Mesopotamia vocab

Mesopotamia

Greek origin meaning between two rivers

Irrigation

Using canals, ditches, pipes, and streams to deliver water to dry land.

City-state

An independent city and the farmland that surrounds it

Empire

A nation and the other nations that it has conquered

Cuneiform

An ancient written language that has wedged shaped characters.

A reed stylus was used to write the characters.

Scribe

A professional writer or record keeper

Artisan

A skilled craftsmen that makes things busing their hands

Manual laborer

Physical work done by hand instead of machines or animals

Polytheism

A religion that believes in many gods

Monotheism

A religion that believes in one god

Ziggurat

Large temples built by the Sumerians that had ramps, stairs and several levels.