Download Mesopotamia * The Land Between Two Rivers

Mesopotamia – The Land
Between Two Rivers
Summary – Section 1
Pages 30 - 35
#1 What is a scribe and why were they
important?
• A: A scribe is a professional writer.
• A: They are important because they kept
records for kings and priests.
• Additional information: It took 10 years for a
scribe to become a professional writer. (Ages
8-18)
#2 What were the special attractions
that drew people to Mesopotamia?
• A: The special attractions were the life-giving
rivers and fertile soil nearby.
#3 What does the word Mesopotamia
mean?
• A: Mesopotamia is a Greek word that means
“between the rivers”. This refers to the Tigris
and Euphrates Rivers.
#4 Explain why rivers could bring both
life and death.
• A: Rivers brought life because it supplied
people with the essential needs to survive.
(Fertile soil, food, and supplies to make many
objects)
• A: Rivers often flooded unpredictably and
caused many deaths and much destruction to
the villages built on the rivers.
#5 Explain how the city-states of
Sumer were similar and different
• A: Similar because of language and culture.
Culture includes clothing, food, dance, music,
religion.
• A: Different because they were separate,
independent states. They had their own
government, gods/goddesses, armies, and
leaders.
#6 What was the largest building in a
Sumerian city-state?
• A: The largest building was called a ziggurat.
• They were used as a place for religious,
economic, and social activities.
#7 What did the people of Sumer
worship and believe in?
• A: The people of Sumer worshiped many gods
and goddesses. This is called polytheism.
“Poly” is a word that means many.
• A: They believed in myths, or stories about
gods that explain people’s beliefs.
• Additional information: They believed that
gods punished the bad and rewarded the
good.