key terms and names to know about mesopotamia
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| 878912951 | The Epic of Gilgamesh | is an ancient Mesopotamian poem, or story, that follows the story of the king Gilgamesh, and also reflects many of the deep and philosophical questions of that time, specifically regarding mortality and loyalty. Significance- The Epic of Gilgamesh is very significant because it is one of the first surviving literary works of that time and place, as well as it deeply reflects many of the deep curiosities of that era. | 0 | |
| 878912952 | Polytheism | is the doctrine of or belief in more than one god or in many gods. Significance- Polytheism was a common and widespread belief and association of the Mesopotamian era, which was one of the first to introduce the ideas of religion and of gods. | 1 | |
| 878912953 | Kingdom, Regional Kingdom | refers to the distinction between the different categories and levels of a kingdom during the time of Mesopotamia. A regional kingdom was the area that was ruled over by a king within the region and or surrounding territory within close proximity to them. They usually served under a larger kingdom of the whole nation. Significance- Mesopotamia was almost made up entirely of these regional kingdoms, which then served under a larger overall kingdom which ruled the nation; this was the first time that anything like this had been seen before. | 2 | |
| 878912954 | Sargon of Akkad | was 24th to 23rd century B.C., semi-legendary Mesopotamian ruler whose empire extended from the gulf to the Mediterranean. Significance- Sargon of Akkad was the first to implement a social structure where every city contributed to the need of the king, much like taxes but not as stable, as well as he really used the natural resources to his advantage, unlike other kings in the past. | 3 | |
| 878912955 | Hammurabi's Codes | is a set of codes and laws that were set up in order to keep peace throughout the nation, back in the days of Mesopotamia. Significance- Hammurabi's code was the first set of detailed legal laws to govern a nation and or territory. It was also the first set of laws to introduce Lex Talionis, or "the law of retaliation," which also goes by another common name today such as, "an eye for an eye." | 4 | |
| 878912956 | Stele | is the name of large upright slabs of stone or pillars, which bear an inscription, or design on them that serve as a monument, commonly found in the Mesopotamian era. Significance- There were a number of steles created during the time of Hammurabi, though only one has been found, which have the original engravings of some 280 laws following the code of Hammurabi and demonstrating the first prime examples of writings of a significant length from the Mesopotamian era. | 5 | |
| 878912957 | Assyrians | were a group of people who were jockeying for power shortly after the fall of the Babylonian Empire in Mesopotamia. They were commonly known for their brute power and strong military that obliterated many Sumerian cities during that time. Significance- The Assyrians were a widely known group of people, who using some of the first well-constructed governmental techniques and new technological advancements, specifically using bronze and iron, were able to create one of the first and most extensive empires of the time | 6 | |
| 878912958 | Phoenicians | refers to a group of people who near 3000 B.C. migrated to the Mediterranean Coast and soon became very skilled ship builders and traders. Significance-The Phoenicians built some of the very first advanced ships and made trades all throughout Mesopotamia, even reaching up to the British Isles. They were also the first to make use of cuneiform writing by adapting it to their own style, creating a new set of writing that used symbols to represent syllables in a word instead of the word itself (this adapted alphabet soon came to be adapted and later used as the English alphabet.) | 7 | |
| 878912959 | Stratified Patriarchal Society | is the name given to a category of society and government where all the dictatorship roles are filled by the richest male in the family or area, going by heirs as well as social status (men and how rich they are.) Significance- Many of the later developed regions of Mesopotamia soon followed this society, and were some of the first people to recognize significant differences in rank, wealth, and social status, thereby classifying each person into a certain social rank: elite, commoner, dependent, and slave. | 8 | |
| 878912960 | Elite, commoner, dependent, and slave | are the categorizations given to the first people to recognize specific social classes of the Mesopotamian era. Elite refers to the rich and noble people, commoner to the middle and lower class, dependent to someone who owes a debt, and slaves to the workers who are under the domination of a social class higher than them. Significance- These were the first categories in a social class ever recognized by humanity before, during the Mesopotamian area, due to an abundance of food and other items, which allowed for an accumulation of wealth. | 9 | |
| 878912961 | Cuneiform | is the first written language on earth, found in early Mesopotamia and designated mostly for trade but later on for scholarly works; it was made by scratching symbols into wet clay and then letting it hard in the sun or baking it. Significance- Cuneiform is the first recorded written language and was used primarily for trade efforts. | 10 | |
| 878912962 | Moses | is the Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of Egypt and delivered the Law during their years of wandering through the wilderness. Significance- Moses was the first man ever to introduce monotheism, or the belief in one God, especially during a time of strict belief and adherence to polytheism all throughout Mesopotamia. | 11 | |
| 878912963 | Semitic | refers to the race of people pertaining to those who spoke Akkadian, Aramaic, Hebrew, and Phoenician during the Mesopotamian era. These people were usually nomadic herders who came from the Arabian and Syrian deserts and later migrated to the south and west near the Sumerians. Significance- During the early era of Mesopotamia, many Semitic migrants moved to the Mesopotamian region and later influenced many of the technological advancements and techniques through cross-cultural influence. | 12 | |
| 878912964 | City-State | Is a state that is sovereign and governs over the surrounding territory as well as its defined area. Significance- Many new cities states had sprung up in the Mesopotamian region by 2350 B.C., for the first time. This was the first step in the quest for order and an organized government system. | 13 | |
| 878912965 | Empire | is the name designated to an extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme authority, especially a king or queen. Significance- As power shifted in Mesopotamia around 2800 B.C., the city-states began to fight amongst themselves over who should govern the whole region; out of this came the first empire of Sargon of Akkad, and many others to come. | 14 | |
| 878912966 | Hammurabi | was a Babylonian king who codified the laws of Sumer and Mesopotamia around 2500 B.C. Significance- Hammurabi was the first to bring about a set of legal codes or laws, that required a high standard of behavior or if not a severe consequence, that every citizen had to abide by in order that there be peace and fairness thought Mesopotamia. Though these laws, Hammurabi was the first to introduce the law of Lex Talionis, or "the law of retaliation (i.e. "an eye for an eye"). He was also the first to implement the requirement of taxation throughout the land. | 15 | |
| 878912967 | Indo-Europeans | were a group of peoples who typically came out from the Ukraine area and migrated to Mesopotamia during and after 3000 B.C. Significance- These people brought along with them many different cultural traditions, languages, and technology, which through cross-cultural interaction was adopted by and influenced much of the Mesopotamian culture that we recognize today. They also brought the domestication of horses to Mesopotamia, which enabled easier ways of transportation and a faster diffusion rate of their culture. | 16 | |
| 878912968 | Hittites | were members of an ancient people who established a strong and powerful Empire in Syria and Mesopotamia, dominant from about 1900-1200 B.C. Significance- The Hittites were a widely known group of people throughout Mesopotamia, that created a strong empire there, and were well known for destroying many Sumerian and Mesopotamian cities using forms of advanced weaponry such as bronze or iron made armor. | 17 | |
| 878912969 | Hanging Gardens of Babylon | was the name given to the ornamental gardens planted on the terraces of ziggurats in ancient Babylon, during the time of Nebuchadnezzar. Significance- The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were the first architecture designs to ever be produced in that manner, as well as it was one of the first ornamental gardens. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon is now known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. | 18 | |
| 878912970 | Bronze and Iron Metallurgy | is the working of bronze and iron, by using heat, to create desired shapes and forms. Significance- As new governmental systems and cities began to arise in Mesopotamia, this allowed for the first time, an accumulated wealth and time for things such as art, developing culture, and specialized labor. Bronze and Iron Metallurgy was a large part of specialized labor during that time, because experimenting with metal meant that better technology and weaponry could be created. | 19 | |
| 878912971 | Pastoral Nomads | are groups of people who are dependent on animal husbandry and other animal products for trading to nearby villages and cities, while they move from place to place. Significance- Many of the migrants who first came to Mesopotamia were pastoral nomads, and as so brought many new forms of crops and new forms of technology from other lands. This later greatly influenced the technology and ways of the Mesopotamian culture. | 20 | |
| 878912972 | Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews | are different groups of people adhering to the religion of monotheism, or believing in one God only, as opposed to polytheism. Hebrews are speakers of the ancient Hebrew language, Israelites formed a branch of Hebrews who settled in the Palestine after 1200 B.C., and Jews descended from southern Israelites who inhabited the kingdom of Judah. Significance- All the members of these groups profoundly influenced much of the Mesopotamian culture and development which later caused severe consequences for them. Some of the earliest religious historical records were also written and recorded into an extensive collection of sacred writings by these people. | 21 | |
| 878912973 | Abraham | was the first of the great Biblical patriarchs, father of Isaac, and traditional founder to the ancient Hebrew nation; he was also considered by Muslims, to be an ancestor of the Arab peoples through his son Ishmael. Significance- Abraham was said to be the founder of the three great religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. | 22 | |
| 878912974 | Monotheism | is the belief in one God alone, instead of many gods, or polytheism. Significance- Monotheism was first introduced by Moses in Mesopotamia, and had previously not been seen before that era, since most Mesopotamian people believed in polytheism. | 23 |
