Mesopotamian Civilizations

How did the Code of Hammurabi reflect the social hierarchy of ancient Babylonia?

• Laws were only applied to slaves and common people; the elites could do whatever they liked

• Punishments in the Code were adjusted depending on the status of the person committing the crime and the status of the victim

• Hammurabi's Babylon was an egalitarian society; all punishments were delivered equally

• The Code did not reflect the social hierarchy of ancient Babylonia

"If any one strike the body of a man higher in rank than he, he shall receive sixty blows with an ox-whip in public.

If a free-born man strike the body of another free-born man or equal rank, he shall pay one gold mina."

From The Code of Hammurabi

• Punishments were based solely on the severity of the crime committed and equivalent gold fine

• Punishments were adjusted depending on the status of the person committing the crime and the victim

• Laws and punishments only applied to slaves and common people, not to elites

• The laws ensured an egalitarian society where all punishments were never more than 60 blows

The name Mesopotamia comes from Greek and means "between two rivers". Which are the two rivers referenced in the name?

• The White Nile and the Blue Nile in Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Egypt

• The Yangtze and the Yellow River in China

• The Indus River in India

• The Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern-day Turkey, Syria, Kuwait, and Iraq

What is the significance of Sumerian cuneiform writing?

• It was primarily used to write religious literature

• It led to widespread literacy among Sumerian people

• It was one of the first written scripts, and it influenced writing in Mesopotamia for 2,000 years

• It formed the basis of the alphabet we use today

The object in the image best illustrates which of the following cultural processes that in Mesopotamia?

• The construction of buildings to produce and store written records

• The development of monumental architecture for religious purposes

• The codification of laws in early structures built for legal governance

• The use of urban planning to maintain and store a stable food supply

This artifact is best seen as evidence for which of the following?

• The advent of writing using cuneiform

• The advent of law and political authority

• The advent of writing using the Indus script

• The development of trade

The Standard of Ur, c. 2600 BCE. This art shows food, such as fish and grain, being carried by farmers and fisherman (or soldiers carrying war booty), nobles, a musician, a singer, and a king. This mosaic can be used as evidence of which of the following in ancient Mesopotamia?

• Valuing equality over of social hierarchy

• Increasing specialization of labor

• Artistic representations of legal codes

• Ziggurats and monumental architecture in art

Why did the first civilizations form near rivers?

• Early civilizations needed to built near water so they could trade with nomads

• Early civilizations needed to be built near water so the villagers could have a nice waterfront view

• Rivers provided fertile soil and fresh water for crops

• Rivers provided an excellent barrier for defence

Which word best describes the religion of the Sumerians?

• Monochromatic

• Polychromatic

• Monotheistic

• Polytheistic

Sargon was the leader of the Akkadians and established the world's first

• Agricultural settlements

• Empire

• Library

• Pizza Restaurant