Mesopotamia Vocabulary

artisan

• A type of builder

• A skilled craft worker
• A type building material

• A kind of fruit

civilization

• A complex society with cities, a central government, job specialization, and social classes
• A group of people living in a new geographical area
• A group of people with the same language
• A group of people with the same religion

culture

• A type of bacteria that develops on food that hasn't been properly stored

• A type of food produced by one culture on a daily basis for the purpose of religious celebration

• A type of music, art, or literature created by a particular artist

• The customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group

cuneiform

• An ancient writing system
• A type of animal
• A musical instrument
• A kind of food

pictograph

• A math system that uses pictures in place of numbers

• A type of painting that uses pictures to tell a story
• A type of writing system that uses pictures to represent words
• A type of map that uses pictures to represent landmarks

scribe

• A tool used for drawing or measuring
• A person who copies out documents
• A person who speaks on behalf of another person

• A musical instrument played to amuse the king

ziggurat

• A type of ancient temple
• A type of governmental building

• A person who serves as assistant to the ruler

• A type of dance used in religious celebrations

city-state

• a village ruled by a neighboring, more powerful leader

• a self-governing state that consists of a city and its surrounding area

• a city that serves as the capital of a country

• a city that rules over a country

levee

• A type of dessert
• A channel built to bring water to crops

• A wall of earth built to prevent the overflow of a river

• a channel of water dug to provide protection from invading armies

empire

• A group of countries ruled by a single person, government, or country
• A self governing city and its surrounding territory

• A group of countries all ruled independently

• A central city that contains all the government buildings for a country.