Mesopotamia ESL

Ancient Mesopotamia was a river valley civilization. It was located on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The Mesopotamians were skilled hunters, but they primarily relied on agriculture for sustenance. The rivers helped them with their agricultural activities. The ancient Mesopotamians mainly depended on ______________for food.

• hunting

• agriculture

Based on your knowledge of the geography of ancient Mesopotamia, choose the two cities on the map that would be most likely to engage in a thriving agricultural trade.

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Match the event to the civilization in which it occurred.

Babylonian

• They took over the Sumerian civilization.

• Historians knew very little about this civilization.

• Conflict between the king and his brother could be the cause of its downfall.

Match the event to the civilization in which it occurred.

Hittite

• They took over the Sumerian civilization.

• Historians knew very little about this civilization.

• Conflict between the king and his brother could be the cause of its downfall.

Match the event to the civilization in which it occurred.

Assyrian

• They took over the Sumerian civilization.

• Historians knew very little about this civilization.

• Conflict between the king and his brother could be the cause of its downfall.

The Assyrian civilization was known for the following. Pick three.

• This civilization took over the Sumerian civilization.

• This civilization perfected the use of iron to make weapons.

• This civilization built the first library in history.

• This civilization mastered the art of building roads.

The Babylonian civilization was known for the following. Pick three.

• This civilization took over the

  Sumerian civilization.

• The Hanging Gardens were

  this civilization’s greatest

  achievement in architecture.

• This civilization was know for its cave drawings.

• King Hammurabi was an

  important ruler of this

  civilization.

Read the passage, and then answer the question.

Civilization X followed a polytheistic religion. Its people worshipped a number of different gods and goddesses. When they conquered a new land, they included the gods of that civilization in their own religious system. The king was the high priest of the kingdom. He divided his time between his kingly duties and the duties expected of a priest.

Which conclusion can be drawn based on the facts about civilization X?

• Civilization X accepted the gods and goddesses of the civilizations it conquered.

• The temple priests of civilization X chose the king through a long selection process.

• The people of a captured land had to pay a lot of money to continue following their religious beliefs.

• The king was not expected to marry or have a family because of his position as the head priest.

Which two technological or cultural advancements did the Assyrians borrow from the Hittites?

• constructing roads

• using iron to make weapons

• using cuneiform writing

• domesticating animals

• using chariots in war

Read the passage, and then answer the question.

An archeologist discovers an official-looking seal during an archeological dig. The seal is cylindrical in shape and is much like what a king would use when signing letters. Not long after, the archeologist finds a clay tablet covered in cuneiform script. The archeologist translates the words on the tablet. He discovers that it states a set of laws and rules that the citizens of the civilization must have had to follow.

Based on the passage, what conclusion can be drawn about the civilization?

• All ancient civilizations were ruled by kings, and they set the law and rules of the land.

• The king of this civilization used pictogram script to write laws and rules on clay tablets.

• The civilization didn’t believe in having a single king and was ruled by a group of governors.

• The civilization had a functioning government in place that decided the law of the land.