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Mesopotamia
The land between the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers
Fertile Crescent
An arc of land from the Mediterranean Sea to the
Persian gulf.
Sumerians
The creators of the first Mesopotamian
civilization.
Polytheistic
The belief in many gods.
City-state
The basic unit of Sumerian civilization.
Uruk
An independent city in southern Mesopotamia
Ziggurat
a massive stepped tower used as a temple.
Theocracy
A government by divine authority
cuneiform
“wedge shaped” system of
writing created by the
Sumerians.
Gilgemesh
An epic poem that records the exploits of a
legendary king named Gilgemesh.
Scribe
Members of the leaned class who served as
copyists, teachers, and jurists.
Akkadians
The people who lived north of the Sumerian citystate.
Sargon
The leader of the Akkadians.
Empire
A large political unit or state, usually under a
singe leader, that controls many people or
territories.
Babylon
A city-state south of Akkad.
Hammurabi
Leader of Babylon, who gained control of Sumer
and Akkad.
Patriarchal
When men dominate the society