Mesopotamia Content 1

Where is Mesopotamia located on a map today?

• North America, modern states of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia
• Middle East, modern country of Iraq
• Asia, modern countries of China and Korea
• North Africa, modern places like the Nile River Valley and Sahara Desert

Which answer choice correct labels the important Mesopotamia waters for WEST to EAST?

• Persian Gulf, Tigris River, Euphrates River, Mediterranean Sea
• Mediterranean Sea, Persian Gulf, Tigris River, Euphrates River
• Mediterranean Sea, Euphrates River, Tigris River, Persian Gulf
• Tigris River, Persian Gulf, Euphrates River, Mediterranean Sea

Why did the early Mesopotamians need to control the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers?

• Floods were destructive during the spring and the rivers did not provide enough water during Summer
• The rivers frequently froze during Winter and dried up during the Summer
• The rivers flowed through the desert and need to be redirected to the valley where the people were.
• The rivers were too violent for traders to boat up and down.

Which answer choice is not a technique Mesopotamians used to control the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers?

• dug canals from the river to agricultural fields to irrigate crops
• built dams and levees to hold back water from flooding outside of the river channel
• dug cisterns and basins to store water for dry periods
• removed boulders from the river channel to reduce rapids

What does the chart show?

• Early civilizations were founded in major river valleys. 
• Early civilizations interacted with each other frequently.
• Early civilizations used rivers for boundaries between countries.
• Early civilizations were founded by building rivers. 

Society as a whole was advanced by agriculture. Land that is farmed can support more than 50 times the number of people that same land can support through subsistence (bare necessities) living. Because of agriculture,

• great forests in North Africa were destroyed
• hunter-gatherers were able to buy food from neighbors.
• division of labor allowed new professions to begin
• the building of cities was delayed by 1000 years.

What happened as a result of a surplus of food?

• People learned new skills and jobs 
• Trade developed between city-states 
• Art, writing, and music developed 
• All answer choices are correct

Which of the following crops were grown in the Tigris-Euphrates River Valley?

• Potatoes and corn 
• Rice and dates
• Wheat and barley 
• Maize and sweet potatoes

Complete the analogy: Mesopotamia is to the Fertile Crescent as 

• Louisiana is to Denham Springs
• Louisiana is to Southern United States
• United States is to Louisiana
• Louisiana is to Mississippi

Which best describes Mesopotamian Political Systems?

• Groups of cities formed united provinces ruled by the rich
• Independent City-States ruled by individual kings fought for dominance
• Urban and Rural areas combined to form a metropolis 
• Nations constantly traded for the right to use the rivers