Fertile Crescent

Tigris and Euphrates

two rivers that form the outside border of Mesopotamia

Fertile Crescent

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

Birthplace of Civilization

Fertile Crescent

city-state

A city with political and economic control over the surrounding countryside, much like a country.

Ziggurats

temples built by Sumerians to honor the gods and goddesses they worshipped

Cuneiform

the world's first system of writing

Hammurabi's Code

One of the first written code/set of laws that all were expected to obey. These laws were very strict.

an eye for an eye

example of Hammurabi's code

The Epic of Gilgamesh

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

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

An artificial mountain covered with trees and plants, built by Nebuchadnezzar ll for his wife. The gardens are one of the Seven Wonders of the world.

Flooding in Fertile Crescent

Leads to rich soil that is needed for growing crops.