Study Guide - Mesopotamia

What was the cause of the conquest of Sumer?

The fight among the city-states

What does Hammurabi’s Code tell about society?

All the members were not treated equally, it brought social order

What was the importance of Sumer in world history?

Cuneiform, world’s first civilization

What describes the Epic of Gilgamesh?

Courage, written in Cuneiform, a myth about a legendary hero, first piece of literature in written form

What were the patterns of laws in Hammurabi’s Code?

Offense leads to punishment/consequences

What was the difference of Sumerian sculpture’s from earlier sculptures?

Realistic depiction of humans

What civilization created the first set of written laws?

Babylonian - King Hammurabi

What Sumerian art form did the cylinder seals show?

Cylinder seals showed a form of Sumerian art called engraving. They were carved with detailed pictures, and when rolled over wet clay, the images appeared like a stamp.

What was the Phoenician alphabet based on?

Sounds

What was the center of Hammurabi’s Code?

Babylon

What led to the spread of the Phoenicians’ civilization?

The Phoenicians’ civilization spread because they were skilled sailors who traveled all around the Mediterranean Sea. They set up many trading posts and colonies. As they traded with different groups, they shared their ideas, beliefs, and especially their alphabet. This helped their culture spread across the ancient world.

What was the significance and impact of Hammurabi’s code?

Hammurabi’s Code was important because it was one of the first written sets of laws. It had about 282 laws carved into stone so everyone could see them. This helped keep order and made sure people knew the rules. Some ideas in modern laws come from Hammurabi’s Code.

How did the geography of the Fertile Crescent lead to the development of civilization?

The geography of the Fertile Crescent helped civilization develop because the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flooded and deposited silt, which made the soil very fertile. This allowed farmers to grow extra food, leading to permanent settlements and specialized jobs. Its location also made it easy to trade with nearby regions.

List the Sumerian inventions and their significance.

The Sumerians invented irrigation to water crops and dams to prevent flooding. They created the seed plow to save time when planting. They developed cuneiform as one of the first writing systems and used bronze to make stronger tools and weapons. They invented the wheel for carts and sails for boat transportation. They also advanced math and astronomy by creating a 60-based system with 60 minutes in an hour and 60 seconds in a minute, and they divided the year into 12 months of 30 days.