Name: ____________________ Date: __________________ H.W.#: ______
My World History
Chapter 3 The Ancient Far East Section 1 – The Civilization of Sumer
Terms to understand when reading:
1. Fertile Crescent – shaped similar to a curved hook, this is a region that stretches from the
Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea in the area known as the Middle East.
2. Mesopotamia – a name that translates to “land between the rivers,” specifically the Tigris
and Euphrates. This area is now known as Iraq.
3. irrigate – to use technology to supply water to areas in need, usually through a system of
canals
4. city state – an independent state (region) that includes a major city and its surrounding
territory
5. barter – a system of trading goods or services without using currency (money)
6. polytheism – the belief in more than one god. Sumer was a civilization that believed in
multiple gods and goddesses.
7. ziggurat – a tall, pyramid-shaped tower with steep stairs and few windows or entry ways.
These buildings were used primarily as religious temples although some business transactions
with the priests could be conducted on the premises.
8. cuneiform – a system of writing developed from the Sumerians that uses triangle-shaped
symbols written on to stand for ideas or things.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Directions: The following terms and questions need to be answered in neatly written, well- structured sentences
on lined paper or they may be typed. You must rephrase each question in your response. Do not begin any
response with a pronoun or the word because. All class work and homework must state your name,
homework number, date, chapter and section.
A. Combine the following terms from your text into well-developed sentences that relate to the Sumerian
civilization:
1. polytheism and ziggurat
2. Fertile Crescent and irrigate:
A. Answer the following questions in complete sentences. Remember to rephrase the question.
1. Describe the social class system of Sumer. Who was at the bottom of the Sumerian civilization? Who was at
the top of the social class order? How did the role of a king begin and who generally became a king?
2. Explain the importance of the rivers for the expansion of trade. What goods did the Sumerians transport?
Explain how bartering was done. (What goods did the Sumerians need for the growth of their own civilization?)
3. Explain two technological advancements that made it possible for the Sumerians to trade with people from
far away cultures?
4. We have discussed the importance of river ways for the growth of agriculture in past sections. Explain how
the arid, desert area of Sumer was able to become such a productive farmland region. (Be sure to include the
words silt and irrigation into your response.)
5. Extra Credit: What role did religion play in the government system of Sumer? Was there a separation of
religion and government in Sumer? How did the immense power of the priests influence how the government
developed? Lastly, what were the possible problems of the priests holding so much power in the Sumerian
civilization?
C. Summarize the main idea of this section (completely in your own words) in either one or two fully
developed sentences.