Fertile Crescent
a crescent shaped area where one of the first civilizations began. It covers the present day countries of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.
Mesopotamia
means "the land between the rivers". It is located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in the middle east.
Plateau
an area of elevated flatland
Droughts
long periods of dry weather (very little rain)
Irrigation System
a water control system that supplies water to the land
Agriculture
farming
Cuneiform
Sumerian writing
City-state
an independent city that governs itself
Stylus
a pointed stick used for writing
Ziggurat
a Sumerian temple
Sumerians
A group of people who were the first to settle in Mesopotamia. They were the first people to invent the wheel and plow (a tool used for farming). They may have been the first people to discover agriculture and create an irrigation system.
Polytheistic
worshiping many gods
Monotheistic
worshiping one god
Arch
an upside-down u or v shaped structure that supports weight above it, as in a doorway
Pictograph
Simple drawing of a symbol that represents an object
Social Structure
the way a civilization is organized ( such as upper, middle, lower classes)
Technology
the use of tools and other inventions for practical purposes
Chariot
a two-wheeled vehicle pulled by a horse or donkey
Scribe
a person who reads and writes
Empire
a large territory where several groups of people are ruled by a single powerful leader or government
Domesticate
to train a wild animal to be useful to humans
Trade
the business of buying and selling or exchanging items
Lyre
a stringed musical instrument
Babylonians
A group of people who conquered the Sumerians. They had a very famous king named Hammurabi. Hammurabi created nearly 300 laws known as Hammurabi's Code of Laws, the old known legal system based on the concept of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth".
Hittites
This group of people was known for their ability to smelt iron. They were the first people to make iron tools and weapons. They conquered the Babylonians and had a nicer legal system than Hammurabi. They were overran by the Assyrians.
Assyrians
This group of people overran the Hittites. Their king Assurbanipal built a magnificent library at Ninevah. They were also known for their extreme cruelty and had many horrible methods of torture, which made many people hate them.
Persians
A group of people who developed the religion Zoroasterism. Zoroaster was a Persian religious leader who preached that there was one supreme god, Ahura-Mazda, the god of light. Ahura Mazda was in constant conflict with a god of darkness, who resembled the devil of Christianity. The Persians had a great empire but were eventually conquered by Alexander the Great 331 BC.
Chaldeans
This group of people are sometimes called Neo-Babylonians (or Second Babylonian Empire). Their king Nebuchadnezzar II built the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Phonecians
A group of people who became great sailors and merchants. They build fine ships from cedar wood and sailed to distant places. There most famous export (item they traded) was purple cloth. They also gave us the first alphabet, a system of writing containing signs that stood for single sounds.
Hebrews
A group of people often referred to as the "father of the Israelites". They developed Judaism (the Jewish religion), a monotheistic religion. They established the Ten Commandments and the Old Testament.
Complex
Made up of many interrelated parts
Surpluses
More than neccessary
Traditional economy
a type of economy that relies on habit, custom, or ritual and tends not to change over time
Artisan
Skilled craftsperson
Significant
Relatively large in amount
Cultural Diffusion
the spread of ideas, customs, and techologies from one people to another
Hierarchy
A system of ranking groups
Ensure
To make sure that something will happen
Epic
A long narrative poem, usually about a heroic character and events significant to a culture or nation
Epic of Gilgamesh
a long narrative poem that was first told in Mesopotamia about a hero Gilgamesh