Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia

"land between the rivers"

Sumer

The world's first civilization, founded in Mesopotamia, which existed for over 3,000 years.

Epic of Gilgamesh

An epic poem from Mesopotamia, and among the earliest known works of literary writing.

Tigris & Euphrates Rivers

the two rivers that surround Mesopotamia. These rivers would flood and provide silt that made the soil fertile.

Tributaries

smaller streams and rivers that flow into a main river

Irrigation

A way of supplying water to an area of land

Silt

A mixture of rich soil and tiny rocks

Fertile Crescent

A geographical area of fertile land in the Middle East stretching in a broad semicircle from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates

City State

a city that with its surrounding territory forms an independent state.

Monarchy

A government ruled by a king or queen

Polytheism

Belief in many gods

Deities

gods and goddesses

Architecture

the science of building

Ziggurat

A rectangular tiered temple or terraced mound erected by the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians

Cuneiform

A form of writing developed by the Sumerians using a wedge shaped stylus and clay tablets.

Scribes

people trained to write using the earliest forms of writing before literacy was widespread

Civilization

A society with cities, a central government, job specialization, and social classes

Merchants

people who buy and sell goods

Tribute

Money paid for protection

Stele

A carved stone slab used to mark graves or to commemorate historical events.

Akkadian Empire

began in 2350 BCE when Sargon - King of Akkad - began conquering Sumerian cities. The empire was the first to unite city-states under a single ruler and ruled for 200 years.

Babylonian Empire

Empire in Mesopotamia which was formed by Hammurabi, the sixth ruler of the invading Amorites

Code of Hammurabi

A collection of 282 laws. One of the first (but not THE first) examples of written law in the ancient world.

Assyrian Empire

Took over Babylonian Empire

Neo-Babylonian Empire