Mesopotamia Vocabulary
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Created by:
msarvidson on January 1, 2012
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44 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 cuneiform | Sumerian writing made by pressing a wedge-shaped tool into clay tablets |
| polytheism | belief in many gods |
| ziggurat | a monumental mud-brick temple built by the ancient Sumerians |
| dynasty | a sequence of powerful leaders in the same family |
| empire | a large territory consisting of many places all under the control of a single ruler. |
| artisan | a craftsperson |
| arid | lacking sufficient water or rainfall |
| reign | 1) the period of time a king or queen rules; 2) to rule as a king or queen |
| city-state | a city that is an individual unit with it's own government & religion |
| slavery | condition of being owned by, and forced to work for, someone else |
| priest-king | a religious and governmental leader - same person |
| culture | a people's way of life, including all accumulated habits and activities |
| surplus | an extra amount of something; more than is necessary |
| Gilgamesh | a legendary Sumerian king who was the hero of an epic collection of mythic stories |
| edubba | a Sumerian school where young boys learned reading, writing, and arithmetic |
| levee | earthen embankment to prevent flooding |
| stylus | a wedge-shaped writing instrument made out of reed |
| barter | To exchange goods or services without the use of money |
| Mesopotamia | the Greek word for 'land between the rivers' |
| patron god | a deity who would look over and after a Sumerian city; each city had its own ______________ |
| bas relief | a sculpture in which the image projects out from a flat surface; from French "low relief" meaning the projection from the surface is not completely three-D |
| capital | a city that is the center of government |
| tribute | weatlth sent from one country or ruler to another as a sign that the other is superior |
| stele | a carved stone, often shaped like a pillar |
| siege | a military blockade and attack on a city to force it to surrender |
| aqueduct | a pipe or channel that brings water from distant places |
| astronomy | the study of the stars and planets |
| social structure | the way a civilization is organized |
| technology | the use of tools and other inventions for practical purposes |
| plow | a tool for tilling (turning) the soil to prepare for planting |
| status | importance |
| chariots | a two-wheeled vehicle pulled by a horse |
| scribe | a person who writes |
| sledges | flat-bottomed carts |
| arch | an upside-down U or V shaped structure that supports weight above it, as in a doorway |
| pictographs | a symbol that stands for an object |
| civilization | A group of people or culture that has the following characteristics: life in cities, a stable food supply, a hierarchical social structure, a system of government, a reglious system, a higly developed culture including art, music, literature, architecture, advances in technology, a written language |
| moat | an artificial waterway that rings a city or building to keep out intruders |
| bronze | an alloy (mixture) of copper and tin that can be poured into molds to be formed into metal objects like bowls or statues |
| irrigation | a system of providing water to crops |
| lyre | a stringed musical instrument similar to a harp |
| priest | a leader of the religious system |
| deity | a god or supernatural being that people respect and/or worship |
| lapis lazuli | a semi-precious blue stone used for decoration |
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