Download Ch 3 Study Guide

Chapter 3 Study Guide
Cuneiform: The world’s first system of writing
Monarch: a ruler of a kingdom or empire
Fertile Crescent: a large arc of rich or fertile farmland
Polytheism: the worship of many gods/goddesses
Epics: long story-poems, usually about a hero
Priests: people who perform religious ceremonies and serve as
a role between people and gods
Canals: man-made waterways
Ziggurat: a pyramid shaped temple tower
Rural: relating to the country and located in the countryside
Urban: city like
Social Hierarchy: the division of society by rank or class
Chariot: a wheeled, horse drawn battle cart
A Sumerian could move up in social class by BECOMING A
SCRIBE.
Under Hammurabi’s Code, people were treated UNFAIRLY.
PEOPLE IN HIGHER CLASSES WERE DEALT LIGHTER
PUNISHMENTS, AND WOMEN WERE UNDER MORE STRICT
RULES THAN MEN.
In Sumer, women could become PRIESTESSES (RELIGIOUS
LEADERS)
Cuneiform was first used TO KEEP BUSINESS RECORDS
The center of each Sumerian city-state was dominated by a
ZIGGURAT (TEMPLE)
Sumerian scribes used a STYLUS to write cuneiform on clay
tablets.
SARGON’s army defeated all of the Sumerian city-states and
conquered northern Mesopotamia.
Three Sumerian Inventions and the areas of life they made
easier are:
OX DRAWN PLOW – AGRICULTURE
CUNEIFORM – BUSINESS
BRONZE – MILITARY
WHEEL – TRANSPORTATION
SEWERS – HEALTH
Civilization in Mesopotamia was possible because of THE TIGRIS
AND EUPHRATES RIVERS. THEIR FLOODS WERE LEAVE BEHIND
SILT, MAKING THE LAND FERTILE FOR FARMING.
The social hierarchy of Sumer went as follows:
KINGS
PRIESTS AND NOBLES
CRAFTSPEOPLE AND MERCHANTS
FARMERS (WORKING CLASS)
SLAVES
Trading affected the Phoenician alphabet BECAUSE IT WAS
SPREAD ALONG THE TRADE ROUTES.
The groups who conquered Mesopotamia were:
BABYLONIANS
HITTITES
KASSITES
ASSYRIANS
CHALDEANS
City-states built walls around their cities to PROTECT THE
INHABITANTS FROM ATTACKS.
Hammurabi and Nebuchadnezzar both BUILT UP BABYLON
INTO A POWERFUL CITY-STATE
Phoenicia’s most famous colony was CARTHAGE.
Sumerian’s believed to make the gods happy, they had to
WORSHIP THEM AND GIVE THEM OFFERINGS.
Mesopotamia means BETWEEN THE RIVERS. The rivers it is
referring to are TIGRIS AND EUPHRATES.