Early Civilizations in the Americas

The name of Mesopotamia comes from its location, which was

• 1. between two rivers.

• by the mountains

• 1. near a region of many conflicts.

• 1. at the site of the earliest cities.

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

• rocky soil

• steep hillsides

• lack of rainfall

• growth of weeds

Why did the rivers flood in the spring?

• 1. Heavy rain fell throughout the area.

• 1. Strong winds blew from the Persian Gulf.

• 1. Ice that had formed on the rivers broke into bits.

• 1. Snow melted in the mountains where the rivers began.

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

• 1. to load barges

• 1. to irrigate crops

• 1. to prevent floods

• 1. to control workers

A society has a stable food supply if

• it gives food to the king

• 1. it has enough food for its people.

• 1. it buys food from other groups.

• 1. it gets food by hunting and fishing.

The Sumerian civilization had a social structure with different social levels and jobs. A social structure is

• 1. the way a civilization is organized.

• 1. how much in taxes a king collects from each class.

• 1. the way scribes record social events.

• 1. how the government treats the lower classes.

Which one of these inventions most affected the food supply in Sumer?

• the arch

• the plow

• the wheel

• the chariot

Which Sumerian belief about the king helped strengthen the social order?

• 1. He was supported by the gods.

• 1. He cared most about poor people.

• 1. He consulted with wise advisers.

• 1. He wanted everyone to be happy.

What was a problem caused by Sumerian city-states’ independence from one another?

• 1. They were unable to trade crops with one another.

• 1. They did not cooperate to build irrigation systems.

• 1. They had very few different natural resources available.

• 1. They could not defend themselves against stronger groups.

How did the Akkadians get the resources to build up their capital city?

• 1. mined precious stones in the mountains

• 1. collected tribute from conquered peoples

• 1. expanded irrigation to grow bigger crops

• 1. printed paper money to buy what it needed