Chapter 3Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent

Section 1 - Key TermsFertile CrescentSiltIrrigationCanalsSurplusDivision of Labor

Fertile CrescentA large arc of rich farmland between the Persian

Gulf and Mediterranean Sea

SiltA mixture of fertile soil and tiny rocks that can

make land ideal for farming.

IrrigationA way of supplying water to an area of land.

CanalsA human-made waterway.

SurplusMore of something than is needed.

Division of LaborAn arrangement in which each worker

specializes in a particular task or job.

Section 2 – Key TermsRuralUrbanCity-StateGilgameshSargon

EmpirePolytheismPriestsSocial Hierarchy

RuralA country side area.

UrbanA city area

City-StateA political unit consisting of a city and its

surrounding countryside

GilgameshKing of Uruk, a city-state in Sumer, he became a

legendary figure in Sumerian literature.

SargonKing of Akkad, a land north of Sumer, he built

the world's first empire after defeating Sumer and northern Mesopotamia.

EmpireLand with different territories and peoples under

a single rule.

PolytheismThe worship of many gods.

PriestsA person who performs religious ceremonies.

Social HierarchyThe division of society by rank or class