 | Term | Definition |
| |
Afterlife |
An existence following death |
| |
Cuneiform |
Wedge-shaped writing of the ancient Sumerians and other ancient peoples |
| |
Dynasty |
Ruling family |
| |
Fertile Crescent |
A geographical area of fertile land in the Middle East stretching in a broad semicircle from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates |
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Epic of Gilgamesh |
The oldest work of literature, dating back over 5,000 years |
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Hammurabi |
King of Babylon. Created one of the first written code of laws called the code of Hammurabi |
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Hebrews |
One of the first groups of people to believe in one God |
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Hierarchy |
System of ranks |
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Levee |
A barrier built to contain the flow of water or to keep out flood waters |
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Mediterranean |
Sea located North of Egypt |
| |
Mesopotamia |
“Land between two rivers”. Area located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers |
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Monotheistic |
Believing in one God |
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Osiris |
Egyptian God of the Nile River. Responsible for the annual flooding of the Nile |
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Persian Gulf |
Body of water that lies southeast of Iraq and east of Saudi Arabia. Used as a trade route in the ancient Middle East |
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Phoenicians |
Sailing and trading people who had many colonies on the Mediterranean coast |
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Silt |
Rich soil deposited by floodwaters |
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Stylus |
Wedge shaped reed used for writing cuneiform |
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Sumer |
Name of the first civilization established in Mesopotamia |
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Sargon I |
The first emperor of Sumer |
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Theocracy |
A system of government by priests claiming the right to rule from the gods |
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The Fertile Crescent |
An arc of land that began between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and extended to the Mediterranean coast |
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Tigris and Euphrates Rivers |
The land between these two rivers contained the early civilizations of Mesopotamia |
| |
Ur |
The first important city in Mesopotamia |
| |
Ziggurat |
A temple tower of ancient Mesopotamians, having the form of a terraced pyramid. |
| Add or remove terms from this set |
