Humanities Terms Ch 4-6

Terms	Definitions
Akkadians	They were the first empire to rule Mesopotamia after the Sumerians.
aqueducts	a pipe or channel that brings water from distant places
artisan	a craftsperson
Assyrians	rose to power in 900 B.C.E. and were known for their military might
astronomy	the study of stars and planets
Bas-relief	a sculpture in which the image projects out from a flat surface
Canal	an artificial waterway of artificially improved river used for travel, shipping, or irrigation.
capital	a city that is the center of government
City-State	an early city that was like a small, independent country with its own laws and government. It consisted of the land around it, the walls and the city
civilization	a society marked by developed arts, sciences, government, and social structure
culture	a characteristic of civilization that includes the beliefs and behaviors of a society or group of people
cuneiform	This is the Sumerian form of writing that uses wedge-shaped marks and is considered to be the world's oldest
economy	the way a region or country uses resources to produce and sell or trade goods and services to meet people's needs and wants.
Empire	a large territory in which several groups of people are ruled by a single leader or government
Fertile Crescent	This is a crescent-shaped strip of fertile land that stretches from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf
floods	This is the major problem faced by the people of ancient Mesopotamia
Hammurabi	a king of Babylon, a small city-state in central Mesopotamia, who conquered all of Mesopotamia
Hammurabi's Code of Laws	a collection of laws and rules written by Hammurabi based on his own authority and the word of gods
Iraq	This is the modern day country that holds most of ancient Mesopotamia
Irrigation system	a means of supplying land with water.
Levee	a wall of earth built to prevent a river from flooding its banks.
merchant	a person who makes money by selling goods
Mesopotamia (means "land between the rivers")	in ancient times, the geographic area located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
Moat	a ditch dug as a fortification and usually filled with water
Nebuchadnezzar II	a king who reigned from 605-562 B.C.E.
Neo-Babylonian Empire	the "new" Babylonian control over Mesopotamia after the Assyrians were defeated
pictographs	a symbol that stands for an object
priests	Other than the king, these were very high ranking members of Sumerian civilization
scribe	This is a member of Sumerian society that could read and write. They often recorded business transactions and listed historical dates
siege	a military blockade and attack on a city to force it to surrender
social structure	the way a civilization is organized
stele	an upright slab of stone with letters to depict important events
Sumer	This is the birthplace of what historians consider the world's first cities located in the southern part of Mesopotamia
Sumerians	ancient people who lived in the geographic region of Sumer.
surplus	this is the term describing having more food than what is needed
technology	the use of tools and other inventions for practical purposes
Tigris and Euphrates	This is the name of the two rivers that run through Mesopotamia
tributes	wealth sent from one country or ruler to another as a sign that the other is superior
ziggurat	Are ancient Sumerian temples that were like pyramids and had outside staircases and a shrine at the top. It was made by putting terraces on top of each other