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12 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What are two main river systems in Mesopotamia?
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The Tigris and Euphrates River.
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define Mesopotamia
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a word coming from the Greek language meaning - the land between two rivers.
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define irrigation
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the act of suplying dry lands with water by means of canals, ditches and pipes.
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define plateau
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a broad (wide) area of high, flat land. The northen land of Mesopotamia was a plateau.
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define plain
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a broad (wide) area of flat, open land, that is lower than the plateau and is usually used for farming. The region of Sumer was located on a plain in the Southern part of Mesopotamia.
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define city state
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a self governing unit that includes a city and the surrounding villages and farmland it controls. There is no central power. In Mesopotamia, Ur, Kish & Lagash are examples of a city state.
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define administrator
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a manager or one who directs a government or orginazation. In early Meesopotamia, priests were the first administrators, and they managed the building and up keep of the canals for irrigation purposes.
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define monarchy
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a governing system ruled by a king or queen. In Sumerian city states, the rulers were always kings and they had complete authority (power) over religion, economy and everyday life. When a king died his son became king.
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define artisan
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a worker who is skilled im making a particular product by hand. Examples in Mesopotamia were jewelers, potters,weavers, etc.
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define epic
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a long poem about a hero. The Sumerian stories of Gilgamesh was probably the world's first epic. These stories were first written down in 2000 BC., but have probably been part of an oral tradition for hundreds of years before that.
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define nomads
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one of a group of people who moved with their flocks and herds, moving with seasons to find water & pasture. In ancient Sumer, these people sometimes raided (robbed) villages or city states taking grain or livestock.
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define polytheism
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a belief in many gods (more than one). The Sumerians believed their gods controlled everything. They felt helpless against the forces of nature. They believed only by pleasing their gods could they have feel confident of good fortune.
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