Early River Valley Civilizations

LO1: Define Mesopotamia, Sumer, city-state, cultural diffusion, polytheism, Hammurabi
LO2: Identify the region of Sumer + discuss aspects of Sumerian culture
LO3: Explain the impacts of of Agricultural Revolution on Sumerian Culture

Mesopotamia: historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris and Euphrates River system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent
Sumer: occupied the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, new irrigation techniques, invented earliest forms of writing called "cuniform"
City-State: a city that's surrounding territory forms an independent state
Cultural Diffusion: the spread of cultural beliefs and social activities from one group of people to another
Polytheism: beliefs and worship of more than one god
Hammurabi: Babylonian created a series of laws, known as Hammurabi's Code (Crime and Outcome)
Dynasty: a line of hereditary rulers of a country
Empire:extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme authority, formerly especially an emperor or empress

Sumer is the area between the Tigris and Euphrates river. They invented the first writing system. The ziggurat was a Sumerian temple built on top of a "mountain" of Earth. Take the concept of an hour and divide it into 60 minutes. Then a minute into 60 seconds. The Agricultural Revolution impacted Sumerian culture because they created an irrigation system.

1. For each term or name, write a sentence explaining its significance.
• Fertile Crescent • Mesopotamia • city-state • dynasty • cultural diffusion • polytheism • empire • Hammurabi

USING YOUR NOTES- FROM THE READING GUIDE
2. Which of the problems you
listed required the most
complex solution? Explain.

How should the city be ran. They should vote but you have to consider that they didnt have that system back then

MAIN IDEAS
3. What were the three
environmental challenges to
Sumerians?

Irrigation

dry climate

flooding
4. How did the Sumerians view
the gods?

They controlled their whole life
5. What areas of life did
Hammurabi’s Code cover?

Babylonia