Ancient Mesopotamia Study Guide

Mesopotamia

Known as “land between rivers” because it lies between the Tigris and Euphrates River.

Fertile Crescent

A large arc of rich, fertile farmland.

Mesopotamia

Known as “land between rivers” because it lies between the Tigris and Euphrates River.

Fertile Crescent

A large arc of rich, fertile farmland.

Silt

A mixture of rich soil and tiny rocks that made the land excellent for farming.

Irrigation

A way of supplying water to an area of land.

Canals

Man-made waterways that carried water to the farmland.

Dams

Prevents flooding.

Surplus

More than what was needed.

Division of Labor

System where each worker specialize in a particular task or job.

Polytheism

Believed in many gods.

Architecture

The science of building.

Ziggurats

Temples built to honour the god or goddess of a city.

Divine right

A right to rule given to a person by the gods.

Cuneiform

Sumerian form of writing, written on clay tablets.

Scribes

Kept records of items people traded.

Epics

Long poems that tell stories of heroes.

King Sargon

First Akkadian ruler to have a permanent army and created the first empire.

Empire

Land with different territories under a single rule.

Nebuchadnezzar

Created the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Hammurabi

The most well-known Babylonian leader. Conquered Sumer and Akkadia.

Hammurabi’s Code

List of 282 laws; based on “eye for an eye”, being the first written law code.

King Sargon II

Most important leader of Akkadia; ruled with absolute power.

Absolute power

King has control of the law.

Why is Mesopotamia known as “the land between the rivers”?

Mesopotamia is known as the “the land between the rivers” because it is between the Tigris and Euphrates River. The Euphrates river is longer that the Tigris river. Both rivers flooded every spring, bringing silt which is a mixture of soil and tiny rocks that is good for agriculture. Mesopotamia was located in the Fertile Crescent, which is a large arc of rich fertile land that was good for farming.

How did the “Fertile Crescent” get its name?

The Fertile Crescent got its name because of its shape of a crescent and because it was great for agriculture. Farmers used this land to grow crops, which helped Mesopotamia to survive and build their civilization. The Fertile Crescent was fertile because the Tigris river and Euphrates river flooded every spring bringing silt.

What are the pros and cons of rivers flooding?

There are many pros and cons of flooding. Some of the pros are that there was an adequate supply of water, the flooding would provide silt and keep the land fertile, which helped with agriculture and rivers flooding allowed for an irrigation system to be built. Some cons are that the flooding could kill crops, too much water can damage land and homes and too much flooding could also ruin irrigation systems and change their way of life.

How did irrigation result in the creation of more jobs in Mesopotamia?

Once the Mesopotamia were able to irrigate the flooding rivers, they were able to increase food production. Eventually, they created surplus, more than what was needed. As fewer farmers were needed to work the land, new jobs came about, which resulted in the division of labor, a system where each worker specialized in a specific task.

What role did the gods play in Sumer?

The gods had an important role in ancient Sumer because the people believed the gods controlled everything. They believed the gods controlled all good and bad events. They believed that the flooding was controlled by the gods, but also thought the gods would bring them a good harvest. The Sumarians also asked the gods for protection during wars.

Why were scribes highly valued in society?

Scribes were highly valued in society because they were the only people who could write. They kept records of items people traded and could be used to write stories such as epics, which taught the children stories of heroes from their civilization. Scribes often became teachers, lawyers, copyists, architects, doctors and kings.

Explain the importance of written language in Mesopotamia.

Written language was important to Mesopotamia because by using cuneiform, the scribes could keep records of what people traded. By translating cuneiform, we learn about what life was like in Mesopotamia, teaching future generations about ancient history.

What was Hammurabi’s Code? Explain the impact of Hammurabi’s Code on Mesopotamian society.

Hammurabi’s code was a law code of 282 laws written down, Hammurabi’s code had strict punishments for crimes committed. Hammurabi’s code is based on an “eye for an eye”, which means the punishment is just as bad as the crime. Hammurabi’s code was significant because it helped to keep order and it was also the first WRITTEN law code.

How did Mesopotamia decline as a civilization?

Mesopotamia could have declined as a civilization because it may have been conquered by the Persians, Romans or Arabic Muslims. Mesopotamia also could have died out because of dust storms, which made agriculture difficult. Even their irrigation systems would not have been able to withstand the storms.