click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Mesopotamia
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| the wheel | Sumerian innovation, made it easier to move items so more trade |
| plow | Sumerian innovation, helped plant seeds for farming so more crops grew |
| irrigation | Sumerian innovation, waterways and canals that helped control water to grow crops during drought or flood |
| division of labor | sharing of a large job so each worker does only part of it; made work easier and people specialized |
| pictographs | pictures and symbols carved into wet clay to represent syllables and words |
| measuring system | Sumerian innovation, allowed them to make accurate sized structures and keep track of items |
| calendar | Sumerian innovation, used to know when flood season was coming and when to plant seeds |
| Tigris and Euphrates | rivers that Sumerians depended on for freshwater |
| monarchy | type of government of Sumerians; governing system ruled by king or queen |
| Duties of King (En) | lead military, arrange trade, settle arguments, direct public events, handle religious ceremonies |
| Upper Class | ruling class: king, high government officials, priests, warriors |
| Middle Class | lower government officials, craft workers, farming supervisors, merchants, doctors, carpenters, potters, brick layers |
| Lower Class | slaves and farmers |
| Hammurabi's Code | Written laws "Strong shall not oppress the weak" "an eye for an eye" |
| innovation | new way of doing things (invention or advancement) |
| surplus | amount of a product that is left over or extra |
| absolute authority | complete control |
| standing army | paid, trained army |
| bureaucracy | governing group made of non-elected officials |
| code | set of rules |
| merchant | person who buys and sells or trades goods |
| taxation | money people would pay to the government to ensure government kept working to take care of society |
| empire | city state and the area that surrounds it |
| conflict | disagreement or argument |
| compromise | resolution to a conflict in which both groups agree |
| cuneiform | A form of writing developed by the Sumerians; wedge shaped writing; helped keep records and taxes |
| scribe | person who trained to write |