Mesopotamia and Ancient Civilizations Worksheet

What was the main purpose of Hammurabi’s Code?

• To establish new religious practices

• To organize new trade routes

• To establish laws and consequences

• To construct large monuments

Which idea from Hammurabi’s Code can still be seen in modern legal systems like the United States?

• Laws should be based only on religion

• Laws should be written and made public but leaders are above the law

• Laws should be written and made public and apply to everyone in the land

• People should memorize laws through oral tradition

What role did trade play in the economic development of early Mesopotamian city-states like Ur and Uruk?

• Trade allowed them to remain isolated and avoid interaction with others

• Trade helped spread their goods and ideas and encouraged specialization of labor

• Trade caused constant war between city-states

• Trade led to the collapse of agriculture and specialization

Why did early Babylonian leaders collect taxes from farmers and merchants?

• To support the construction of temples and infrastructure

• To keep people from trading with other cities

• To pay tribute to the Phoenicians and the Gods

• To reduce the size of the population and construct temples

Which of the following best describes how leaders in the Assyrian Empire supported economic growth?

• By outlawing trade across the entire empire

• By creating a postal system and roads to aid trade

• By closing cities off to all outside visitors

• By storing all grain only for religious use

Why did Babylon become a major center for trade and law in ancient Mesopotamia?

• It was located on the coast of the Red Sea which encouraged movement of people and ideas

• It had access to gold mines in the east and did not encourage trade and movement of people and ideas

• Its central location between major rivers and trade routes encouraged movement of people and ideas

• It remained isolated from outside contact and did not encourage trade and movement of people and ideas

How did Mesopotamia’s relative location between other civilizations affect its development?

• It limited their ability to grow crops but allowed for cultural exchange with others

• It made the region completely isolated leading to no conflict or trade

• It encouraged trade, conflict, and cultural exchange with others

• It prevented them from using rivers for farming but encouraged trade

Why was Mesopotamia’s location known as the “Fertile Crescent”?

• It had constant and reliable rainfall and rich soil all year

• It was shaped like a triangle

• Its rich soil made farming possible in a desert region

• People preferred open deserts for open farm land space

Which of the following physical features most supported the development of agriculture in Mesopotamia?

• Deserts and sand dunes

• Rocky cliffs and mountain ranges

• Fertile soil from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

• Coastal harbors

What do the Mesopotamian, Akkadian, and Babylonian civilizations all have in common as a sign of being developed civilizations?

• They had no written language or legal systems in place

• They lived in isolated villages without any government

• They developed cities, social classes, and strong leadership

• They avoided religion and trade with other cultures