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Worksheets

Mesopotamia

Total questions: 36

Worksheet time: 18mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which of the following was at the bottom of Mesopotamia’s (Sumerian) social structure?

a)

Farmers

b)

Slaves

c)

Priests

d)

Nobles

2.

What is the belief in many gods called?

a)

Monotheism

b)

Atheism

c)

Polytheism

d)

Pantheism

3.

What attracted people to the Fertile Crescent?

a)

convenient navigation

b)

rich soil

c)

cool temperatures

d)

religious temples

4.

A Sumerian temple to honor their chief god was called a

a)

scribe

b)

cradle

c)

Gilgamesh

d)

ziggurat

5.

Which piece of evidence from the chart supports the idea that agriculture was reliable in Egypt?

a)

Many natural defenses

b)

Metal products and pottery

c)

Kingdoms ruled by pharaohs

d)

Dependable and regular flooding

6.

The few Sumerians who learned how to write often held high positions in society as what?

a)

artisans

b)

scribes

c)

heads of households

d)

merchants

7.

Who developed the first empire in Mesopotamia?

a)

Hammurabi

b)

Sargon

c)

Ashurbanipal

d)

Nabopolassar

8.

The astronomers of Babylon mapped

a)

the irrigation canals.

b)

the ocean currents.

c)

the nearby mountains.

d)

the stars and the planets.

9.

Assyrian kings divided their empire into political districts called

a)

provinces

b)

states

c)

counties

d)

wards

10.

Sumerians invented

a)

the wheel

b)

the compass

c)

paper money

d)

gunpowder

11.

The image below is an example of what characteristic of civilization?

a)

Writing

b)

Government

c)

Cities

d)

Art

12.

Where did the first civilizations arise?

a)

in the mountains

b)

near the sea

c)

in river valleys

d)

in the desert

13.

One reason the Tigris and Euphrates and Nile river valleys became centers of early civilization is that these river valleys had which of the following?

a)

the means for fertile soil and transportation

b)

borders and elevations that were easy to defend

c)

rich deposits of coal and iron ore

d)

locations in regions with moderate climates and abundant rainfall

14.

Which of the following characteristics should be added to this graphic organizer?

a)

Lack of food

b)

Organized religions

c)

Need for higher education

d)

Increased role of women

15.

What famous story tells the tale of a great Sumerian king?

a)

The Ballad of Akshak

b)

The Tales of Olympia

c)

The Epic of Gilgamesh

d)

The Feats of Uruk

16.

Which invention of the Sumerians helped to increase their crop production?

a)

plow

b)

sickle

c)

spade

d)

bucket

17.

What effect did the creation of the Code of Hammurabi have on Mesopotamian civilization?

a)

It encouraged the development of art and culture.

b)

It expanded trade and helped the economy grow.

c)

It promoted stable communities where people followed rules.

d)

It increased the construction of temples and monuments.

18.

The Sumerians developed a math system based on what number?

a)

10

b)

12

c)

30

d)

60

19.

Who built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon?

a)

Sargon

b)

Hammurabi

c)

Nebuchadnezzar

d)

Nabopolosssar

20.

In Sumerian city-states, people worshiped their gods in a temple called a

a)

shrine

b)

cathedral

c)

ziggurat

d)

forum

21.

Around 2340 B.C., ______ created the world's first empire.

a)

Hammurabi

b)

Sargon

c)

Nebuchadnezzar

d)

Nabopolassar

22.

Cuneiform was important to Mesopotamias as well as modern day civilizations because

a)

Established the first system of writing

b)

Was written on clay tablets

c)

Wrote receipts for purchases

d)

Was a system of government that we still use today

23.

Which civilization of Mesopotamia is considered to be the first advanced civilization, also attributed with inventing the wheel, writing, and government?

a)

Akkadians

b)

Persians

c)

Babylonians

d)

Sumerians

24.

Why was Hammurabi's Code different from other systems of law and order?

a)

It was a widely distributed written set of laws available to everyone

b)

Came from the Monoarch

c)

It tried to be fair to all people

d)

It had more than ten laws

25.

Select the correct word or phrase to complete the statement. The ancient river civilization of _________ developed the architectural form known as the ziggurat.

a)

the Huang He

b)

the Indus

c)

the Nile

d)

the Tigris-Euphrates

26.

Which of the following best describes the system of government found in the Tigris-Euphrates river civilization?

a)

The region was organized into city-states ruled by kings.

b)

A pharaoh ruled over all people in the region.

c)

The region was broken into provinces headed by a governor.

d)

Independent states were created, and they answered to a president.

27.

A group of merchants traveling together for safety

a)

caravan

b)

irrigation

c)

scribe

d)

surplus

28.

Payment payed to a ruler or state as a sign of surrender

a)

tariff

b)

income tax

c)

excise

d)

tribute

29.

Which of the following was NOT true of Mesopotamian empires?

a)

They did little farming or trading.

b)

They created powerful armies.

c)

They created rules and laws for their empires.

d)

Many were ruled by kings.

30.

Sumerians developed a 12-month calendar by recording the

a)

position of planets and stars.

b)

Length of the seasons.

c)

amount of flooding.

d)

number of days with rainfall.

31.

Sumerians, one group of people who lived in the area known as Mesopotamia, were known for which of the following achievements:

a)

gunpowder, paper money, the compass

b)

wheel, sail, plow, cuneiform, ziggurats

c)

hieroglyphics, pyramids, shadoof

d)

arches, vaults, domes, aqueducts

32.

What type of writing did the Sumerians create?

a)

Cave paintings which let to the development of words and symbols.

b)

Cuneiform which was created on clay tablets and had 1200 symbols

c)

Phoenician alphabet which used pictures to represent individual sounds.

d)

Hieroglyphics which used pictures to represent objects, ideas, and sounds.

33.

The following are all important achievements of Mesopotamia, but which one was the most important in providing a steady water supply?

a)

Wheel

b)

Sail

c)

Plow

d)

Irrigation

34.

The items below best describe which of the following:

Wheel, Cuneiform, Ziggurat, Written law

a)

The achievements made by Paleolithic people

b)

The achievements made by only Babylonians

c)

The achievements made by only the Chaldeans

d)

The achievements made by all civilizations in Mesopotamia

35.

Which of the following was NOT an invention of the Mesopotamians?

a)

Wheel

b)

Plow

c)

Writing

d)

Columns

36.

For which achievement is Hammurabi most well known?

a)

He established the first public school in Mesopotamia.

b)

He developed the first writing system in the ancient world.

c)

He created the first major collection of laws that dealt with every part of daily life.

d)

He conquered the Sumerians using an army made up of Mesopotamian and Egyptian soldiers.