World History 1st Quarter Review

GRAPES of MESOPOTAMIA

Geography of Mesopotamia

• Located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

• Surrounded by Deserts and Mountains, keeping the region somewhat isolated

• Near the Mediterranean Sea allowed for trade with other civiizations

• The rivers are used for farming, trade, and travel

Multiple Choice

What MUST a society have before they can develop towns and cities?

• an agricultural surplus

• a democratic government

• an educational system

• a writing system

Multiple Choice

What geographic feature had the greatest influence on the development of ancient civilizations?

• dense forests

• mountain passes

• river valleys

• smooth coastlines

Multiple Choice

What was one reason for the development of an early civilization in the Tigris-Euphrates river valleys?

• These rivers flowed into the Mediterranean Sea.

• The location protected the people from land invasion.

• Periodic flooding left rich soil, which was ideal for farming.

• These rivers provided a direct trade route between Europe and Asia.

Religion of Mesopotamia

• Mesopotamians were polytheistic, meaning they worshipped many gods

• Each city-state in Mesopotamia had a god that they worshipped

• They would build a ziggurat in the center of the city, as high up as possible, to make communication with the gods easier

• They chose their leaders based on their religious beliefs as well

• The Epic of Gilgamesh was a Sumerian religious story

https://youtu.be/NZxxe6YkVo8

Multiple Choice

What is a ziggurat?

• a tomb for the king

• a temple where the priests worshiped their gods

• a temple where the priests performed human sacrifices

• a Mesopotamian cigarett.

Multiple Choice

Which word best describes the religion of Mesopotamia?

• Nativistic

• Monotheistic

• Polytheistic

• Abrahamic

Multiple Choice

Which group of people were responsible for the Epic of Gilgamesh?

• Egyptians

• Greeks

• Romans

• Sumerians

Achievements of Mesopotamia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVf5kZA0HtQ

Achievements of Mesopotamia

• Civilizations in Mesopotamia were responsible for many important technological contributions

• In farming, they designed a system called irrigation, which used canals to bring river water to your crops

• They invented one of the first written languages, cuneiform, which was scratched into clay tablets

• They created a calendar, mapped the stars, and built temples and palaces

• What other achievements did you see in the video?

Multiple Choice

What system of writing did Sumerian scribes invent for record keeping?

• calligraphy

• cuneiform

• hieroglyphics

• pictographs

Multiple Choice

Which new development had a major impact on the population growth of Mesopotamia?

• Written Language

• Religious Beliefs

• Irrigation Systems

• 12 Month Calendar

Multiple Choice

How is the Code of Hammurabi an example of how cuneiform, a type of writing, influenced the lives of ancient Babylonians?

• Cuneiform did not influence the lives of ancient Babylonians, they did not use writing.

• Without cuneiform, the Babylonians could not have remembered the epic story of Hammurabi's heroic deeds.

• Without cuneiform, the Babylonians would not have been able to remember the sacred poems in order to worship Hammurabi.

• Without cuneiform, the Babylonians would not have been able to follow the 282 laws that Hammurabi created during his reign.

Politics of Mesopotamia

• Three major Empires existed in the Mesopotamian Region at different times

• The first was the Akkadian Empire, created by Sargon, when he conquered Sumer, this was the First known Empire

• The second was the Babylonian Empire, one of their major leaders was King Hammurabi, who created one of the first written law codes. He placed them in city centers, so everyone would know the rules

• Finally, was the Assyrian Empire, they had a large army and iron weapons, they also conquered land all the way to Egypt. They ruled through fear and cruelty.

Multiple Choice

How did the Code of Hammurabi contribute to the development of civilization?

• publicly recording laws for all to see

• enforcing a democratic political system

• banning all forms of physical punishment

• mandating equal treatment of slaves and citizens

Multiple Choice

The Sumerian ruler Sargon of ___ created the first empire of Mesopotamia.

• Akkad

• Babylon

• Kish

• Ur

Multiple Choice

2. If any one bring an accusation against a man, and the accused go to the river and leap into the river, if he sink in the river his accuser shall take possession of his house. But if the river prove that the accused is not guilty, and he escape unhurt, then he who had brought the accusation shall be put to death, while he who leaped into the river shall take possession of the house that had belonged to his accuser.

- from The Code of Hammurabi, c. 1780 BCE

This excerpt could be BEST classified as

• fact

• opinion

• primary source

• secondary source

Multiple Choice

Why is Hammurabi's Law Code so important in history?

• It was the first law code to give some basic rights to women.

• It was the first written law code of any ancient civilization.

• Hammurabi was the first person to identify slaves as private property.

• The death penalty was only used in the case of extremely violent crimes.

Economics and Social Structure of Mesopotamia

• Mesopotamians traded with other civilizations for the resources they did not have enough of, like precious metals

• Early Mesopotamians did not use currency, instead they traded with each other by bartering

• Mesopotamia's society was organized into three classes

• The Upper Class was small and mostly royalty, wealthy men, and priests

• The Middle Class was the largest group, made up of farmers, craftsmen, artisans, and merchants

• The Working Class was made up of enslaved persons who worked for the Upper Class

Multiple Choice

Besides wealth, what did people's social rank depend on in Mesopotamian society?

• Occupation
• Appearance
• Religion
• Location

Multiple Choice

What would be another word for barter?

• Sell
• Buy
• Trade
• Rent

Multiple Choice

Punishments under the Code of Hammurabi

• were more harsh for people of lower social classes.

• stressed reform rather than retribution for crimes.

• did not cover domestic/family concerns.

• did not apply to the upper class.

Multiple Choice

Skilled workers who made metal products, cloth, or pottery are called

• priests
• artisans
• scribes 
• heroes

Multiple Choice

Which of the following were members of the upper class?

• kings and priests
• artisans
• merchants and traders
• scribes

Multiple Choice

Artisans, merchants, and fishers made up this group

• Lower Class
• Upper Class
• Middle Class
• Pass Class