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History of Mesopotamia Study Guide
Part 1
Analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the
early civilizations of Mesopotamia. SS.2
Civilization- A community of people that develops into a large population with high
levels of cultural and technological development.
Irrigation - ancient farmers would not have been able to water their crops in the hot, dry
months with water from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
Cuneiform - first ever writing system
City-States - Babylon became one of the most powerful in Mesopotamia.
Mesopotamia - “Land between two rivers”
Fertile Crescent - an area of land reaching up from Egypt and extending down into Iraq.
It was an area where farming first developed and where the first towns were established.
Monarch – Sargon was the first Mesopotamian monarch.
Empire - Assyrians were able to create a very large empire because of their weapons and
army.
Polytheism - belief in many gods
Scribe- helped the kings to keep records and write laws.
The Fertile Crescent was the first place in the world where communities began farming.
Euphrates and Tigris
Iraq
Crete a larger and more stable food supply
Hammurabi
Temples built for the gods