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WorksheetsANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA
Total questions: 78
Worksheet time: 59mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
This picture shows an area known as the..
a)
Farming Curve
b)
Fertile Crescent
c)
Green C
d)
Fertile Curve
2.
Civilization in Mesopotamia developed between which two rivers?
a)
the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean
b)
the Tigris and the Persian Gulf
c)
the Persian Gulf and the Euphrates
d)
the Euphrates and the Tigris
3.
Who wrote a legal code that covered most areas of daily life?
a)
Gilgamesh
b)
Hammarabui
c)
Nineveh
d)
Sargon
4.
The Sumerian writing system was called
a)
Cuneiform
b)
Hieroglyphs
c)
English
d)
Sargon
5.
Which of the following were members of the upper class?
a)
kings and priests
b)
artisans
c)
merchants and traders
d)
scribes
6.
A Sumerian temple to honor their chief god was called a
a)
scribe.
b)
cradle.
c)
Gilgamesh.
d)
ziggurat.
7.
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
8.
A city with political and economic control over the surrounding countryside
a)
City-State
b)
Country
c)
Villiage
d)
Culture
9.
Curved strip of land that runs from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf
a)
Mesopotamia
b)
Fertile Crescent
c)
silt
d)
Babylon
10.
Sumerian artisans, merchants, farmers, and fishers made up this group.
a)
business class
b)
lower class
c)
middle class
d)
upper class
11.
Building dams, channels, canals, and ditches to bring water to crops
a)
irrigation
b)
nomads
c)
ziggurat
d)
scribes
12.
The word "Mesopotamia" means
a)
middle of the fertile crescent
b)
land in the middle of the desert
c)
land between the rivers
d)
land north of the sea
13.
What does a scribe do for a living?
a)
cook
b)
paint
c)
fight
d)
write
14.
What 3 major civilizations occupied the Fertile Crescent during Ancient Mesopotamia?
a)
Seminoles, Sioux, and Fox
b)
Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians
c)
Chinese and Japanese and British
d)
Egyptians, Africans ,and Spanish
15.
Mesopotamians wrote on
a)
dirt
b)
rocks
c)
Paper
d)
Clay tablets
16.
Mesopotamia's writings were mainly...
a)
short stories, and sayings
b)
Long stories
c)
one word sayings
d)
prayers
17.
True or False? Mesopotamians invented the wheel.
a)
True
b)
False
18.
True or False? Mesopotamians invented soap.
a)
True
b)
False
19.
True or False? Mesopotamians invented the sailboat.
a)
True
b)
False
20.
True or False? Mesopotamians invented musical notation.
a)
True
b)
False
21.
The Fertile Crescent soil is...
a)
dry
b)
rich
c)
rocky
d)
unproductive
22.
Sumer is important because it was...
a)
the world's first civilization
b)
the world's largest empire
c)
where humans evolved
d)
where fishing villages first developed
23.
The Fertile Crescent is present-day...
a)
Egypt
b)
Iran
c)
Iraq
d)
Persia
24.
City-states offered protection to their citizens with...
a)
irrigation systems
b)
strong armies
c)
good record keeping
d)
walls around the city
25.
The three main crops of Mesopotamia are barley, ____________, and sesame seeds.
a)
apples
b)
dates
c)
prunes
d)
raisins
26.
Priests in Sumer are believed to be powerful and...
a)
communicated with the Gods
b)
Introduced new technology
c)
lead the economy
d)
ran farms
27.
What is first needed for the development of a civilization?
a)
architectural knowledge
b)
food production
c)
military power
d)
mineral resources
28.
Polytheism is the belief that...
a)
spirits that control your life.
b)
the universe controls your life.
c)
there are many gods.
d)
there is a heaven.
29.
Ziggurats were built to...
a)
give gods a place to better protect the people.
b)
show people the city-states were wealthy.
c)
serve as public meeting places for government officials.
d)
provide food and shelter for the poor.
30.
The floods benefited Mesopotamia by...
a)
supplying fresh drinking water.
b)
giving highly fertile soil.
c)
removing waste-generated pollution.
d)
giving strong natural defenses.
31.
Mesopotamia had a surplus of food because...
a)
everyone had some kind of agricultural job during the year.
b)
they used metal tools and irrigation systems to increase crop yields.
c)
scientists developed hybrid crops that resisted diseases.
d)
trade networks brought grain and animal products.
32.
What led to the conquest of Sumer?
a)
unification of city-states
b)
peace among city-states
c)
fighting among city states
d)
wealth of city-states
33.
Why was writing first invented?
a)
to display laws
b)
to communicate with foreign lands
c)
to act as a form of entertainment
d)
to keep record of business transactions
34.
The people of Sumer practiced _____________ , the worship of many gods.
a)
polytheism
b)
monotheism
c)
Christianity
d)
Catholicism
35.
Why was Mesopotamia such a good area for growing crops?
a)
The land was covered with heavy vegetation
b)
the rivers flooded, making it easier for planters to pull out weeds that might harm crops
c)
the area did not have any agricultural pests
d)
the rivers flooded and deposited rich soil (silt)
36.
Which of the following civilizations invented the wheel?
a)
The Babylonians
b)
The Assyrians
c)
The Phoenicians
d)
The Sumerians
37.
Ancient Mesopotamian traders had connections with traders in
a)
Indian and Egypt
b)
Russia and China
c)
Japan and Australia
d)
Greece and west Africa
38.
Which tools did the Mesopotamians use for writing?
a)
a sharpened piece of reed, called a stylus, used on clay tablets
b)
a slender piece of wood that they dipped in colorful dyes
c)
a large, feather pen that they dipped in ink
d)
a darkened reed that they dipped into a mixture of charcoal and water
39.
A __________ is a complex society that has cities, organized governments, art, religion, class divisions, and a writing system.
a)
ziggurat
b)
city-state
c)
civilization
d)
epic
40.
Which statement best explains how job specialization in ancient Mesopotamia helped support the Sumerian monarchy?
a)
the Phoenician
b)
Increased food production made it possible for people to specialize in different tasks, which created different levels of wealth.
c)
People settled where crops could grow. The population grew. Villages and cities formed.
d)
Job specialization allowed the government to set up a large organization to manage its population and territory.
41.
When did the first cities develop in Mesopotamia?
a)
between 3000 BC and 4000 BC
b)
to protect inhabitants of the city-state from attack
c)
to improve and expand trade
d)
a belief in many gods
42.
Which early civilization spread the use of a simple alphabet as it traded with other peoples?
a)
a belief in many gods
b)
Increased food production made it possible for people to specialize in different tasks, which created different levels of wealth.
c)
the Phoenician
d)
to improve and expand trade
43.
Which sequence of events shows how Mesopotamia developed?
a)
Criminals are punished by the people they have wronged
b)
Increased food production made it possible for people to specialize in different tasks, which created different levels of wealth.
c)
Job specialization allowed the government to set up a large organization to manage its population and territory.
d)
People settled where crops could grow. The population grew. Villages and cities formed.
44.
The earliest types of gods worshipped in ancient Mesopotamia were associated with __________.
a)
forces of nature such as the sun and the sky
b)
to improve and expand trade
c)
a belief in many gods
d)
Criminals are punished by the people they have wronged
45.
This is not one of the five traits of civilization.
a)
complex institutions
b)
advanced cities
c)
searching for food
d)
record keeping
46.
The Sumerians invented this...
a)
a writing system
b)
fire
c)
slated pencils
d)
medicine
47.
Which was not a characteristic of a Sumerian city?
a)
walls around the city
b)
houses made of dried reeds
c)
houses made of dried mud bricks
d)
a ziggurat in the city's center
48.
Which ancient civilization did not exist in Mesopotamia?
a)
Sumer
b)
Babylonia
c)
Assyria
d)
Palestine
49.
This Mesopotamian king created the first code of rules for his people.
a)
Sargon
b)
Ashurbanipal
c)
Hammurabi
d)
Gilgamesh
50.
What result did agricultural surplus have?
a)
decline in wealth
b)
growth in population
c)
equality of social class
d)
reduction in trade
51.
What did ancient Sumerians house in ziggurats?
a)
government leaders
b)
trade markets
c)
religious shrines
d)
slaves
52.
What did the city-states of Sumer and Akkad have in common?
a)
They were located north of desert lands.
b)
They enjoyed a Mediterranean climate.
c)
They were built along rivers.
d)
They had more people than neighboring cities.
53.
How was the civilization of Sumer organized?
a)
into roving bands of hunter-gatherers
b)
into small temporary villages
c)
into separate city-states
d)
into one central city and surrounding farms
54.
How long after the beginning of agriculture did city-states begin to form?
a)
about 5,000 years
b)
about 6,300 years
c)
about 7,700 years
d)
about 9,500 years
55.
___________ was located in the Fertile Crescent.
a)
Sumeria
b)
Mesopotamia
c)
Egypt
d)
Africa
56.
_______________ worked for the nobles and palaces. They were farmers, fisherman, and crafters.
a)
Slaves
b)
Priests
c)
Commoners
d)
Gods
57.
Priests, Officials, and Royals belong in the yellow part of the triangle. They were a very small group compared to the total population.
a)
Farmers/Slaves
b)
Nobles
c)
Commoners/Craftsmen
58.
90% of the population belonged in the blue part of the triangle. They worked on farms. Other worked on Palace building projects and they were owned by the palace.
a)
Farmers/Slaves
b)
Nobles
c)
Commoners/Craftsmen
59.
The Sumerian numeric system included :
a)
Trigonometry & multiplication
b)
Geometry & Algebra
c)
Calculus & Division
60.
Monotheism is a religious practice that refers too...
a)
Belief in one God
b)
Belief in systematic thoughts
c)
Free will
d)
Belief in octo beliefs
61.
Monarchy is defined as...
a)
Government ruled by democrat and republican
b)
Government ruled by older parents
c)
Government ruled by axis of powers
d)
Government ruled by King or Queen
62.
What did the mesopotamians use to build homes
a)
Wood
b)
Mud brick
c)
Cactus
d)
Concrete
63.
Who was the lowest on the social class?
a)
Slaves
b)
Priests
c)
kings
d)
lower class
64.
What problem did the Mesopotamian people face?
a)
When the rivers flooded unpredictable, they would wipe out entire villages
b)
Dams would stop the water from reaching the people that needed it the most
c)
Silt was left behind after the flood waters returned to the river banks
d)
The rivers were infested with flies and mosquitoes
65.
Which Mesopotamian city-state was the home of Abraham?
a)
Babylon
b)
Akkad
c)
Ur
d)
Uruk
66.
Which was not a characteristic of a Sumerian city?
a)
walls around the city
b)
houses made of dried reeds
c)
houses made of dried mud bricks
d)
a ziggurat in the city's center
67.
Which ancient civilization did not exist in Mesopotamia?
a)
Sumer
b)
Babylonia
c)
Assyria
d)
Palestine
68.
This Mesopotamian king created the first code of rules for his people.
a)
Sargon
b)
Ashurbanipal
c)
Hammurabi
d)
Gilgamesh
69.
This Mesopotamian king built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon for his wife.
a)
Sargon
b)
Hammurabi
c)
Nebechanezzer
d)
Gilgamesh
70.
How did Hammurabi change Mesopotamian society?
a)
He began seafaring trade.
b)
He codified laws.
c)
He introduced cuneiform.
d)
He organized provinces.
71.
Why did Nebuchadnezzar II build the Hanging Gardens?
a)
to defend the city walls
b)
to farm more food
c)
to make the city beautiful
d)
to punish prisoners
72.
An epic poem from Mesopotamia time describes the life of a legendary king named __________.
a)
Sargon
b)
Nebachadnezzar
c)
Gilgamesh
d)
Cleopatra
73.
When farmers cleaned the canals, they were working for
a)
the king.
b)
their own benefit.
c)
a regular paycheck.
d)
the common good.
74.
Which of the following is an example of technology?
a)
a religious system
b)
an axle
c)
a job
d)
written language
75.
The remains of different types and sizes of houses in Sumerian cities showed that
a)
Sumerians had a social structure.
b)
Sumerians had a set of religious beliefs.
c)
the largest homes were near the edge of the city.
d)
Sumerians used wood from the forests to build.
76.
Which of these ancient Sumerians most likely made swords for the army?
a)
a metalworker
b)
a soldier
c)
a farmer
d)
a landowner
77.
What problem did the Mesopotamian people face?
a)
When the rivers flooded unpredictable, they would wipe out entire villages
b)
Dams would stop the water from reaching the people that needed it the most
c)
Silt was left behind after the flood waters returned to the river banks
d)
The rivers were infested with flies and mosquitoes
78.
The rulers of the city-states were most often what type of leaders?
a)
Military Men
b)
Nobles
c)
Pharaohs
d)
Presidents
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