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Name: _______________________________
Date: _____________________________
Section: ____________________________
Seventh Grade Social Studies
Mr. LaBrache
10/7/10
Directions:
Below you will find questions for the video on the Beginnings of Civilization in Mesopotamia. For each
question take notes based off the information found in the movie. Then for homework, turn your notes into
complete sentences and write them down on a separate piece of paper; due tomorrow.
Sumer 3500 – 2000 BCE
1. What does the word Mesopotamia mean in Greek?
a. Means land between two rivers
2. The use of irrigation by the early Sumerian improved farming conditions. How did this affect the
people? What kinds of specialized jobs were created?
a. Irrigation made farming easier
b. They needed to control flooding of the rivers
c. Irrigation makes food plentiful and they could expand ideas
d. Cooperation lead to record keeping and government
e. They could start to write down history
f. Specialization of jobs rises from this
3. What is a ziggurat? What was its purpose?
a. huge, stepped tower
b. place to worship gods
4. What were the advantages and disadvantages of the mud bricks that were used by the Sumerians?
a. They had plenty of material to make bricks
b. Used straw in the mix to strengthen the bricks (made them durable)
c. They attracted heat and made their homes uncomfortable
5. For what reason did the people of Sumer sleep on platforms over the roofs of their houses?
a. Materials that their houses were made of made them very hot
b. Slept on roof for fresh air
6. Who were the Lugal-gal and what were their responsibilities?
a. Lugal-gal means “big man”
b. Would lead city-state into battle
c. Eventually would become king
7. Name some of items created by the Sumerians?
a. Invented the wheel
b. Made the first plow – pulled by oxen
c. Arch – architectural feature that was pretty and provided more support for buildings
8. The people of Mesopotamia were the first to use which architectural structure, which was later adopted
by the Romans?
a. Mesoptoamia people first used the arch
9. What do historians view as the most important invention of the Sumerians?
a. Most important invention – writing
10. What is a scribe? What duties did a scribe in Sumer have?
a. Professional writer
b. They were the record keepers in Sumer
c. Not everyone could read or write, so they were very important people
Assyria (2000 – 605 BCE)
11. From where did the Assyrians acquire their iron, and how did it get its nickname, “Metal from the
Heavens?”
a. Iron came from meteorites that fell from the sky
b. They could remove iron from rocks and make weapons out of them
12. What qualities and structures did historians associate with the ancient Assyrian people?
a. Assyrians seen as cruel warriors, blood-thristy conquerors
b. Stone creatures guarded their cities (body of bull, wings of bird and human face)
Babylonia (2000 – 529 BCE)
13. For how long did the great Babylonian leader, Nebuchadnezzar, rule?
a. Nebuchadnezzar ruled for 43 years
14. Name the Babylonian capital city built by Nebuchadnezzar. What famous structure did Nebuchadnezzar
build in his new city?
a. Nebuchadnezzar built Babylon
b. City was surrounded by a huge wall
c. The main gate to the city was called Gate of Ishtar
15. Which city did Nebuchadnezzar invade? Which great ancient structure did he destroy?
a. Invaded Jerusalem
b. Destroyed temple of Solomon
16. What was the name of the Persian leader who took over Babylon, but still kept their ideas and culture
alive?
a. Cyrus the Great was Persian leader took over Babylon