Civilization - an advanced state of human society, in whicha high level of culture, science, industry, and government has been reached
Conquest – to take over another place
Cooperation – working together for a common purpose
Resources – materials found on Earth that people need and value
Movement – the movement of people, goods, and ideas
Fertile Crescent – a large arc of rich, or fertile, farmland between Asia Minor and the Persian Gulf
Mesopotamia – the land between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers
Domestication–the process of changing plant or animals to make useful to humans; to tame
Agriculture – the raising of crops and animals
Irrigation – a way of supplying water to a large area of land
Innovation- something new or different introduced
Human-Environment Interaction – ways in which humans interact with their environment; humans adapt, depend and modify their environment
Silt – a mixture of rich soil and tiny rocks
Hammurabi – a king of Babylon who brought all of Mesopotamia into his empire (1792 – 1750 BCE)
Hammurabi’s Code – a set of 282 laws that dealt with almost every part of daily life
City-State – consisting of a city and all of the countryside around it
Cuneiform – the world’s first writing system; using symbols; developed in Sumer
Law – rules or regulation of a place
Social Class – the division of society by rank or class
Polytheism – the belief/worship of many gods
Monarch – a ruler of a kingdom or empire
Empire – land with different territories and peoples under a single ruler
Division of Labor – a type of arrangement in which each worker specializes in a particular task or job
Canals – human-made waterways
Levees – a man-made wall or embankment used to control the flow of water
Rural – countryside
Urban– city
Gilgamesh – one of Uruk’s kings who became a legendary figure in Sumerian literature
Nebuchadnezzar II – famous Chaldean king who rebuilt Babylon
Sargon – King of Akkad who defeated Sumer to conquer much of Mesopotamia
Priests – people who performed religious ceremonies
Surplus – more than one needs
Sumer/Sumerian Empire – a society in southern Mesopotamia who developed the world’s first civilization
Akkadian Empire – a civilization just north of Sumer which conquered much of Mesopotamia.
Babylonian Empire – a civilization centered in Babylon which conquered much of Mesopotamia.
Assyrian Empire – a civilization from northern Mesopotamia which conquered much of the Fertile Crescent
Neo-Babylonia/Chaldean Empire – a civilization controlling much of Mesopotamia
Phoenicians – a wealthy trading society at the western end of the Fertile Crescent
Essential Questions
- How did geography shape the development of ancient civilizations?
- What conclusions can be drawn based on patterns of settlement?
- How did ancient societies use technology to change their environment?
- What advantages does civilization offer society?
- How have competition, conflict and compromise over resources impacted development?
- How have key historical figures and cultural groups influenced society?