Mesopotamia Vocabulary

Civilization

• Complex society with cities, organized government, specialized jobs

• A simple community with no formal structure

• A nomadic lifestyle with no permanent settlements

• A society focused solely on agriculture

City-state(s)

• A large metropolitan area governed by a mayor

• An independent city with its own government, controls surrounding area

• A region governed by a council of cities

• A city that is part of a larger state or country

Nomads

• People who settle in one place permanently

• People who move from place to place, usually in search of food or grazing land

• People who live in urban areas and work in offices

• People who travel for leisure and tourism

Code

• Set of laws or rules

• A programming language

• A type of software

• A musical composition

Stele

• A type of ancient pottery

• A stone or wooden slab, used as monument or to mark graves

• A form of ancient currency

• A style of classical architecture

Deity

• A celestial being

• A god or goddess

• A mythical creature

• A spiritual leader

Scribes

• People who write or copy documents

• Individuals who read books aloud

• Artists who create illustrations

• Historians who document events

Monotheistic

• Believing in one god

• Believing in multiple gods

• Believing in no gods

• Believing in a god-like figure

Laws

• Rules made by a government

• Guidelines for personal conduct

• Suggestions for community behavior

• Recommendations for business practices

Nation

• Large group of people with common culture, language, or territory, single government

• A small community with diverse cultures and languages

• A political entity with no defined territory

• An organization of multiple nations under one rule