Mesopotamia Review

Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia

land between 2 rivers as named by the Greeks, Between the Tigris and Euphrates Modern day Iraq Cradle of Civilization Fertile Crescent

Mouth

where the river flows into another large body of water, Tigris & Euphrates flow into the Persian Gulf

Delta

triangular shaped plain at the mouth of a river; very rich soil

Sumer

~ 3500 BCE became the earliest known CIVILIZATION -a complex society with cities, 12 City States. Independent, No natural barriers for protection. Lots of mud brick

Granary

Location to store surplus grain

Ziggurat

Large step pyramid, center of Sumerian life; contained temple school (edubba)

Gilgamesh

World's first epic poem

Cuneiform

Sumerian writing

Polytheism

belief in many gods

Cylinder seals

a raised image carved on a stone cylinder

Mosiac

made of small usually colored pieces of inlaid stone, tile, or glass

Akkadians

conquered the Sumerians; first empire-group of city states under 1 ruler

Sargon I

ruler of Akkadians; established world's first known empire

Cultural Diffusion

the sharing and exchange of ideas

Babylonians

Empire after Akkadians

Hammurabi

most famous Babylonian ruler; famous for his Code of Laws; an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

Marduk

Hammurabi's favorite Mesopotamian god

Hittites

conquered Babylon; knew how to smelt iron; made stronger weapons

Assyrians

conquered Hittites; also learned to smelt iron; large organized armies; Battering rams; Killed, enslaved, Library in Nineveh

Chaldeans

New Babylonians; destroyed Jerusalem forcing the Hebrews into captivity.

Nebuchadnezzar

built Hanging Gardens of Babylon as a gift to his wife

Persians

ORGANIZED a large empire run by governors called SATRAPS, 331 BCE fell to Alexander the Great of Greece

Immortals

best Persian warriors

Zoroastrianism

Earliest monotheistic Religion ( 1 god) - Ahura Mazda - the god of light.