Vocabulary Review and Study Guide Fertile Crescent Vocabulary Review and Study Guide

Civilization Definition: GREATS – government, religion, economics, agriculture/artisans (division of labor), technology, social classes Connect: Mesopotamia in the Fertile Crescent was the first civilization.

irrigation Definition: supplying land with water through a network of canals (ditches) Connect: Fertile Crescent farmers used irrigation to water crops.

scribe Definition: professional writer Connect: Fertile Crescent scribes used cuneiform to record history, business, laws, stories, etc.

Cuneiform /kyo͞oˈnēəˌfôrm/ Definition: wedge-shaped writing of the Mesopotamians that originally began as pictographs Connect: Fertile Crescent scribes used cuneiform to record history, business, laws, stories, etc.

City-state Definition: area with its own traditions, laws, and government Connect: Fertile Crescent was divided into city-states.

polytheism Definition: belief in many gods Connect: Sumerians believed in many gods/goddesses.

monotheism Definition: Belief in one God Connect: Abraham taught the people of the Fertile Crescent about one God.

famine Definition: period of time with little food (starvation) Connect: Some Fertile Crescent people (Israelites) traveled to Egypt during the famine.

Producer Definition: someone who makes a product or provides a service Connect: The ancient Mesopotamians produced chariots using the wheel.

Consumer Definition: someone who uses a product or services Connect: Mesopotamians ate a lot of the grain they grew.

Primary Source Definition: original artifacts, writings, buildings, etc. that were from/created at an event or time period Connect: Hammurabi’s Code written in cuneiform is an example.

Secondary Source Definition: replicas or retellings of artifacts, writings, buildings from an event or time period; things created LATER than that time in history Connect: The Our World textbook is an example of information as a secondary source.

Science/Technology Accomplishments Levees to control flooding (wall to block water) Irrigation/Canals to control flooding (ditches to bring water to crops) dividing the sky into 12 parts; zodiac calendar (12-month) – predicting the flooding of rivers multiplication table wheel Chariot, battering ram System of writing (cuneiform) water clock architecture – ziggurats, arch, etc. potter’s wheel Glass math – base 10, base 60, place value, number zero 60-minute hour Baked-brick ovens Stringed musical instruments (probably!) Trousers Plow; Using animals to pull the plow First chemists

Hammurabi’s Code What was Hammurabi’s Code? code of laws Why was it important? united city-states with common laws first to be written down and posted (hung up)

Trade Barriers City-states were often in war with each other Why did some city-states have trouble trading with each other sometimes? City-states were often in war with each other Some city-states were too far apart Some city-states were separated by water or desert

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Give three reasons to support the opinion: The Tigris and Euphrates rivers were important to the Fertile Crescent. water for crops flooding brought nutrients to soil Trade/transportation

Religion Judaism Islam Abraham Muhammad Torah Qur’an (Koran) synagogue Who Started: Abraham Muhammad Important Book: Torah Qur’an (Koran) Place of worship: synagogue mosque Monotheism or Polytheism monotheism

CHRISTIANITY FOUNDER - Jesus IMPORTANT BOOK - Bible PLACE OF WORSHIP – church or anywhere MONOTHESISM – only one God

MAP Map: Be able to label 1. Tigris River 2. Euphrates River 3. Mediterranean Sea 4. Mesopotamia 5. Fertile Crescent

Shade Fertile Crescent

Tigris River Euphrates River Mediterranean Sea Mesopotamia

REVIEW What geographical feature did most civilizations develop by? RIVERS!

Surplus Why is a surplus of food necessary to develop a civilization? surplus of food allows time for people to specialize specializing produces more advanced technology and trade