The Fertile Crescent
Life between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
The Fertile Crescent
Mesopotamia is considered the cradle of
civilization - it was the first time that
humans created and sustained (3,000
years) an urban, literate, technologically
sophisticated society where people
shared common values and a common
view of the origins and order of the world.
The Fertile Crescent
plateau:elevated flatland
The Fertile Crescent
silt:tiny bits of rock and soil
The Fertile Crescent
drought:long periods of dry weather
The Fertile Crescent
irrigation:the watering of land with canals
or pipes
The Fertile Crescent
cuneiform:Sumer’s system of writing; one
of the first writing systems
invented
The Fertile Crescent
scribe:record keepers of ancient times;
Sumer’s writers
The Fertile Crescent
city-state:a self-governing city that also
governs surrounding villages
The Fertile Crescent
ziggurat:a large, mud-brick building with a
temple at its peak used for
religious purposes
The Fertile Crescent
polytheism:the belief in many gods and
goddesses
The Fertile Crescent
monotheism:the belief in one god or deity
The Fertile Crescent
empire:a group of lands and peoples
ruled by one government
The Fertile Crescent
code of law:a written set of rules that applies
to everyone
The Fertile Crescent
aqueduct:a new kind of watering system; a
raised waterway; carries
mountain stream water to city
The Fertile Crescent
moat:a canal used for protection
The Fertile Crescent
tax:money collected by the
government
The Fertile Crescent
“Hanging Gardens”Babylonian King
Nebuchadnezzar built these for
his wife