Ancient Mesopotamia Test

Which of the following was NOT a function of governments in Mesopotamia?

• Keeping order

• Treating people justly

• Punishing wrongdoers

• Building the economy

Which of the following best describes the origin of government in Mesopotamia?

• As specialization occurred and not everyone had to farm, some people emerged as rulers and religious leaders

• As people hunted and gathered, someone had to be in charge of the nomadic groups

• When people began farming they decided that whoever grew the most crops would be in charge

• Rulers were chosen by priests.

Which of the following best describes the structure of the governments Mesopotamia city-states?

• They were ruled by an elected representative

• They were ruled by heredity kings

• They were ruled by the people themselves

• They were ruled by non-royal leaders who had absolute power.

Define ziggurat.

• The main entrance to Babylon. Here, the judges would sit and decide court cases

• Pyramid-shaped religious temples where business transactions also took place

• The thick walls that surround Babylon. Laws were carved on the side of the walls.

• The beautiful garden on the roof of King Nebuchadnezzar's palace.

People settled on the Fertile Crescent for all of the following reasons EXCEPT

• Access to good drinking water

• Land that was good for farming

• Easy access to wandering herds of animals

• The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers allowed for easy trade with others.

Why was the Fertile Crescent fertile?

• Because nomads built farms there

• Because the climate there is very hot

• Because the Mesopotamian people settled here

• Because of the annual flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

In which of the following ways did the Mesopotamian people change the environment?

• By practicing terrace farming

• By constructing irrigation canals

• By building aqueducts

• By removing mountaintops in search for water

Which of the following characteristics is NOT part of making up a "civilization"?

• They are complex societies

• They have art, religion, and writing systems

• They have organized government

• All of these are characteristics of civilizations

Which King of Babylon wrote a list of over 200 laws/codes for his people to live by?

• King Nebuchadnezzar

• King Soloman

• King Hammurabi

• King Hezekiah

The first written form of writing, invented by the Sumerians was called?

• Ancient Script

• Cuneiform

• Summerian

• Papyrus