Download Key Concepts for Chapter 2

Key Concepts for Chapter 2 – MESOPOTAMIA – Southwest Asia
Lesson 1
Know all of the new inventions (technology) of the Sumerians. Why were each of these important?
 Wheel
 Plow
 Cart
 Writing (Cuneiform)
 Dikes and canals
 Unit of land measurement
Know the definition and the importance of surplus agriculture to the growth of ancient civilizations.
Seven Traits of a Civilization – Be able to explain the significance of each using examples from the text and notes.
Importance of the Tigris-Euphrates Rivers
Functions of a Ziggurat in Mesopotamia
Explanation of a government and city-state
Know the term monarchy.
Understand how social classes derived and the importance in ancient societies.
Lesson 2
First king of Mesopotamia – Sargon
Contributions of Hammurabi (King of Justice)
 King who created a unified empire
 Code of Laws
 Taxation
 Equal justice – “Eye of an eye”
Understand the need of the Assyrians to control trade routes.
Lesson 3
Cultural diffusion - Spreading of ideas from one culture to another. Examples:
Jewish people spread the idea of worshipping one God (monotheism) and the Ten Commandments to other
people.
Identify the three ancient religions that were monotheistic.
 Judaism
one God
The Torah
Worships in a synagogue
 Christianity one God (Jesus)
Bible
Worships in a church
 Islamic
one God (Allah)
Koran (Qur’an)
Worships in a mosque
Ten Commandments became an important part of the Jewish, then later the Christian and Islamic religions.
 Phoenicians – First alphabet – Used in trade and keeping records
 Phoenician Purple (dyes for clothing and used later in trading)
 Lydians – First to coin money and establish a money economy (Before this, agriculture gave a crop
economy).
 King Nebuchadnezzar – Hanging Gardens of Babylon – One of the 7 ancient wonders of the world.