Cengage Meso Flashcard

Front

What is one benefit of the flooding by the Euphrates and Tigris rivers?

Back

It deposited silt which was excellent for agriculture.

Front

What is a formal series of acts always performed in the same way, often offered to the gods?

Back

Rituals.

Front

What were professional writers in ancient Mesopotamia who wrote on clay tablets called?

Back

Scribes.

Front

What term describes an order based on power and wealth in Sumerian society?

Back

Social class.

Front

What is the earliest form of writing invented by the Sumerians that evolved from pictographs?

Back

Cuneiform.

Front

What is the term for the rich soil deposited by rivers that is beneficial for farming?

Back

Silt.

Front

What structure served as a temple in ancient Mesopotamia, often associated with rituals?

Back

Ziggurat.

Front

What is the significance of cuneiform in ancient Mesopotamian culture?

Back

It was the earliest form of writing used for record-keeping and communication.

Front

What does the term 'city-state' refer to in the context of Sumerian civilization?

Back

A city that functions independently and has its own government.

Front

What role did scribes play in ancient Mesopotamian society?

Back

They recorded information, laws, and transactions.