Lessons: Civilization Emerges in Mesopotamia & The First Empires

The term Mesopotamia refers to land between

• Sumer and Egypt.

• Uruk and Ur.

• the Arabian peninsula and the Sinai peninsula.

• the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Another term for a city and the surrounding land it controls is

• city-state

• empire

• kingdom

• nation-state

A ziggurat is a type of

• epic poem.

• writing.

• religious ceremony.

• building.

In cuneiform, Sumerian scribes used what to represent words, sounds, or ideas?

• the first alphabet

• numbers

• wedge-shaped symbols

• simple pictures

Why did priests play an important role in Sumerian city-states?

• Priests were at the top of the Sumerian social order.

• Sumerians believed only priests could communicate with gods to help the city prosper.

• Priests and temples controlled much of the surrounding farmlands.

• Sumerians feared priests because they led rituals involving human sacrifice.

A state containing several countries or territories is called

• a city-state.

• an empire.

• a region.

• an ally.

Sargon created the world’s first empire by

• defeating Hammurabi in battle.

• destroying the city-state of Ur.

• uniting Akkadian and Babylonian lands.

• conquering Mesopotamian city-states.

The main purpose of Hammurabi’s Code was to

• make sure everyone in his empire knew the law.

• punish his political rivals.

• conquer and rule a new empire.

• encourage the growth of trade.

The largest group of people in the Babylonian Empire included

• priests and nobles.

• government officials and slaves.

• farmers, artisans, and soldiers.

• builders, slaves, and soldiers.

The rule of law, established under Hammurabi, was the idea that

• different laws apply to people of different social ranking.

• all members of society, even the rich and powerful, must obey the law.

• there is no difference between civil law and criminal law.

• the meaning of the law may differ in different parts of the empire.