Mesopotamia - Introductory

This vocabulary list will take you back to the Bronze Age! Learn all about the ancient Mesopotamian civilizations that developed between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. You'll explore the politics, religious traditions, and agricultural practices of the region, as well as the ancient writing known as cuneiform and structures like the stele and the ziggurat.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. agriculture
    the practice of cultivating the land or raising stock
  2. Alexander the Great
    king of Macedon
  3. artisan
    a skilled worker who practices some trade or handicraft
  4. Assyria
    an ancient kingdom in northern Mesopotamia which is in present-day Iraq
  5. astronomy
    the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies
  6. Babylon
    the chief city of ancient Mesopotamia and capital of the ancient kingdom of Babylonia
  7. barter
    exchange goods without involving money
  8. bronze
    an alloy of copper and tin and sometimes other elements
  9. Bronze Age
    (archeology) a period between the Stone and Iron Ages, characterized by the manufacture and use of bronze tools and weapons
  10. canal
    long and narrow strip of water for boats or for irrigation
  11. city-state
    an independent nation comprised of a single town
  12. civilization
    a society in an advanced state of social development
  13. code
    a set of rules or principles or laws
  14. crop
    a cultivated plant that is grown commercially
  15. cuneiform
    an ancient wedge-shaped script used in Mesopotamia
  16. deity
    a supernatural being worshipped as controlling the world
  17. drought
    a shortage of rainfall
  18. dynasty
    a sequence of powerful leaders in the same family
  19. empire
    the domain ruled by a single authoritative sovereign
  20. epic
    a long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds
  21. erosion
    the process of wearing or grinding something down
  22. Euphrates
    a river in southwestern Asia
  23. famine
    a severe shortage of food resulting in starvation and death
  24. fertile
    marked by great fruitfulness
  25. 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
  26. Hammurabi
    Babylonian king who codified the laws of Sumer and Mesopotamia (died 1750 BC)
  27. Hebrew
    of or relating to or characteristic of the Hebrews
  28. idol
    a material effigy that is worshipped
  29. inscription
    the activity of carving or engraving letters or words
  30. Iron Age
    the period following the Bronze Age
  31. irrigation
    the act of supplying dry land with water by artificial means
  32. levee
    an embankment built to prevent a river from overflowing
  33. library
    a place containing books and other materials for reading
  34. Mesopotamia
    the land between the Tigris and Euphrates
  35. migrate
    move from one country or region to another and settle there
  36. migration
    the movement of persons from one locality to another
  37. monotheism
    belief in a single God
  38. nomadic
    relating to persons or groups who travel in search of food or work
  39. Persia
    an empire in southern Asia created by Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BC and destroyed by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC
  40. pictograph
    an image or drawing used to represent a word or phrase
  41. plow
    a farm tool for breaking up or turning over soil
  42. polytheism
    belief in multiple gods
  43. priest
    a person who performs religious duties and ceremonies
  44. province
    the territory in an administrative district of a nation
  45. resource
    a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed
  46. satrap
    a governor of a province in ancient Persia
  47. scribe
    someone employed to make written copies of documents
  48. siege
    an action of an armed force that surrounds a fortified place
  49. silt
    mud or clay or small rocks deposited by a river or lake
  50. slavery
    the practice or system of owning people as property
  51. specialization
    making something suitable for a particular purpose
  52. stele
    an ancient upright stone slab bearing markings
  53. stylus
    a pointed tool for writing, drawing, or engraving
  54. tablet
    a slab of stone or wood on which something is inscribed
  55. taxation
    imposition of charges against a citizen's person or property
  56. technology
    the practical application of science to commerce or industry
  57. temple
    a place of worship
  58. textile
    artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting fibers
  59. Tigris
    an Asian river; a tributary of the Euphrates River
  60. trade
    the commercial exchange of goods and services
  61. tribe
    a group of people with shared ancestry and customs
  62. tribute
    payment by one nation for protection by another
  63. warfare
    the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
  64. wheel
    a simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines)
  65. ziggurat
    a rectangular tiered temple or terraced mound
Created on Thu Jan 12 10:28:13 EST 2017 (updated Mon Apr 03 15:58:38 EDT 2017)

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