Mesopotamia
Vocabulary
Terms
Ms. Smith
World History
Chapter Objectives
 Describe
how
religion, family life,
and government
influenced
Sumerian
civilizations.
Chapter 3 Mesopotamia
Vocabulary
 City-state:
a Sumerian city and the
farmland around it. Each one had its own
god and government.
 Ziggurat: the temple at the center of
each Sumerian city.
 Artisans: skilled workers. Members of the
Sumerian middle class.
Chapter 3 Mesopotamia
Vocabulary
 Cuneiform:
Sumerian writings on clay
tablets. Made up of hundreds of markings
shaped like wedges.
 Priest-kings: Sumerian priests who were
also kings.
 Scribe: Sumerian writer
 Hereditary: passed down from parent to
child.
The Rise of Sumer
 Sumerians
grew wheat, barley, sesame,
flax, fruit trees, and vegetables.
 The Sumerians set up a government and
laws.
 As the population grew, they built cities.
 Important great city was Ur.
City-states
 Surrounded
by a wall
 Wall kept out lions and bandits
 Went to war with each other
Religious and Family Life
 Ziggurat
was at the center of each city-
state.
 Only priests could enter.
 Ziggurat:




Farmers, artisans, traders stored goods.
Poor were fed
Children went to school
Events were celebrated.
 Sumerians
believed they were on earth to
please the gods.
 3000 gods
 Sons of rich went to school
 Sons of poor worked in fields or learned a
trade.
 Writing developed to keep track of trade.
 Women
could buy and sell property, run
businesses, own and sell enslaved person.
Priests and Kings
 Epic
of Gilgamesh – story of a great flood
that covered the earth.
Section 1 Review
 The
Sumerians gained control of the twin
rivers by building levees.
 The center of Sumerian life was the
ziggurat the courts.
 The lives of Sumerian women compared
with today’s women would be described
as having the ability to sell property and
own businesses.
Sumerian accomplishments
 Cuneiform
 Levees
 City
of Ur
 Government
 Irrigation
 Epic of Gilgamesh
Section 2: Later Empires
 Empire-
groups of states under one ruler.
 Culture – the way of life of a group of
people.
 Reform – improvement
 reign – period of power
Sargon I
 Created
the world’s first empire.
 Reign lasted 50 years.
 Strong ruler
 United the cities of Mesopotamia and
Akkad.
Hammurabi of Babylon
 Conquered
Akkad and Sumer and
became ruler in 1800 B.C.
 The Babylonians took many parts of the
culture of the people they conquered.
(language, Gods)
 Brought about changes in: religion,
irrigation, and the tax system.
Hammurabi of Babylon
 Best
known for Hammurabi’s Code.
 Each city-state had it’s own code.
 Believed in FAIR LAWS.
 Innocent until proven guilty.
 Punishment ranged from fines to death.
 During his reign, Babylon became an
important center for trade.