Mesopotamia Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What does Mesopotamia mean?

Mesopotamia is a Greek word meaning 'between the rivers'.

What two rivers was Mesopotamia between?

The Tigris and Euphrates.

How did the Mesopotamians advance to civilization?

Individual farms became farming villages, villages evolved into towns, towns grew into cities, and cities produced civilization.

What is Northern Mesopotamia made up of?

Hills and plains. Signup and view all the answers

What did early settlers in Northern Mesopotamia farm and use?

Wheat, barley, lentils, timber, metals, and stone. Signup and view all the answers

What characterized Southern Mesopotamia?

Marshy areas and wide, flat, barren plains. Signup and view all the answers

What were the characteristics of the Ubaidians?

Lived in large villages, built the first temples, and grew crops like wheat and barley. Signup and view all the answers

Who were the Sumerians?

A civilization between the Tigris and Euphrates, known for urbanization and bronze age technology. Signup and view all the answers

Who were the Assyrians?

A brutal civilization centered around their capital city of Ashur. Signup and view all the answers

What is an important symbol in Mesopotamian culture?

The mountain. Signup and view all the answers

Who were the Akkadians?

They conquered the Sumerians and adopted their culture. Signup and view all the answers

What characterized Sumerian society?

Non-secular with city-states owned by deities. Signup and view all the answers

Who were the Amorites?

Also known as the Old Babylonians, taken over by the Akkadian Empire. Signup and view all the answers

Who were the ancient Mesopotamian people?

Sumerians, Amorites, Akkadians, and Assyrians. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Fertile Crescent?

An ancient area of fertile soil and important rivers stretching from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates. Signup and view all the answers

Which ancient civilizations inhabited areas within the Fertile Crescent?

Sumerians, Akkadians, and Egyptians. Signup and view all the answers

What is a ziggurat?

A rectangular stepped tower made of mud brick that served as temples. Signup and view all the answers

What is cuneiform?

A system of writing first developed by the Sumerians. Signup and view all the answers

What does Semitic refer to?

Relating to Hebrew and Arabic language. Signup and view all the answers

What is Enuma Elish?

'When on High', a Mesopotamian myth of creation. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Gilgamesh?

A historical king of Uruk whose story was written on clay tablets. Signup and view all the answers

What is Uruk?

An ancient city of Sumer and later Babylonia, located east of the Euphrates river. Signup and view all the answers

Who was Sargon the Great?

An Akkadian warlord who conquered and united city-states. Signup and view all the answers

Who was Hammurabi?

A ruler who united southern Mesopotamia under his rule. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Mesopotamia Overview

Mesopotamia translates to "between the rivers," referring to its location between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
The region, mainly in modern Iraq, also extends into parts of Syria.

Geographic Divisions

Northern Mesopotamia: Characterized by hills and fertile plains; benefited from seasonal rains, rivers, and nearby mountains for farming resources.
Southern Mesopotamia: Composed of marshy and barren plains; agriculture depended on irrigation from rivers due to scarce natural resources.

Early Cultures and Societies

Ubaidians (circa 5500 BCE): Pre-urban culture with large villages, early temples, and agriculture based on wheat, barley, and livestock. Key sites included Lagash, Eridu, and Ur.
Sumerians: Innovators of urbanization and technology during the Bronze Age, developed writing and epic literature, established city-states, and had the first monarchy.
Assyrians: Known for their brutality, centered in the city of Ashur.
Akkadians: Conquered Sumerians around 2000 BCE, adopted Sumerian culture, and spoke a Semitic language. Famous for building ziggurats.

Important Symbols and Cultural Aspects

Mountains symbolize the mysterious forces of life, rain, and fertility in Mesopotamian religion.
Ziggurat: A rectangular stepped tower serving as temples to ancient gods, constructed from mud brick.
Cuneiform: The system of writing first developed by the Sumerians.

Additional Cultural Insights

Ancient Mesopotamian civilizations include Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, and Amorites.
The Fertile Crescent: An area with fertile soil and rivers, crucial for ancient civilizations, stretching from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates.
Significant figures included Sargon the Great, who united city-states, and Hammurabi, known for uniting southern Mesopotamia and creating one of the earliest legal codes.

Mythology and Literature

Enuma Elish: A creation myth illustrating the struggle between cosmic order and chaos, symbolizing seasonal cycles.
Gilgamesh: A historical king of Uruk, notable for one of the earliest literary works written in Sumerian on clay tablets.

Uruk

An ancient city of Sumer and later Babylonia, located east of the present Euphrates river channel.

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Description

Test your knowledge of Mesopotamia with these flashcards! Learn about its meaning, the rivers that define it, and the progression of its civilization. Perfect for students studying ancient history or geography.