Ancient Mesopotamia 2021

The ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia arose in a region that is part of what present-day country?

• Egypt

• Iraq

• Turkey

Why were the Sumerians able to develop the different kinds of job skills needed to have a civilization?

• Food surpluses allowed people do other work than farming

• Long periods of peace freed soldiers from military service

• Priests started special schools to train workers

What was the main building material of the ancient Sumerians?

• Bronze

• Mud

• Stone

According to the ancient Sumerians, why did the gods create humans?

• They thought humans would be like their "pets"

• They needed humans to build enormous temples for them

• They made people work for them

Who had the most power in Sumerian society?

• Farmers

• Priests

• Artisans

What common item of life today was invented by the Sumerians?

• The wheel

• Paper

• Agriculture

What was the purpose of a ziggurat?

• A place for religious services

• A "city-hall" from which priests rule the city state

• Both of the above

• None of the above

Which of these descriptions is the best definition of a city-state?

• A big city with a large population

• A city and its surrounding farmland

• A small country that is made up of only one city

These people replaced priests as the leaders of Sumer.

• Gods

• Kings

• Emperors

Why was Mesopotamia such a good place for growing crops?

• The flooding rivers deposited silt on the land

• It was an area of frequent rainfall

• The cities where farmers lived were nearby