Epic of Gilgamesh

Free commoners, dependent clients, slaves

Cuneiform

Scribes

Ziggurats

SIFT: PLACES

Define the areas which comprise Mesopotamia

Tigris and Euphrates

Jericho

Babylon

The areas of Mesopotamia (ex. Sumer)

Sumerians

Hyksos

Sargon (of Akkad)

Hammurabi

King Nebuchadnezzar

Hittites

Assyrians

Why was Mesopotamia an attractive area for attack from outsiders?
Why did invasion come to Mesopotamia before Egypt?
What was the impact of the Assyrian horse-drawn chariot?
What special crafts, occupations and trades developed as the cities grew?
What is bronze and why was its invention so important? Why was bronze largely kept out of the hands of the common people?
When did Mesopotamians start the effective use of iron and why was this important?
What was the importance of the wheeled vehicle?
Describe the emergence of maritime transportation and its importance.
With whom did the Sumerians trade and for what did they trade? (why was trade especially important in southern Mesopotamia?)
Why did the rise of cities enable groups to accumulate wealth and establish social distinctions?
The role of women in society (this is important because you will see that the role is the same in the counties which occupy the modern area of Mesopotamia)
Writing originated in Mesopotamia. What were its uses? What was the form of the writing?
Why were schools essential to the orderly running of the government?
What was the importance of astronomy and the development of calendars?
How did the difference in geography and the characteristics of the rivers cause the differences in Mesopotamian and Egyptian societies? Why was one “pessimistic” and the other “optimistic”?