The Rise of Sumerian City-States

The name of Mesopotamia comes from its location, which was

• between two rivers.
• in mountain foothills.
• near a region of many conflicts
• at the site of the earliest cities

The environment of Sumer was

• low and flat, with little rain

• hilly and dry, with many stones.

• Forest, with heavy storms.

• high and cold, with sharp mountain peaks.

Why were Sumerian communities called city-states?

• Each of them kept written records.

• They were all of one great empire

• They all depended on each other for water.

• Each of them had its own ruler and farmland and were considered independent countries

Which fact allowed Neolithic people to farm in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains?

• Goats can live on dry grass. 
• The region had plenty of rain. 
• Shallow canals watered the fields.
• Harsh climates are good for grains. 

What caused food shortages in the Zagros foothills?

• Overuse of the soil

• Change in the climate

• An increase in population

• Fighting between villages

What solution did people in the Zagros foothills find to fix the problem of food shortages?

• building terraces

• moving down south to the plains

• constructing reservoirs

• joining villages together

One factor that made farming difficult in the area of Sumer was

• rocky soil
• steep killsides
• lack of rainfall
• growth of weeds

If you were in ancient Sumer, you might see a levee beside a river. Why was the levee built? 

• to load barges
• to irrigate crops
• to prevent floods
• to control workers

Why was silt a problem of the people of Sumer?

• It dried up the rivers.
• It crumbled the city walls.
• It ruined the soil for planting.
• It clogged the irrigation canals. 

Using natural resources found in the environment, Sumerians built strong walls with

• bricks made of mud.
• logs with pointed tips.
• reeds cut near the rivers.
• rocks shaped into squares.