Social Studies Chapter 2 lesson 1 and lesson 2
Southern Mesopotamia
Farmers in Southern Mesopotamia had to protect their field from flooding each fall. During the Spring and Summer they needed water for their crops. This region only got a few drops of water each year.
How did the Mesopotamians alter their region?
Farmers planted near canal banks because trees need a lot of water. People cut down trees which caused erosion.
How did the Tigris and Euphrates rivers affect life in Mesopotamia?
Farmers raised surplus crops and they developed early cultures. They built irrigation canals. Farmers began producing more foods and not everyone had to be a farmer. People could be leaders, soldiers. Villages became cities.
Why did the ancient Sumerians look for new ways to produce their food?
Hunting and gathering did not provide enough food.
What did the Ancient Greeks call the region between the Tigris and the Euphrates?
MESOPOTAMIA
Where do the rivers flow into?
Persian gulf
cuneiform
Sumer's writing system was one of the earliest writing systems in the world. laws letters records riddles
What important farming tool did the Sumerians invent?
The plow
Which Sumerian invention was the most important?
The wheel speed and power chariot with a horse faster than a human on foot allowed people to to move larger loads longer distances.
Why did the soil of Mesopotamian region grow good crops?
The yearly flood in between the two rivers brought soil down from the mountains to the fields
What is the effect of rivers flooding fields, homes are destroyed?
They built leeves and canals
How did growing crops and domesticating animals like sheep and goats allow the Sumerians to build cities and live in one place all year long?
They did not always have to travel to find food sources
How did two great rivers affect life in the Fertile Crescent?
They made life possible in a dry region
What made historians think that religion was at the center of Sumerian life?
They practiced polythesism a belief in many gods and goddesses. They prayed to Ki for good harvests and to Enhil for rain. Sumerians tried to please their gods and goddesses.
How did the Mesopotamians use technology to control their water supply?
They used leeves to keep the flood waters back. They used irrigation to bring water to crops and fields. Flood control and Irrigation.
Between which rivers did Mesopotamia lie?
Tigers and Euphrates
What is an economic purpose of these walls?
To buy fresh produce and other goods from nearby farms,
What is a military function of the walls?
To gain control over the precious waters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. People entered and exited through the walls.
Name 3 of the largest city states located near the Euphrates river
UR UK Erian UR
What was the name of the temple where Sumerians believed their gods lived?
Ziggurat
Enheduana
a Sumerian priestess. She was also a scribe.
polytheism
a belief in many gods and goddeses
Sargon
a famous King of a city stae called Kish. Created the first great empire in history. united all city-states used cuneiform writing to send messages and laws across his kingdom
empire
a group of lands and people ruled by one government
Fertile Crescent
a lush green area through which two rivers the Tigris and Euphrates flowed
irrigation
a system of canals to bring water to crops
levee
a wall that keeps its rivers with in its banks
When did Agriculture begin in Western Asia?
about 8,500 years ago
scribe
after years of studying a student became a scribe....an official writer
Why were floods harmful?
because they would drown the crops destroyed houses injure and kill people could stop trade
Where is Mesopotamia?
between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Begins in Turkey to Northern Iraq and the rivers flow to the Persian gulf. In the fertile crescent.
ziggurat
center of most Sumerian cities was a tall flattened pyramid of mud brick. Each ziggurat had a a temple on the flattened top.
What would happen without agriculture?
cities would die.
What tools did the Mesopotamians use for writing?
clay tablet
What is the effect of rivers depositing rich silt?
crops for farming
What do we call their system of writing?
cuneifarm
What was the effect of people cutting down trees?
erosion
What problem made farming difficult and how did the Sumerians solve it?
flooding was the problem. They built leeves.
Northern Mesopotamia
had enough rain to make farming possible. Yet the earth of the northern plateau was rocky and bad for farming.
What did Sargon achieve that no other previous ruler had accomplished?
he united all the city states he extended his rule to the north and west in Syria used cuneiform writing Sargon was able to send messages and new laws across his kingdom.
Gilgamesh
hero went on a journey to figure out how humans could live forever best fighter knew everything
What happened after Sargons death?
his empire broke up and the city states went back to governing themselves.
How did the lives of poor Sumerians compare to the lives of the wealthy?
in poor families everyone worked parents taught their crafts to their children their homes were small mud huts the head of both rich and poor was the father daughters were taught to be obedient wealthy girls could become land owners and businesswomen but they could never have the same rights as men
What did Sumerians put into writing before any other society?
laws
drought
long periods without rain
Silt
loose soil carried by water
What did the two Great rivers provide?
made it possible for farmers to raise surplus crops and develop some of history's early cultures. In time farmers grew more crops than they needed.
What was the purpose of artificial lakes?
made it possible to irrigate crops during droughts
What does silt provide?
made the region a good place for farming. Farmers in Southern Mesopotamia had to protect their fields from flooding.
What material were the houses in Sumerian cities made?
mud and bricks
Why were droughts harmful?
not enough water for farming and animals
Sumer
one of a dozen small cities in southern mesopotamia
what is the definition of a a flood?
over flowing water
Sumerians prayed to many gods and goddesses. The belief is called____________________
polytheism
city-state
self governing city that also governs near by cities
What made the Fertile Crescent good for farming?
silt or loose soil deposited by the Tigress and Euphrates rivers.
why were floods helpful?
surplus of water for irrigation silt deposited onto the land surplus of crops helped with mud bricks
In what other way did the Sumerians control the rivers?
system of irrigation canals.
erosion
the wearing away of soil by wind or water
Why was writing such an important development for Sumerians?
to document births and deaths write down their laws prayers
Why do you think city staes were often at war with each other?
to gain control of the waters of Tigris and Euphrates. More water meant more crops.
What is the cause of farmers building irrigation canals?
water to crops
What were the regions most important crops?
wheat and barley
What else did the Mesopotamians invent?
wheel, writing based on moon and stars, calendar
What did the areas environment support?
wild plants, wheat, barley, animals, cattle, sheep and pigs
Why is modern Mesopotamia a desert now?
Because of erosion
