Chapter 2 Section 1

Civilization in Mesopotamia

• 1. Why was the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers able to sustain an early civilization?

• Rich Soil and Abundant Crops

• 2. What were the Sumerians the first to do?

• Created the first Mesopotamian Civilization

• 3. Describe the dimensions of the Sumerian city of Uruk.

• Had a 6 mile long wall around it with towers every 30 feet

• 4. In what ways were the people of Mesopotamia creative with mud bricks?

• They invented the arch and the dome and built huge buildings

• 5. In what three ways did the temples serve as the center of a Sumerian city?

• Physically, economically, and politically

• 6. What did the Sumerians believe about who it was that ruled their cities?

• Te Gods ruled the city, it was a Theocracy

• 7. Around 3000 BC what was invented that greatly affected the transport of goods in Sumeria?

• The wheel, which gave them carts

• 8. Give the definition of empire

• A large political unit, under one leader, with many people

• 9. Who set up the first empire in world history, and how did he do it?

• Sargon, by taking over Sumerian city-states

• 10. What principle was a fundamental part of the Code of Hammurabi?

• Eye for an eye

• 11. According to Sumerian beliefs, why did the gods create human beings?

• To do manual labor the Gods didn’t want to do

• 12. What do many people consider to be the greatest invention of the Sumerians?

• Cuneiform, “wedge-shaped” writing

• 13. Why was writing so important in an ancient civilization?

• It allowed society to keep records and pass information from generation to generation