Mesopotamia Vocabulary Quiz (Topic 2, Lesson 1)

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering the geography, religion, writing, and society of ancient Mesopotamia from Topic 2, Lesson 1.

Mesopotamia

"The land between the rivers," often referred to as the "Cradle of Civilization" because it is where the first urban societies began.

Irrigate

To supply dry land with water using ditches or canals, such as channeling water from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to ensure crops survive hot summers.

Bartering

The exchange of goods or services without using money, used by merchants in Sumer who lacked a formal currency.

Ziggurats

Massive, tiered pyramid-temples located at the center of a city.

City-state

An independent city and the surrounding land it controls.

Polytheism

The belief in or worship of many gods, such as the Sumerian deities Enlil and Enki.

Cuneiform

A system of writing using wedge-shaped marks on clay that allowed the Sumerians to record taxes, trade, and laws.

Fertile Crescent

A region with very rich soil for farming that stretched from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.

Enlil

The Sumerian god of air worshipped as part of their polytheistic religion.

Enki

The Sumerian god of water worshipped as part of their polytheistic religion.