Word Wall Unit 2 Mesopotamia

Stylus The Sumerians used a sharpened reed called a Stylus to press markings into a clay tablet

Cuneiform Sumerians began to use symbols made of wedge shapes and lines.

Scribes The people who specialized in writing were called scribes. They were professional record keepers and considered highly respected by Sumerian people

Pictographs Symbols known as “picture writing.” Sumerians drew pictographs on clay tablets

Civilization Society and culture grew more complex over time and led to an advanced level of development in social and political organization

Ziggurat An ancient Sumerian or Babylonian temple that rose in a series of steplike levels

Mesopotamia The “land between two rivers.” the two rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates.

Homo erectus Found in Africa, Asia, and Europe First to move out of Africa

Homo habilis Found in east Africa First to make stone tools

Homo sapiens Found in Africa, Europe, and Asia Physically modern humans

Australopithecine Found in southern and eastern Africa First humanlike creature to walk upright

Hominids A human-like creature that walks on two feet

Artifact A human-made object

Fossil The remains of plants or animals preserved in the ground

Neanderthal Man Ancient remains found in Europe

Irrigation The watering of crops

Agriculture Planting seeds to raise and grow crops

Domesticate To grow and take care of wild plants and animals

Hammurabi’s Code A code of laws that is sometimes referred to as an “ eye for an eye.” Hammurabi was a powerful king who ruled the Babylonian Empire. The code of laws included 282 laws that covered business, property, and conduct toward other people conduct is another word for behavior

Fertile Crescent Land that stretched in a curve from the Mediterranean sea through Mesopotamia Fertile Crescent had rich soil and water that made the area good for farming

Essential Questions??? How did farming change the way people lived? Answer: People began to settle and live in villages permanently