| Term | Definition |
| Fertile Crescent | A large arc of rich, or fertile farmland
Location of 1st Civilization |
| SILT | A mixture of soil and rocks that is very fertile
Used for Farming |
| Irrigation | A way of supplying dry land with water for Farming
Prevents flooding
Supplies Water
Ditches, pipes or streams |
| Surplus | An extra supply of something
Used for trade or storage |
| City-State | An independent nation made up of a city and the land around it.
Had own government
Had own chief god/goddess
Ruled by a king |
| Polytheism | A belief in more than one god
Sumerians worshipped many gods
Honored their gods at religious temples called ziggurats |
| Ziggurat | A pyramid-shaped temple where Sumerians worshipped their gods/goddesses |
| Cuneiform | A Sumerian writing system that used wedge-shaped marks made in soft clay |
| SCRIBE | A person who records business dealings and important events
Few people could read or write
Scribes were well respected |
| EPIC | A long poem that tells the story of a hero
The oldest known story in the world comes from Sumer
Story is called the “Epic of Gilgamesh” |
| Empire | A group of many different lands under one ruler
-Sumer, Babylonia, & Assyrian |
| TRIBUTE | A payment made to a ruler as a sign or surrender
Assyrians forced the people they defeated to pay them money |
| PROVINCE | A district within a larger country or empire
Assyrian Empire was divided into provinces
Roads connected the provinces
King chose the rulers of each province |
| CARAVAN | A group of merchants traveling together for safety, usually with a large number of camels |
| ASTRONOMER | A person who studies the stars, planets, and the moon |
