Mesopotamia and Sumer Review

Why were Sumerian communities called city-states?

• Each of them kept written records.

• They were all part of one great empire.

• They all depended on each other for water.

• Each of them had its own ruler and farmland.

What caused a food shortage in the Zagros foothills?

• Overuse of soil

• Change in climate

• Increase in population

• Fighting between villages

What was the solution to the food shortage in the Zagros foothills?

• Go back to hunting and gathering

• Panic

• Move to the south

• Join villages together

What is the purpose of a reservoir?

• To store water for later use

• To prevent flooding

• To make popsicles

• What's a reservoir?

If you lived in Ancient Sumer, you might see a levee. What is a levee for?

• Simple! To lev the ees.

• To bring water to where it is needed

• To save water for later use

• To prevent flooding

Why was silt a problem in Ancient Sumer?

• It flooded the fields.

• It clogged up the canals.

• It tasted horrible.

• It dried up the rivers.

Why did the villages of Sumer depend on each other?

• They traveled safely through the mountains together.

• They cooperated to keep the water systems working.

• They traded for resources they needed.

• They had to fight off attacks to the east.

What problem was solved by building walls and moats?

• Sumerian city-states were fighting over the water supply.

• There was no where to swim

• Sumerian city-states feared attacks by the Persian Army.

• Sumerian city-state leaders wanted to protect their cites from wild animals.

What two rivers are located near Sumer?

• The Tiger River and the Nile River

• The Tigris and Ur River

• The Tigris and Euphrates River

• The Big Cat and Pair of Skates River

Why did Sumerians invent complex irrigation systems?

• Because there were no rivers nearby

• To create the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

• Water supply was not a problem in Ancient Sumer.

• To control the water supply and save water for later use.