Chapter 5: History of the Fertile Crescent

Which pair of rivers was central to the geography of Mesopotamia and helped support the growth of civilizations through irrigation and surplus farming?

• Nile and Jordan

• Tigris and Euphrates

• Indus and Ganges

• Yangtze and Yellow

Sumerian city-states developed social hierarchies and practiced polytheism. Which statement best connects these concepts to daily life in Sumer?

• Priests oversaw ziggurats where multiple gods were worshiped, reinforcing social order.

• Scribes abolished temples to reduce class differences among farmers and herders.

• Kings encouraged monotheism to eliminate the need for division of labor.

• Merchants controlled canals because religion was separate from politics.

A city-state in Sumer faces unpredictable flooding that threatens crops. Based on Sumerian advancements listed, which combination of solutions would most effectively manage water and protect food surplus?

• Build sewers beneath ziggurats and stop irrigation to conserve water.

• Construct canals for controlled irrigation and use division of labor to maintain levees.

• Adopt pictographs to record myths and rely on priests to end floods through ritual.

• Invent wheels for carts but avoid canal work to keep rivers natural.

Define Fertile crescent

What two parts made up Mesopotamia?

• North and South

• East and South

• South and West

• East and North

Define silt

When were the first farm settlements formed?

• 5000 BC

• 4500 BC

• 7000 BC

• 6000 BC

What did farmers grow in the first farm settlements?

Why was farming difficult in Mesopotamia?

• very little rain and it would flood when it did

• very little fresh water

• not enough farmers

• not enough live stock

Most people in Sumer were...

• priests

• farmers

• clergymen

• warriors