Name: ____________________
Date: _____________________
Class Name: _______________
TEST TOTAL : 90 points
CIVILIZATIONS OF THE FERTILE CRESCENT
TEST
A. Word Mastery
Use the vocabulary words below to fill in the missing spaces in the sentences.
Civilization
Irrigation
Cuneiform
Diasporas
City-States
Mesopotamia
Fertile Crescent
Monarch
Empire
Polytheism
Scribe
1. The _________________________ was an area of land reaching up from Egypt
and extending down into Iraq. It was an area where farming first developed and
where the first towns were established.
2. SARGON conquered the other Sumerian city-states and became the first
_______________ of Mesopotamia.
3. The name _________________ meant “Land between two rivers” and was a
name given by the Greeks.
4. The first ever writing system was called __________________ and was created in
Mesopotamia.
5. Babylon became one of the most powerful __________________ in
Mesopotamia.
6. The Assyrians were able to create a very large ____________________ because
of their advanced weapons and well-trained army.
7. A belief in many gods is often referred to as _______________________.
8. Without ___________________, ancient farmers would not have been able to
water their crops in the hot, dry months.
9. The _________________of an ancient civilization helped the kings to keep
records and write laws.
10. The destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity led to one of the first
great _____________________ of the Jewish people.
11. A community of people becomes a _________________ when it develops a large
population with high levels of cultural and technological development.
22 POINTS
B. CONTENT MASTERY
1. What was the major reason why large civilizations first developed in the Fertile
Crescent?
a. The Fertile Crescent was full of fertile land and great resources.
b. The Fertile Crescent provided a good location for trade.
c. The people of the Fertile Crescent were cleverer and more talented
d. The Fertile Crescent was the first place in the world where communites began farming.
2. The Mesopotamian civilization appears to have risen in the valley between what
two rivers?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Euphrates and Tigris
Zagros and Taurus
Tigris and Karun
Ishtar and Tammuz
3.
a.
b.
c.
d.
The region of Mesopotamia is located in the present day country of ...?
Iraq
Iran
Syria
Turkey
4. Which of the following was NOT a way in which ancient Mesopotamian farmers learned
to control the rivers they lived next to:
a. Irrigation canals
b. Barriers made of earth and mud
c. Reservoirs and storage basins
d. Water wheels
5.
a.
b.
c.
d.
All of the following are examples of Sumerian city-states EXCEPT:
Eridu
Ur
Nineveh
Uruk
6. The founders of the Mesopotamian civilization were called the
a. Assyrians
b. Babylonians
c. Chaldeans
d. Sumerians
7. The invention of the plow meant that Mesopotamian farmers could:
a. Relax
b. Grow different types of crops
c. Domesticate different kinds of animals
d. Create a larger and more stable food supply
8. Which king implemented the first recorded system of laws in human history?
a. Sargon
b. Hammurabi
c. Cyrus
d. Sennacherib
9. What was the significance of the Ziggurat?
a. Buildings constructed for government purposes
b. Homes built for the wealthy
c. Temples built for the gods
d. An area for trade in the center of the city
10. This Mesopotamian civilization developed a 12 month calendar and a math system based
on the number 60.
a. Assyrians
b. Akkadians
c. Sumerians
d. Babylonians
11. Which of the following was NOT a characteristic of Assyrian warfare?
a. They used chariots and cavalry in order to attack quickly
b. They developed iron weapons
c. They created battering rams to break down city walls
d. They made their soldiers use shield wall tactics
12. What did the Mesopotamians write on?
a. Clay
b. Parchment
c. Papyrus
d. Animal skin
13. Which group of people created the most warlike empire of Mesopotamia?
a. Akkadians
b. Assyrians
c. Babylonians
d. Sumerians
14. Which of the following is TRUE about the first Code of Law?
a. It treated everyone equally in Babylonian society
b. Its punishments were merciful and non-violent
c. It applied to everyone in Babylonian society
d. It was not connected to religious beliefs
15. Choose the correct order of the following Mesopotamian civilizations:
a. Babylonians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Sumerians
b. Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Chaldeans
c. Assyrians, Babylonians, Sumerians, Chaldeans
d. Chaldeans, Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians
16. According to the historical sources, Abraham migrated from Sumer to….
a. Egypt
b. Canaan
c. Phoenicia
d. Assyria
17. Which words best describe the relationship between the Mesopotamians and the ancient
Jewish kingdoms?
a. Trade and Exchange
b. Alliances and cooperation
c. Service and taxes
d. Conquest and Captivity
18. Which of the following phrases best describe the Phoenicians?
a. Expert sailors
b. Fierce warriors
c. Successful farmers
d. Thoughtful scribes
19. Which of the following characteristics of the Phoenician civilization were NOT copied by
other civilizations?
a. Writing system
b. Boat technology
c. Navigation skills
d. Gods and goddesses
38 POINTS
C. SKILLS MASTERY: 15 points
Use the graph below to show how a small farming community develops into a large and
powerful civilization. Carefully label each of the sections of the graph with short
sentences or phrases.
D. SKILLS MASTERY: 15 points
Provide thoughtful and detailed answers to the following questions. Use the information
and ideas in your history notebook to support what you say.
Why did the first civilizations develop in the Fertile Crescent?
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What major advances came out of Mesopotamian civilization?
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How does Jewish and Phoenician history connect to the history of Mesopotamia?
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