the world's _______ and _______ city.

Answer 40

The rebuilt city of Babylon became the world's ***_larges***_t and _***richest_*** city.

Question 41

Describe the city of Babylon.

Answer 41

* It was the largest and richest city. * There were large palaces and temples in the middle of the city. * Nebuchadnezzar built the Hanging Gardens for his wife because she had to leave the trees and plants to move to Babylon.