S.G. #5 (ME) Sumer & Akkadian Empire -Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia

Fertile land between the rivers.

City-state

a city and its surrounding (farm) land; sometimes traded with, sometimes fought against each other.

Artisan

skilled worker in making one product by hand

Domesticate

Tame plants and animals for use

Agriculture

Includes farming, herding, and shepherding

Epic of Gilgamesh

One of the earliest hero stories , written in cuneiform

Scribe

a record keeper, writes down trades, taxes laws and epics.

stylus

A pointed tool for cuneiform writing, drawing, or engraving, made from reeds from rivers.

Ziggurat

A rectangular, step pyramid-like temple, where the priests/kings ruled early city states, their god lived there.

Epic

a long poetic story about a legendary or real hero

Cuneiform

Sumerian writing that used wedge-shaped marks made in soft clay

Metallurgy

the science of working with metals

Sumer firsts

• writing, farming, taming of animals and plants, plows, irrigation systems, city-states, surplus of food, different jobs, sail boats, social classes

• First educational system

for scribes

Iraq most likely got its name from …

Uruk

• First wheels, plows, writing, sailboats, pottery, wheels, styli, clay bricks, etc.

Inventions by Sumer

Silt

fine particles of fertile soil from river floods

Irrigation canals

system supplying water through ditches, pipes, or streams to farmland

Surplus

"more than enough" ...food led to other jobs

Polytheism

belief in more than one god

Fertile Crescent

area of nutrient-rich farmland in SW Asia, where the first civilizations began

Sumer

group of city-states in southern Mesopotamia; the first civilization

Tall walls

Surrounded & protected city-states.

Social classes

In Sumer, upper, middle and lower classes filled different roles.

Gilgamesh

A legendary Sumerian king of Uruk, he was the hero of an epic, often shown holding a lion cub.

Astronomy

study of the moon, stars, heavens etc.; Sumerians used this to learn the best times to plant crops

Uruk

Largest Sumerian city-state in Mesopotamia.

Cradle of Civilization

Mesopotamia. Birthplace of many complex societies.

Akkadians

From central / northern Mesopotamia, conquered all of Sumer

Empire

Different lands and peoples under one ruler

Sargon the Great

World's first emperor -AKKADIA, passed his rule down to his son.

Akkadians broke down the walls of

Sumer's city-states

Sargon and the Akkadians used new war technology

A professional army, a phalanx formation, copper and bronze weapons, and even chariots.

Sargon unified Akkadia & Sumer by

Building a road system, mixing the cultures, and having Akkadians rule each Sumer City-State

Domestication

Taming (plants & animals)