Unit 2 Mesopotamia

A large territory or group of many territories governed by one ruler.

• Empire
• Cuneiform 

A system of writing developed by the Sumerians that used wedge-shaped marks made in soft clay

• Scribe
• Cuneiform 

A pyramid shaped structure with a temple at the top

• Ziggurat
• Irrigation 

An amount that is left over after a need has been met

• Surplus
• Silt

A belief in more than one god

• Ziggurat
• Polytheism 

A person who copies or writes out documents; often a record keeper

• City-state
• Scribe

A city that governs itself and its surrounding territory

• City-state
• Empire

Fine particles of fertile soil

• Silt
• Irrigation 

A system that supplies dry land with water through ditches, pipes, or streams

• Surplus
• Irrigation

Throughout history, which two factors have influenced where people settle?

• building supplies and nearby trade ports
• animals for hunting and average temperatures
• drinking water and the ability to grow crops
• population density and business opportunity