1. Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent
Chapter 3
Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent

2. Section 1 - Key Terms Fertile Crescent Silt Irrigation Canals Surplus
Division of Labor

3. Fertile Crescent
A large arc of rich farmland between the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea

4. Silt
A mixture of fertile soil and tiny rocks that can make land ideal for farming.

5. Irrigation
A way of supplying water to an area of land.

6. Canals
A human-made waterway.

7. Surplus
More of something than is needed.

8. Division of Labor
An arrangement in which each worker specializes in a particular task or job.

9. Section 2 – Key Terms Rural Empire Urban Polytheism City-State Priests
Gilgamesh
Social Hierarchy
Sargon

10. Rural
A country side area.

11. Urban
A city area

12. City-State
A political unit consisting of a city and its surrounding countryside

13. Gilgamesh
King of Uruk, a city-state in Sumer, he became a legendary figure in Sumerian literature.

14. Sargon
King of Akkad, a land north of Sumer, he built the world's first empire after defeating Sumer and northern Mesopotamia.

15. Empire
Land with different territories and peoples under a single rule.

16. Polytheism
The worship of many gods.

17. Priests
A person who performs religious ceremonies.

18. Social Hierarchy
The division of society by rank or class