Download Chapter 3 Lesson 2 Notes

Chapter 3 Lesson 2 Notes
Key Terms –
Civilization – an advanced form of culture.
Sumer – an ancient region of Southern Mesopotamia.
City-State – a political unit that includes a city and its nearby farmlands.
Ziggurat – an ancient Sumerian or Babylonian temple that rose in a series of step like
levels.
Polytheism – a belief in many gods or goddesses.
King – the leader of a group of people
Key Concepts/Main Ideas:
Traits of Civilization
1. Advanced cities – Kish, Nippur, Ur
2. Specialized workers – priests, kings, artisans, farmers, scribes
3. Complex institutions – temples, army, schools
4. Record keeping – writing (cuneiform)
5. Advanced technology – irrigation, plow, bronze tools, wheel, calendar
Sumerian City States
 3,000 BC = 12 city states
 Food surplus supported large population
 Cities = narrow, winding streets
i. Roofs = palm trees
ii. Courtyards, mud houses/wall
 Ziggurat = temple and city center
i. Built 2,200 BC
Change in Leadership
 People came to Ziggurat (temple/city center) to pay priests for services
 Priests controlled much of wealth of city state
 Priests worked to satisfy the many gods (polytheism)
 Attackers came from other regions and took over the priests jobs. They later
became king.
 People believed the gods let the king rule